Identify the issue: Expectations for grad students

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Learn how being a graduate student is different from being an undergraduate.
Learn to recognize what faculty members expect of you as a graduate student.
Learn to meet the expectations of graduate school.

“There are no clear cut answers anyway and the thing I realize is that even my advisor doesn’t know them. I’m not solving concrete problems anymore—I’m testing theories and trying to make a small impact in the field. It’s overwhelming and exhilarating all at the same time!”

“My advisor is so critical … he keeps recommending revisions so the document is ‘worthy of publication.’ I’ve been making changes for almost a year. When is this going to end?!”

“Some weeks I’m in the lab from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. If I didn’t have a roommate, I wouldn’t see anyone for days!”

Being in graduate school is no longer about simply attending classes, passing exams and turning in papers. It’s about establishing yourself as a researcher, which at times can be lonely, isolating and frustrating. You’ll be expected to:

Be independent in your work
Be excited about and engaged in your work
Work hard
Be honest when reporting on your research progress
Take criticism and sometimes refute it
Produce original research and publish it
Attend conferences to stay updated on topics in your field
Produce and present independent and original research
Maintain positive relationships with your peers (i.e., future colleagues)
Network with academics in the community

Graduate school can be a daunting process. Being criticized during the qualifiers, comprehensive exam and your dissertation defense may be completely foreign to you. Micro-stressors like computer breakdowns, financial problems and sleep deprivation can just make the experience feel more overwhelming. You’re not alone—feeling exhausted, emotional and overworked is common; see Stress Triggers to learn how to manage your experience.

The traditional nine-month academic calendar no longer applies. You’ll work harder than you ever thought possible and you’ll infrequently get breaks. Your work as a budding researcher doesn’t stop for winter or summer breaks and you’ll be expected to continue your research throughout the year. In fact, winter and summer breaks may simply offer you a reprieve from coursework and an opportunity to get ahead on your publications, conference proposals and the dissertation. There are no written rules, but you’ll certainly be behind if you don’t take advantage of year-round opportunities for research and collaboration.

One recommendation for surviving graduate school is to manage your study habits so you’re not pulling all-nighters. It’s more effective to create a structured approach. Schedule your main work time for when you are most energetic and productive, whether it’s early mornings, mid-day or late evenings. You’ll have to keep in mind, however, that you may need to adjust your work habits occasionally so they coincide with your professor’s schedule for meeting and feedback.

Research suggests that male and female advisors operate differently, with the latter focused on more structured approach to meetings and advisement (Fox, 2003). With a female advisor, you may be expected to attend weekly meetings and by appointment; a male advisor may be more casual and impromptu with his approach to advisement, expecting daily check-ins. Also, female advisors more frequently than males engage in a mentor-mentee relationship with their students and coach their students on a wide range of skills, including conducting research, interacting with professionals at conferences and making presentations.

As a graduate student, the expectation is that you’ll attend and present at discipline-related conferences. Keep in mind that conference attendance is not an excuse for a vacation; it should be seen as an opportunity to network with professionals in your field and build future contacts. Additional opportunities for networking include:

Approaching influential researchers in your field in formal and informal settings
Attending social activities with peers and faculty mentors
Participating in structured discussions on hot topics in your field

Some graduate students miscalculate the importance of conference receptions and instead choose to isolate themselves or socialize mainly with their fellow students. Receptions and informal events are an important time for interacting with and making a good impression on the faculty and researchers who attend. You never know. The impression you make in all settings has the potential to impact future letters of recommendation, post-doc opportunities and career positions (See The Impression You Make).

The reason to attend classes has changed because you’re no longer being tested on things that have already been done. Rather, you are being challenged to carve out unique questions in order to make an impact in the field. The ultimate test in graduate school is how you choose to apply the knowledge you gain—how you take others’ work and build upon it or forge a new path will determine your place in the industry or academic world.

While you’ll be expected to do independent research to establish your uniqueness in the field, you will also be expected to do work similar to that of your advisor. Often your advisor will carve out a research project for you that supports their interests and helps you gain research experience.

In many science and engineering disciplines, research will be conducted in teams and led by a faculty advisor or post-doc. You’ll be expected to maintain positive working relationships with your peers. You’ll also be expected to take the initiative on projects and combat any criticism from peers who may view your take-charge attitude as competitive and unfriendly.

Healthy competition is sometimes necessary and even helpful in achieving your goals and is generally the norm in STEM fields. Competing just for being on top is neither positive nor rewarding; it can be isolating and turn your colleagues against you. You might prefer collaborating and be frustrated that not as much of that is happening as you would like. Either way, remember that in the future, your fellow labmates will be your lifelong cohort and might be referral sources or references.

Academic advisors should be seen as allies—they direct your research, monitor your progress, help you meet program requirements and sign off on important paperwork. Understanding the functions of advising, however, is different from clarifying what each of you expects from the other in terms of how to work together.

One of the best things you can do when you begin working with your research advisor is to understand what your advisor’s expectations are with respect to working with them. Different disciplines, departments, and programs vary in general expectations for their doctoral students’ work during the program and outcomes. However, almost nothing is more important to your progress, satisfaction, and well-being than understanding and meeting your individual advisor’s expectations.

An example of clear expectations for work in a faculty member’s lab is provided by Masters and Kreeger (2017). The lab document starts with a Mission Statement that lists three goals: To do quality science; to develop each lab member to become a successful scientist; to maintain a collegial and intellectually stimulating environment. The sections include What You Can Expect From Me and What I Expect From You. For the latter, subheadings include the following, each followed by specifics:

You will take ownership of your educational experience
You will develop your personal research skills
You will contribute to the lab and be a good lab citizen

Further, in the same document, expectations and guidelines are specified for “nuts and bolts”:

Hours and vacation
Meetings
Annual evaluations
Authorship

Knowing from the start what work with your advisor will look like and require of you is key to establishing your working relationship. Clarifying expectations allows you to evaluate whether your advisor and lab will likely be a good fit for you and organize your efforts around what and how your group will work.

Your academic advisor can recommend funding sources and pass along post-doc, industry or academic job opportunities. See the What You Want in an Advisor module for information about how to select an advisor and maintain a good working relationship.

It is important to engage early in as much interaction with faculty and peers as possible since initial patterns seem to remain relatively stable over time. Increasing interpersonal connections in your program from the start will help you learn the skills, habits, norms, and attitudes of your program and discipline (Austin & McDaniels, 2006). Staying connected is especially important for students who are not well represented in the department such as women, particularly Women of Color, international students, and first generation students.

Be prepared to seek out support when you need it because it’s easy to get overwhelmed and isolated as you transition from undergraduate to graduate work and as you progress through a PhD program. From day one, it is recommended that you:

Identify faculty mentors who can supplement what your advisor offers (See What You Want in a Mentor)

Connect regularly with your advisor

Get to know administrative staff

Attend social activities with peers, faculty members or senior graduate students

Utilize senior graduate student experiences as ways to navigate your own program

Setting up expectations with your advisor early on provides you an invaluable roadmap for how to focus your effort and arrange your time as you progress through the program. A strong relationship with an advisor who will “have your back” will be a key asset.

Forret, M., & Dougherty, T. (2004). Networking behaviors and career outcomes: Differences for men and women? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 419–437. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.253 

Fox, M. F. (2003). Gender, faculty, and doctoral education in science and engineering. In L.S. Hornig (Ed.), Equal rites, unequal outcomes: Women in American research universities (pp. 91-110). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Goller, M., & Harteis, M. (2013). Employing agency in academic settings: doctoral students shaping their own experiences. In C. Harteis et al. (Eds.), Discourses on professional learning: on the boundary between learning and working (pp. 189–210). Dordrecht: Springer.

Jeong, S., Litson, K., Blaney, J., & Feldon, D. (2019). Shifting gears: Characteristics and consequences of latent class transitions in doctoral socialization. Research in Higher Education, 61(8), 1027–1053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-019-09583-7 

Lovitts, B. (2005). Being a good course-taker is not enough: a theoretical perspective on the transition to independent research. Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames), 30(2), 137–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070500043093 

Lovitts, B.E. (2008). The transition to independent research: Who makes It, who doesn’t, and why. The Journal of Higher Education (Columbus), 79(3), 296–325. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.0.0006 

Masters, K., & Kreeger, P. (2017). Ten simple rules for developing a mentor-mentee expectations document. PLoS Computational Biology, 13(9), e1005709–e1005709. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005709 

McAlpine, L., Castello, M., & Pyhalto, K. (2020). What influences PhD graduate trajectories during the degree: a research-based policy agenda. Higher Education, 80(6), 1011–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00448-7

Pfund, C., Byars-Winston, A., Branchaw, J., Hurtado, S., & Eagan, K. (2016). Defining attributes and metrics of effective research mentoring relationships. AIDS and Behavior, 20(S2), 238–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1384-z

Wade‐Benzoni, K. A., Rousseau, D. M., & Li, M. (2006). Managing relationships across generations of academics: Psychological contracts in faculty‐doctoral student collaborations. International Journal of Conflict Management, 17(1), 4-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444060610734154 

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