{"667874":{"#nid":"667874","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMelody Modarressi is a current Ph.D. student in biology. While attending graduate school, Modarressi also works as a graduate teaching assistant as part of the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship under the U.S. Department of Education. This involves working as a teaching assistant each semester while balancing research and coursework. She expects to graduate Spring 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWe followed up with Modarressi to get her insight and advice for new Georgia Tech graduate students.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EFind a mentor.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cPlay an active role in selecting your mentors,\u201d said Modarressi. \u201cWhile your research advisor is an invaluable resource, I wish I had realized sooner that I could also reach out to other faculty and more senior graduate students in my home school to answer my many questions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMentorship is an integral part of the graduate student experience, so don\u2019t be afraid to reach out if you think there is potential for a mutually beneficial and professional relationship to be made.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUtilize a few key Georgia Tech resources.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cThe Georgia Tech Career Center has some great resources available that can be helpful no matter what stage you\u2019re at within your program,\u201d said Modarressi. \u201cI also highly recommend the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources and its services, which have been crucial to me as I progress through my time at Tech. Lastly, the on-campus art studio, Paper and Clay, is a great place to blow off some steam and provide a creative outlet when not working.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EBe self-motivated. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cOne of the biggest adjustments for me was learning to manage my time,\u201d said Modarressi. \u201cMy undergrad was very structured so there was little need to be intentional with my planning because most things were predetermined by my department. Graduate school has taught me the value of self-motivation in determining how I use my limited time during the duration of my program.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EPave your way. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cWhile my advisors and home school offer some guidance and resources, I have realized that I am ultimately responsible for paving my way through graduate school and, therefore, have the power to make this experience what I want it to be,\u201d said Modarressi. \u201cI felt overwhelmed by this power initially, but I have since improved my time management skills with practice and now feel much more in control of my time and energy, a must for maintaining a healthy work-life balance during graduate school.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMake time for yourself.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cStep back and find enjoyment outside of campus life is key to staying motivated and excited about your program,\u201d said Modarresi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this edition, we follow up with a Ph.D. student in biology, Melody Modarressi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In this series, we uncover the secrets of successful grad school students.  "}],"uid":"36249","created_gmt":"2023-05-24 16:19:21","changed_gmt":"2023-06-13 13:28:55","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670879":{"id":"670879","type":"image","title":"Melody Modarressi","body":null,"created":"1685127843","gmt_created":"2023-05-26 19:04:03","changed":"1685128306","gmt_changed":"2023-05-26 19:11:46","alt":"Ph.D. student Melody Modarressi","file":{"fid":"253827","name":"Series_MelodyModarressi_467x467_2023.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/Series_MelodyModarressi_467x467_2023.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/26\/Series_MelodyModarressi_467x467_2023.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":60702,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/26\/Series_MelodyModarressi_467x467_2023.jpg?itok=9mSKjTfl"}}},"media_ids":["670879"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/news\/series-transition-grad-school-pro","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro with Ph.D. Student Candace Washington"}],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sara.franc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESara Franc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGraduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}