{"668618":{"#nid":"668618","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Shi is a Ph.D. student in machine learning and higher education, minoring in bioinformatics. During her time at Tech, Shi has received funding from numerous fellowships, including GAANN Biology Fellowship, STEM Diversity Ph.D. Fellowship, Grad RISE Fellowship, and GEM Ph.D. Engineering and Science Fellowship. Her experience includes instructor, head teaching assistant, and a guest lecturer. She expects to graduate Spring 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe followed up with Shi to get her tips for new graduate students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not have to sacrifice your entire personhood.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cA lot of students coming into a Ph.D. think that they will not have time for anything outside of work,\u201d said Shi. \u201cWhile the transition to your Ph.D. can be very time-consuming, this is certainly not the case for the entire five years that you will be completing your studies. I have known Ph.D. researchers who are simultaneously the following things: mothers, volleyball players, dancers, and band members. You will make sacrifices in your Ph.D., but you will not need to sacrifice your entire personhood.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake efforts toward your thesis every day.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cDon\u2019t stress over not knowing the answer on day one, but reading articles or learning about a technical skill every day will add up to a Ph.D. over time,\u201d said Shi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractice self-empathy.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cYou can often feel yourself moving two steps forward, one step backward, and a lack of external affirmation can make you lose motivation,\u201d said Shi. \u201cWhen this happens, take a break. Remember a thesis is not made or destroyed in one day. You can take a mental break and start tackling that problem in a little while when you feel more mentally equipped. Remember that breaks are not a waste of your time. They are a necessary part of tackling the problems your face in your Ph.D.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStop comparing yourself to other Ph.D. students.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cIt is extremely detrimental to your progress and your collaborations to think of anyone as a competitor,\u201d said Shi. \u201cConsider every interaction with others an opportunity to learn. One day, you will look back and realize how much wiser you are for it. These fellow researchers are your friends and mentors. You will have a much easier time the sooner you realize this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKnow where to go for support BEFORE you need it.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cDuring my Ph.D., I have taken note of professors and researchers who show passion for mentoring students,\u201d said Shi. \u201cWhen I need advice, I think of who might have faced a similar experience in their career and reach out for help. find that most professors and peers are more than willing to share their understanding with those coming up behind them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShi also notes that there are demographic-specific resources on campus that bring a different sense of community than peers and mentors in your program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPersonally, I have spent a lot of time at the LGBT+ Resource Center, Women\u2019s Center, and the Center for Engineering Education and Diversity,\u201d said Shi. \u201cThese are places where you can feel safe to speak on your struggles in your Ph.D. that intersect with your identities and feel understood.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValue criticisms but respect your own opinions.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cEarning a Ph.D. is a balance between pushing yourself out onto the frontier of science while respecting the guidance and assistance of those who have already proven themselves as researchers,\u201d said Shi. \u201cThat being said, you have to trust yourself. You should not give up on something if one person in the room says it\u2019s a bad idea, but if everyone does, then it is most likely a bad idea.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearn how to process rejection. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cLife is full of rejection, and it\u2019s not a reflection of your personhood,\u201d said Shi. \u201cI tend to think of each opportunity I apply for as a wish, so when I am successful, I am very lucky. If I am rejected, well there is always something new to wish for. This is what I tell my mentee, \u2018It is not your job to reject yourself. Someone else is paid to determine that, but if you don\u2019t put yourself out there, you are already rejected, so you have nothing to lose.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENew graduate students are welcome to contact Shi via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/breannashi\/\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E or email at bshi42@gatech.edu.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this series, we uncover the secrets of successful grad school students.\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":"2023-07-27 15:01:34","changed_gmt":"2023-07-27 15:06:50","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671263":{"id":"671263","type":"image","title":"Breanna Shi","body":null,"created":"1690470271","gmt_created":"2023-07-27 15:04:31","changed":"1690470271","gmt_changed":"2023-07-27 15:04:31","alt":"Headshot of Breanna Shi","file":{"fid":"254289","name":"2022_12_breanna_shi_-_bioinformatics_phd_student.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/27\/2022_12_breanna_shi_-_bioinformatics_phd_student.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/27\/2022_12_breanna_shi_-_bioinformatics_phd_student.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1418945,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/27\/2022_12_breanna_shi_-_bioinformatics_phd_student.jpg?itok=NBqZ0Nl8"}}},"media_ids":["671263"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/news\/series-transition-grad-school-pro-0","title":"Transition to Grad School Like a Pro with Ph.D. student in biology Melody Modarressi"},{"url":"https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/news\/series-transition-grad-school-pro","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro with Ph.D. Student in building construction Candace Washington"},{"url":"https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/news\/series-transition-grad-school-pro-1","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro with M.S. Graduate Jeffrey Edwards"},{"url":"https:\/\/grad.gatech.edu\/news\/series-transition-grad-school-pro-2","title":"SERIES: Transition to Grad School Like a Pro with Ph.D. Student Ritesh Ojha"}],"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":""}}}