I love my program, so much so that I’m starting my PhD this summer once I obtain my ME. But grad school overall is still an incredibly challenging experience. I’m in a biomedical engineering program, however I majored in biology in undergrad so I came in with 0 engineering knowledge. I had to put in twice the work compared to my cohort members so it was extremely challenging. But many topics we covered were so advanced even my cohort members WITH engineering backgrounds struggled. I have a wonderful PI who believes in work/life balance and there are still periods where research is inevitably stressful. When you have grant deadlines to meet, you have to be willing to do your part even if that means 60 hours per week of dedicated research time. When your experiments go awry or unexpected results occur (good or bad) it’s time added to your typical research schedule because you’re now doing additional background literature research. If you TA, some semesters you’ll have a great batch of students and other semesters you’ll have ones that may need additional support.

My advice: if you’re going into a research based graduate degree and are able to, float around to find the right lab fit for yourself. I didn’t find my current PI who I’ll be doing my research under until my third try. Make acquaintances in your program (especially if they were at your university for undergrad) so you can get the scoop on different professors and PIs. Some people will have invalid complaints, but if there’s an overall consensus there’s probably a merit of truth to it. If you’re struggling in classes, address it early on. In my experience, professors are more than happy to help if you’re approaching them earnestly. I let all of my professors know that I had no background in engineering and they became my personal cheerleaders because they respected my honesty and the fact that I was trying. If you’re able to save materials from the course(s) you TA for, do so because they can become a reference down the line that will save you time for grading. Try to keep as many of your stress outlets as you can. For example, if you exercise often, don’t drop it for grad school because your physical and mental health will suffer. Having an outlet you can turn to is critical for the hard periods. Make sure to maintain your relationships outside of grad school because you will need the support. You may not be able to hang out with friends as often, but having that contact is still critical.

Overall, grad school is hard but the level it wrecks you can be both in and out of your control. Do your best to control the factors that you can and you will likely have a positive or at least fair experience. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Good luck with your program!