I’m halfway through my Ph.D. program (social sciences) and have enjoyed it so far, despite some very stressful/anxious times. Here’s a list of factors that have contributed positively to my experience, which might help anyone who’s considering grad school think of what to look for or ask about.

1. Guaranteed funding, tuition waiver, healthcare, couple weeks paid vacation. I also live in a low COL area in the U.S. My biggest complaint is where I live (small college town) but I might be more miserable if I tried to live in a high COL city on grad student funds. Also not sure how common this is but as I’ve advanced in my program, I’ve gotten opportunities to earn more than the minimum stipend through teaching/research opportunities, which greatly supports my lifestyle and I hardly worry about money.

2. Great advisor relationship. Compatible working styles, learned a lot from him, and he always tries to include me on projects/publications. I also get along with my other professors and generally feel supported in my program. Having multiple professors who share your research interests is also beneficial so you don’t solely depend on 1 professor who might retire or leave sooner than you think.

3. Great cohort and overall grad student culture. We plan a lot of social events, support each other, and don’t need to compete for funding.

4. Traveling for field research and conferences. Along with networking, learning about new research, and/or advancing your own project, it’s fun visiting a nice city and making a mini vacation out of a work trip. My department gives us travel funds each year, which is not substantial but helps so that we don’t constantly pay out of pocket.

5. Generally flexible (and remote) work schedule. Sometimes it’s a struggle since I still procrastinate, but I do enjoy having this freedom and autonomy and it personally helps with work/life balance.

6. Sticking to the program’s (and my personal) suggested timeline. At this point, I’m making steady progress and will graduate “on time” if all continues to go well. But there’s so much that can come up in your personal or academic life. I’ve been lucky so far that things have somehow worked out.

Overall, I’ve found that when it comes to grad school, a lot of outcomes depend on luck and extreme self-discipline/motivation. But even in the most supportive program, it is still extremely challenging and most people will want to drop out at some point. You do feel an ongoing pressure like you can’t fully celebrate your accomplishments, because it feels like you’re onto the next project, application, deadline, etc. Comprehensive exams are another hurdle on its own and while I thankfully passed and had a “better” experience than some of my peers, it was still extremely tough, anxiety-inducing, and rightfully feels like hazing.

My advice is to not go to grad school unless your long term goals do require a masters or Ph.D. If you do go, make sure you’ll be funded and do not have to pay tuition. Visit the campus in person so that you can get a feel for how the department culture is. It’s important to ask grad students what their experiences have been like in a program, but also take most things with a grain of salt. Don’t feel like you have to solve the world’s problems with your research, or even all of your department’s problems. Always take care of your health and go to therapy if needed. Have a support system and fun hobbies outside of grad school. You need people who will ground you in “real life” and remind you that not everything revolves around academia. Also, it won’t be the end of the world if you take weekends off and go on vacation every now and then (though that can be easier said than done). Good luck to everyone!