Establishing and Revisiting Goals

It's never too late to identify or revise any short and long term goals that will contribute to your growth and success. Consider using a template such as an individual development plan (IDP), which can help you outline your academic, professional, and interpersonal goals. It can also help you see the progress you've made and the milestones you've achieved. The IDP is a living document. As your goals change, you should revise the IDP as needed. Once you've done a draft, feel free to use the document to guide your advising meetings or check-ins with faculty, mentors, or staff if needed. Here a few examples (that can be tailored for Master’s and Doctoral levels):

Invest in Career Development

For many of you, pursuing a graduate degree goes hand in hand with making a career change, so it's never too early to invest in your professional development. This takes time and planning.

Research Funding Opportunities

It's always a good time to research various funding opportunities that you may be eligible for, including funding for graduate study, conferences, research, as well as employment.

Doing research on potential ways to fund your graduate education can help you plan for things like meeting application deadlines, when to start drafting and revising application essays and questions, and when to connect with mentors and colleagues who can write you strong and tailored letters of recommendation if needed.

Watch Finding Funding for Graduate School or check out these informational guides and workshop recordings from the Graduate Funding Information Service (GFIS) to get started.