Naz blood is in my veins through and through! This past spring I graduated with a bachelor of arts in communication & media from Nazareth College. I wasn’t quite ready for my journey at Naz to be over, so I decided to pursue my graduate education here. But a lot has changed. Not just our title transitioning to University (hooray!) but my experience here as a student as well.
Graduate Student vs Undergrad
Even just telling everyone I’m a graduate student has felt so strange, but in a good way! Undergraduate students make up most of the campus but that doesn’t mean we grad students get forgotten about. We have a smaller population here and a smaller presence that is definitely more intimate. I still have some friends here from my undergrad as well, we know our way around campus, we have our favorite spots and we’re here to get the job done. I’d say the best way to describe the difference between being known as a grad student on campus opposed to an undergrad is the acknowledgment of the hard work we’re doing. Don’t get me wrong, I pushed myself during undergrad, we grad students have our work cut out for us, and nobody on campus tries to stand in our way!
Commuting vs Dorming
I’ve lived off campus since my junior year, and the adjustment took some getting used to. Being on campus during my undergrad allowed me to roll out of bed and head to class with minutes to spare. As a commuter, I had to deal with traffic on my drive to campus. I wish I had listened when people said to live on campus longer, on-campus housing is offered to grad students! While living on campus you have everything you could possibly need just a short walk away. It was nice to know I could head to health and counseling after class if I felt sick, or grab food at the CAB if I didn’t want to take my car to Wegmans.
But, luckily, as a commuter you can still use all of campuses resources, it just takes more effort to drive a few miles away from your apartment as opposed to a short walk from your dorm. However, I do like commuting as a graduate student because living off campus introduces you to so many experiences, activities, and nightlife. Ultimately though, both living on and off campus presents you with many life lessons, like learning to live with others, maintaining responsibility, planning skills, and practicing organization.
Classes
The biggest change I’ve noticed from becoming an undergrad student to a graduate student is the course load. In undergrad, I had a lot of assignments that directly correlated with the work we did in class that day. My grade consisted of lots of quizzes, papers, online readings, check-ins, and exams. So far in my graduate studies, there is a lot of independent reading and comprehension. It is our job to ensure that we are absorbing the materials. Also, we will be doing larger papers and presentations to accurately display the knowledge we’ve gathered in our field placement and throughout our classes. There’s much more group discussion in class and not nearly as much lecturing, as I experienced in undergrad. Also, I only have my graduate classes once a week, so the rest of my time is crucial to ensure I remember what I learned.
The Feeling
The excitement of undergrad is really hard to mimic. There is a feeling of joy from being independent but also a bit of homesickness. Also, taking classes that are vastly different from anything I did in high school or undergrad is liberating. It is a whole new ballgame. I really loved undergrad and thrived there, but there is something so different about the pressure you feel between the two experiences of undergrad and grad school. In undergrad, you still have wiggle room to change your mind and figure out what you want to do in the future. In grad school, you’re locked in. But, despite that pressure, diving into your life’s work is amazing.
I think the beauty of life is that you can appreciate your past but continue to live in the present. I will miss my undergrad experience dearly, but I know this next chapter is good for me. I’ve never pushed myself to new limits like this, but I also have never felt so confident in where I’m supposed to be. I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to grow from these experiences, while also being at the place where it all really started for me.
