How To Grad School

✌️Re-Introduction Post!

I'm Sarah Davis (she/they) and I founded How To Grad School in 2020 to help grad students improve their learning and well-being by using effective self-regulated learning strategies.

I live with my family, including my dog Tiller, on Vancouver Island, BC, on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen Peoples and the WSANEC and Esquimalt nations.

I'm more comfortable behind the camera and love incorporating the views from hikes around Vancouver Island on the How To Grad School social media accounts.

In my free time, I love playing hockey, paddleboarding, hiking, snorkelling, spending time with family and friends, laughing, reading, and going for walks with my dog around our neighbourhood.

In the last year, I've been playing A LOT of Zelda (both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom).

During my PhD, I co-founded an improv group with an incredible group of improvisers that performed for two years.

This year, I have a goal to read 20 books by Indigenous authors.

My favourite ongoing podcast is Ask Ronna, and my two favourite podcast series are Finding Cleo and The Outlaw Ocean.

Thanks for reading -- mlet me know about yourself and why you follow this account in the comments!

I'm going to be taking a break for the rest of December and into January.

When I finished my PhD in 2020, I promised myself I would never again skip regular breaks to "just write one more page" or "finish that manuscript I didn't get to all semester" or so on and so on.

In the last three years, I've kept that promise to myself and by taking regular, scheduled breaks throughout the year, I remember that PhD student who was working her way toward burnout.

I hope you will also be enjoying some very well-deserved time off over the next couple of weeks.

There will be a few changes coming to How To Grad School starting in January 2024, and I look forward to sharing these changes with you soon.

Check out how embracing your emotions, rather than just pushing them away and ignoring them, can actually increase your motivation!

Without a doubt, the main reason why I finished my PhD is due to the unconditional support of my peers, colleagues, friends, family, and community.

By surrounding myself with people who supported me through the thick and thin of my PhD, I found strength and support.

Who are the people who are always there for you as a grad student?

Who are these people for you as a grad student?

Sometimes they are fellow grad students or colleagues, other times they are your family and community.

Whoever they are, make sure you surround yourself with people who care about you.

You deserve it.

Do you believe that you can be successful in grad school? Spending some time examining exactly how you feel about yourself can determine if your beliefs are negatively impacting your motivation as a grad student.