The agenda of the graduate student welcome was
designed to be the pep talk to survival for the next two years. I scrambled to
take notes as the engaging speaker shared the secret to student success and
wondered if it would really be the answer.
First, take care of yourself. “Pop tarts are not a
food group and right clicking is not exercise” (Moore, 2003, p. 238). Somehow I
managed to go the whole semester without eating pop tarts, probably because I
am fructose-intolerant. The Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on East
Campus is the place to go for exhilarating group workout classes. Three levels of
equipment, gyms, and a golf simulator make taking a break from right clicking
worth it. About halfway through the semester one of my classmates became my
workout accountability partner, which helped increase my consistency.
Second, relationships outside of the grad program
help with perspective and balance. Devote time and energy to keeping
relationships strong. Go to counseling. Thankfully my family is here in Lincoln
with me and they have been a huge support system. Keeping in touch with friends
faraway and taking breaks to celebrate with friends here has been a must.
About a month ago I went away to the
Kansas-Nebraska Conference of SDA Women’s Retreat with my mom. I felt impressed to go
to a particular breakout session and to stay even when the topic turned out to
be about parenting strategies. The speaker, Pearl smiled at me and said that
it’s never too early to prepare. Pearl is a professional counselor and is the
person God has used to encourage and focus my energy on what Jesus has to
say. She is the first Christian counselor I have ever encountered who always
puts the spotlight back on Jesus. When I have situations that are frustrating and
daunting, she has me make a list of the facts, my emotions, and how Jesus
brings the two sides together through Scripture. Together we pray bold prayers
and I have already seen God answer.
Third, develop strong relationships with peers,
faculty, advisor, and advanced grad students. My peers have hugged each other
through the happy moments, wiped each other’s tears from the stressful times,
and laughed through the long hours. The faculty have shared wisdom each
day, brought in exercise instructors in place of class, spoiled us with sweet
treats, and given us grace when we needed it most. My advisor has mapped out
the best course of action and believed in me when I was unsure of myself.
Advanced grad students have not ever flinched to help steer fellow students and
me in the right direction, no matter how busy they were.
Fourth, no peer comparison. Time management and
organization are critical. Set goals, prioritize, develop schedules, and meet
deadlines. The past four years I have used an hour-by-hour planner that maps
out my location, to do list, and accomplishments. Instead of comparing, why not
thank God for other people’s strengths and collaborate with them to improve
your weaknesses? “Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning, you’re Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you’re Happy.” ~ Ronald T. Azuma
Fifth, you are not here because of a clerical
error. Admissions process is rigorous and you made it. During the first week of
speech-language pathology orientation I was still in shock that my name was on
a mailbox and that I had a key to my own desk. There were times that my own
study guides helped other students perform better on exams than myself and times
when I thought that choosing me was a mistake. We are each allowed to have a
total of two B minuses as our final grade in the entire program before we are
asked to leave. It was tempting to give up when I entertained the lie from the
enemy that I was not going to make it academically. Pearl, taught me how to
take scripture and fight back those lies with truth. Philippians 4:13 says, “I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Isaiah 26:3 says, “You
will keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because she trusts
in You.” James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
This first semester of graduate school has
unleashed the peace that comes from the power of focusing on God. Praying
through the productive days and praising God amidst the overwhelming days is
what I want my life to echo. One semester down, five more to go until the
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology is complete. Thanking God for
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in-state tuition, family that has spent
hours on their knees in prayer for me, the wise counsel of Pearl, the
challenges that allowed me to give God the glory when victories happened, you, and
no B minuses.
In His Joys,
Hannah Elise Abbott