Getting the Most out of Your Graduate School Experience

Perhaps the biggest piece of advice I can give to prospective GSE students:

Penn GSE is a terrific school.  No doubt about it.  One of the great things about the school is the platform it gives you to explore your interests and desires.  I feel like whatever you want to do, whatever project you want to start or whatever other ideas you may have, as a Penn GSE student you can probably make it happen.  With world-renowned faculty and brilliant, energetic students, if you can envision yourself doing something, you can do it.  It's just a matter of researching what's out there, and reaching out to the right people.

Graduate School is about more than getting to this hat.

But please keep in mind: you have to make it happen.  You have to decide what you want to get out of the graduate experience, think of what you need to do to make it happen, and then try to make it happen. So if you are on your way to Penn GSE, make sure you take some time to figure out what you really want from graduate school; especially if you're joining one of our programs that only last a year.  Taking time to figure out what you want from graduate school before the first day of classes will give you a head start towards a fulfilling graduate experience. 

So ask yourself: What experiences do you want to have?  What skills do you want to gain?  What kind of projects do you want to get involved in?

I've been a lucky guy.  Penn GSE has given me a tremendous platform and I have been able to explore my interests in educational technology for the past 3 years (but a lot more the past year or so).  In just the past 2 weeks I've:

Presented at a conference in Baltimore on MOOCs
Taught a seminar about 21st Century learning environment design to Penn undergraduates
Participated in an education conference and led a roundtable discussion about online learning

In the next month or so, I'll:

Observe a classroom as part of a Penn GSE research project
Teach a seminar to Penn GSE students regarding maximizing their internships
Organize a conference in April for Philly Tech Week, ReThink Philly EdTech (not a Penn thing but I got involved based on my studies at Penn)

I've truly been able to get involved in a lot of great things, stemming from my standing as a Penn GSE student.  But it took me some time to "figure it all out."  As a part-time student, I had the luxury of being here for a little while, so I figured things out during my time here.  But you can do it before you step foot on campus!  What do you like to do, and how can you envision it happening at Penn GSE?  Because if you can envision it, I truly believe at Penn GSE, you can make it happen.



Photo from http://latinopm.com/opinion/voices/pocho-keen/the-graduate-14090