Building Community at UAlbany as a Graduate Student
Graduate school can be overwhelming. Whether you are in a combined program or returning to school, it’s never easy jumping into something new and there are bound to be challenges that come your way, whether it’s academic, professional, or social. Building a community can make your experience easier by having support. Here are some recommendations for building your community:
- Finding Community
Being a graduate student is quite different than starting college for the first time. Events are presented to you, but you aren’t forced to go to them. While that sounds great, it means you have to put in more effort to attend events and socialize.
However, I realized that being in the Master's program gave me a chance to “reinvent myself.” While there were people who already knew me, I knew I wanted to put myself out there more. So, I started paying attention to the emails listing departmental events and marked them on my calendar. If you go to events consistently, people will start to remember you. It’s a wonderful way to meet others with common interests, who you might share some classes with.
Another tip is to get involved with cultural organizations on campus. Cultural Connections, known for highlighting diversity and multiple cultures, has always been a welcoming environment for people to make friends. They often hold events encouraging social interaction, so it makes it less awkward.
- Seek Advice
People are nicer than you would think. In graduate school, a lot of people are looking for a sense of community. It can be lonely as grad students attend fewer classes than undergraduates and often aren’t as connected to the student body. A great way to connect with others is to talk to your advisor about how to get more involved in the department.
- Resources
Look for resources that will help you find a sense of community such as:
Women’s Resource Center/Gender Sexuality Resource Center – The events they hold have a friendly atmosphere. It’s a comfortable environment to make friends and learn about some social issues.
MyInvolvement – An app where you can find out what events are happening on campus each week. A lot of them focus on building new connections.
Discover Albany – An app if you want to go to events outside of campus. Your community doesn’t have to be limited to the student body.
Office of Health Promotion – They can provide additional resources on how to make healthy connections.
It is never easy putting yourself out there. Going to grad school gives you a second chance to “reinvent yourself” and build the community you have always wanted. Following these tips should guarantee that you become a social butterfly!