Most students going into grad school assume their experience will be more or less like their undergrad experience. Maybe it will be a little more challenging and there will be fewer dorm pranks, but it’s still just like a slightly more mature college experience, right?
Guess again. Graduate school is actually a very different animal, and the sooner you’re clear on the differences, the more equipped you’ll be to succeed.
###Classes
Undergraduate
You do a lot of work outside of class, but the classroom is the nucleus of your studies.
Graduate
Your coursework is mostly there as a foundation for your own study beyond the classroom.
###Campuse Life
Undergraduate
Your campus is your entire world. You may venture out, but you’re largely tethered to it.
Graduate
You’re in the campus, but you’re not of it. One exception: the library.
###Structure
Undergraduate
Your education is more or less mapped out for you from your freshman year on.
Graduate
You’ll have a structure to your grad school career—but you’ll determine what it looks like.
###Professors
Undergraduate
Your professor is basically your boss.
Graduate
Your professor is more like a mentor who can affirm your independent study.
