How to Build Relationships in Grad School

Graduate school can be tough, which is why you can't do it alone. It's important to build professional relationships with fellow graduate students, faculty members, and (most especially!) your advisor. But this isn't always easy to do.

What do you do if you don't "click" with your cohort? How do you work with an advisor who seems distracted or difficult to communicate with? What if you've decided on a nonacademic career, but you're unsure if your advisor will be supportive? What do you do if you're experiencing discrimination or harassment?

Covid-19 restrictions, social distancing, and remote learning, have only increased the challenges of building professional relationships.

Beyond the Professoriate reached out to two experts: Susan Martin, EdD (Program Director of Professional and Career Development at the University of Maryland Graduate School) and Andrew Crain, PhD (Director of Experiential Professional Development at the University of Georgia) to provide advice and guidance during these challenging times.

After attending this webinar, you will be able to:

  • implement strategies for supportive community building in your department;
  • identify people and offices on your campus that will help you confront toxic behavior in academic spaces;and create healthy habits for balancing school, research, and social life