You may find yourself far from home for the first time, or you may find that your family responsibilities are increased by marriage or parenthood. In any case, there will be more responsibilities to juggle and fewer fixed points to rely upon. The next sections consider the major elements in the life of a beginning graduate student, some tools to help manage the workload, and sanity preservation. 4.1 Courses Graduate school gives you new freedom and flexibility in your choice of courses, although it might be a year or two before you experience this. While the typical undergraduate carries 15 or more credit hours, the typical graduate students carries 9 or fewer.
Different professors have different styles.
Sometimes the instructor will lecture to supplement the text, and you will be required to master the textbook material on your own. Sometimes there is no text, so outside hours are spent in doing the suggested reading or in filling in the gaps in the course notes. Sometimes the students do the bulk of the presentations, with the instructor acting as resource person. Choosing courses for your first semester must be done with care. Make use of your official academic advisor, the instructors for the courses that interest you, and fellow students.