The transition to graduate life from undergraduate life comes with lots of changes and uncertainties. I had a very basic idea of what being a graduate student looked like, but I had no idea what to expect and how this experience would truly differ from my life before graduate school. I was especially nervous to move to a big city and have to juggle living on my own for the first time in my life, a new job, and my academics. If I had the chance to talk with a graduate student or learn what their daily life was like, I think I would have been much less nervous and much more prepared for my own transition to graduate life. Thus, I’m here to give others what I had wished to get myself: a typical day in the life of a graduate student at GW!

I just finished my second semester in the M.A. Forensic Psychology program here at GW, and I am definitely much wiser than when I first started in the Fall of 2021. To get a sense of what the daily doings of a graduate student look like, I’ll take you through a typical busy Thursday for myself while classes are in session. I begin most of my mornings at the gym, usually around 7 or 8 am. While working out is good for your health in general, it is also a major stress reliever and helps me ensure I’m taking time for myself outside of work and school. After an hour there, I’ll head home to get ready for the day. After making breakfast, I’ll check my emails and any notifications from Blackboard about my classes. If I have time, I’ll usually read through GWTODAY, which is GW’s official online news source that comes directly to our email each week. One of my favorite articles came recently, where graduated students reflected on their favorite GW memories. On Thursdays, I have my first class at 10am, Research and Statistics, so I usually hurry right to class after breakfast and emails. My program is based in our Alexandria campus rather than Foggy Bottom, so I live in Alexandria and have about a 5-10 minute walk to our building. I usually go into Foggy Bottom once a week or every other week, as I love to hang out on campus and study in the library and student center. Foggy Bottom is about a 20 minute metro ride from Alexandria, and the metro is super easy to navigate, clean, safe, and convenient! Most students with programs based in Foggy Bottom metro to the campus for classes, since it’s cheaper to live a little farther away. Each class in my program usually meets once a week for two hours. As a full time student, I take four classes each semester, thus I’m in class for a total of 8 hours a week. This makes my schedule much more flexible than undergrad, and allows me to have a life outside of academics! Below you’ll catch a glimpse of our Alexandria “campus,” which is just a single building home to the Forensic Psychology and Art Therapy graduate programs.

Once I get out of class at 12pm, I’ll head home to make lunch and get started on work or readings. Most of my academic work in graduate school has consisted of weekly readings to supplement class lectures, with a few projects or other minor assignments here and there. Every other Thursday I have a virtual work meeting from 3-4pm, so I’ll work on any academic assignments until then. I work as a graduate ambassador for CCAS here at GWU, and I love getting to talk with prospective students and sharing my experiences here to help others in their decisions for graduate school. Since I am a full-time student, I have a part-time position. Most students who study full-time, work part-time jobs, and many other students who work full-time, take classes as part-time students. I’ve found GW’s graduate course schedules to be really flexible, which allows students to structure their classes around their normal life! After my meeting, I’ll finish up any readings I was working on or just hang out until my night class from 6-8pm, Psychology & The Legal System. Most graduate programs at GW offer night classes, which is especially helpful for individuals who work full-time during the day. I have a few friends who prefer night classes and the flexibility they allow in their day-time schedule. I prefer to take mostly day-time classes, as I’m a morning person and much less productive at night. After class, I eat dinner and unwind for the night by reading my book or watching a movie. Some nights, I’ll get dinner and hang out with friends after class, sometimes having a movie night and other times going out for drinks and dancing in D.C.! Living right near D.C. has been really great as there is always something new to do and new places to explore.

And there you have it: a typical day in the life of a graduate student at GWU. My typical day is a little different than other students since my program is based in the Alexandria campus rather than Foggy Bottom, but nearly all students share similar experiences balancing academic life, work life, and their social/personal life. I’ve found that managing this balance is much easier as a graduate student than an undergraduate student. Most graduate programs recognize that students have many other responsibilities in their lives, whereas many undergraduate programs are more intensive and require much more dedicated time each week for homework and other assignments. Graduate programs here at GW allow students to be people outside their academic careers and trust them to manage their academics and fulfill their responsibilities in all the other roles they may have in their life. I’ve loved my time as a graduate student with GW so far, and I hope to help others become confident in their decision to attend GW for their graduate careers!