As a busy and graduating senior at the University of Florida, I’ve been trying to figure out my future beyond the undergraduate world. With hopes to complete my Ph.D. in Plant pathology, I encountered a frantic spring semester, brimming with graduate school visits and interviews across the nation. Selecting the perfect graduate program comes with many important factors, especially how happy and successful you think you’ll be in that certain city or on that certain campus. Yes, the research and graduate advisors are extremely important as well, but by flying out to these various regions, you have to wonder if you could ultimately grow and thrive as a scientist in that region.
During my individual journey of graduate school visits, I interviewed at three different schools. All were different and wonderful programs, offering phenomenal hospitality and striving to impress me more than I would have to impress them. Of course, throughout these trips, I was quite nervous myself, hoping to find a university that I would love and scientifically flourish at.
I went on tours of the campuses, cities, labs, and home buildings of my classes, loving all the new sights and different historic architecture. All three graduate schools had such welcoming faculty too, and were within cohesive environments with family-like dynamics. I instantly felt like a part of their program, which would make this decision that much more difficult. The process of choosing would be quite challenging, to say the least, and denying any one of these programs would definitely not be enjoyable.
However, after many weeks of careful deliberation and frequent weighing of the pros and cons of each graduate program and Ph.D. offer, I finally decided on my graduate school! Hooray!
Remember: this decision is for you and you only. I, of course, thought of the strong feelings the potential advisors had in wanting me to join their labs, but I could only choose one of the three, which obviously left two denials in my future. It took some heart to say no, but I believe I truly made the best decision for my future! Good luck, future Gator graduates!!!
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