The end of the school year is a season of transitions, particularly for grad students preparing to graduate or begin new careers. Moving to a new place can be both exhilarating and intimidating. I think it’s safe to say such a statement may be true even more so for those of us who have decided to pursue graduate degrees or have chosen to pursue a vocation in higher education. Beginning a new graduate program or a professional career at a new location can be particularly challenging when your new institution operates in a manner significantly different to the institutions of your prior experiences. Not only must one learn the new physical layout of an institution, but also the culture and organizational layout which are not always apparent. In this post, I hope to provide some friendly advice on how to make this transition easier. I doubt little of what I write here will be groundbreaking or new information, but I think it’s helpful to repeat in a consolidated form, and so, I pass along what I have learned from my own transitions to you.
Shortly after graduating with my master’s degree, I moved from the cornfields of Indiana to the coast of Southern California to work in Residence Life at a university. While I was anticipating a level of culture shock, I was not expecting the degree to which I would experience such difference within my new institutional community. After spending a few years in California, I decided to pursue a PhD at Baylor, conveniently moving in the middle of a pandemic, yielding another set of culture shock experiences. I should also point out that I am not keen on change. A friend once told me that I was the most change-averse person he had ever met. All this is to say that the tips I give here are not going to make a transition absolutely smooth or painless, and I haven’t necessarily mastered them myself, but they are helpful guideposts when change gets overwhelming.
First, know the questions to ask. I have found it helpful to ask about how you are expected to relate with other students, professionals, or departments. “Are graduate students at this institution on a first-name basis with their faculty members?” “Are there unspoken norms about how you address people in various departments or in positions higher up than your own?” “How do my role and department fit in with the rest of campus?” (I have found that getting ahold of an organizational chart can be incredibly helpful here). These questions help you navigate some of the unspoken aspects of institutional culture and reduce the chances of discovering such norms through an embarrassing faux pas.
Second, actively learn to navigate your new institution. This applies to both the physical campus and in campus relationships. It is better to learn the layout of a labyrinthine academic building when you have the time to do so rather than when you are trying to make a meeting on-time or responding to a crisis. Additionally, many institutions have individuals who are full of institutional know-how, typically because they have been there for a long time. Get to know these people and they can help you navigate some of the institutional peculiarities and unspoken norms mentioned above.
Third, do your best to avoid unhealthy comparison of your previous institution to your new location while embracing the new. From my own experience, I’ve been guilty of this error and probably annoyed colleagues as I attempted to verbally process my change in culture. That said, a level of comparison can be helpful in processing the analogous aspects of institutions while making mental notes of how you may need to function in light of institutional differences. Be cautious though of how your meaning-making comes across to others and limit the amount to which you talk about your previous institution unless asked. Find ways to appreciate what your new institution offers and consider what you might learn from new institutional procedures and the culture. Demonstrating a willingness to learn and become a part of the institutional culture will also help you gain the social capital needed to eventually speak into areas where cultural change may be necessary.
Fourth, find a community where you can exist apart from your institutional role. My need for such a community was particularly important when I was in Residence Life where it was easy to feel trapped in the institutional sphere. In that season of life, I was intentional about finding a church community outside the city where I was living in order to force me outside my institutional bubble. Speaking with people who have little knowledge of your institutional experiences can be grounding and give you a place to disconnect from work or classes and actually be a human being.
Finally, assist others. It’s easy to get bogged down with schoolwork or professional responsibilities, but try to remember your own experiences with transitions and offer assistance to individuals who are new. Would it have been helpful for you to have had a tour of the campus, a sheet of all the common acronyms, or a brief overview of when one can expect more or less margin in their workload? Think about what would have helped you in your transition, and seek to offer such support to others.
Admittedly, the above tips are anecdotal. However, from my observations of others transitioning to new institutions as well as my own experiences, these points seem to hold true. I hope this advice can help guide you as you move on to a higher level of graduate work or a professional career. Of course, change is still difficult. I still miss my institution in the cornfields and I miss my institution that looked out over the Pacific. However, I bring the lessons learned from these places with me to Waco, ready to have a new experience and eager to learn how Baylor’s unique institutional structure will help me grow personally and professionally.
Austin Smith is a first-year PhD student in Higher Education Studies and Leadership and serves as the Graduate Apprentice for the Academy for Teaching and Learning. His areas of research include college student leadership, creativity, and campus traditions.