Gradlife

image borrowed from amormagazine.co.uk

You and I both know it can be hard to think past your next big assignment and all of those looming deadlines. This little school bubble we’re in is comfortable and familiar, and when you hear “what’s next?” you’re probably thinking of your next final paper, next midterm, or maybe just your next meal.

However, thinking longer term may have you pondering: what’s next after grad school? This may freak some people out more than others. Some people have a solid 5-year or even a 10-year plan and know exactly what their next big goals are. And for others that big question of what’s next may seem premature given that it took so much dedication and work to get where you are now, working towards your Masters or PhD degree. While it’s good to live in the moment and try to get the most out of your post-graduate studies, it’s also not a bad idea to start thinking now about what’s up next as you step out in the “real world”.

For those of you who are thinking of pursuing careers outside of academia, there’s an upcoming panel series organized by the School of Graduate Studies which is especially targeted for Graduate students to explore a future outside the ivory tower. You’ll get the opportunity to hear from U of T alumni and non-academics who will share their post-graduation stories and how they ended up on their current career path.

Sounds like a really great panel series to me! I’ll be attending the Social Sciences panel this week on Thursday, November 6th at Grad Room and I’ll be live-tweeting some of the great advice I hear at the event. I hope you’ll join me!

For more information on the panels and to register, visit the School of Graduate Studies website.

Here’s a glimpse of the upcoming panel topics and dates:
Social Sciences: Thursday November 6, 2014
7:30–9:00pm
Humanities: Thursday November 13, 2014
7:30–9:00pm
Physical Sciences: Thursday November 20, 2014
7:30–9:00pm
Life Sciences: Thursday November 27, 2014
7:30–9:00pm