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The Student InterCouncil's News for November 2002

NEWS HEADLINES

Barnes & Nobles Student Scholarship Holiday Book Fair

The UT Health Science Center at Houston is having a Student Scholarship Holiday Book Fair December 3rd through 6th at the Barnes & Noble store on Holcombe & Buffalo Speedway. A percentage of net sales will be donated to the scholarship fund of the school of your choice. All you have to do is ask for a UT-Houston Book Fair Voucher (or print one out online and bring it with you) and check off which school you would prefer your donation to go. Therefore, if you plan on doing some Christmas shopping or any shopping at Barnes & Noble, please consider shopping during these days. Shuttles from the various UT-Houston schools to Barnes & Noble will be available during those days.

For more information, or to print out a voucher, see http://www.uthouston.edu/community/barnesnoble/ or contact Elease Jenkins at Elease.P.Jenkins@uth.tmc.edu.

Please share this email with friends and family!

Note: Purchases at the cafe do not count; it has to be Barnes and Noble merchandise.

-Aurora Seminar, GSBS

Graduate School Blues -- Or "Why did I ever do this to myself?"

When you are first admitted to graduate or professional school, you feel proud. You start out with a combination of eagerness and anxiety. Gradually, you show yourself that you can do it.

Then you wake up one morning wondering if you were crazy to do this to yourself. You ask yourself, "Why did I think I wanted to go to graduate school? I must be some kind of masochist." Usually, you have been feeling overstressed for some time before you identify the feeling. This often seems to happen in the "seconds"-- the second semester of the first year, the second year, etc. It's that kind of timing. You are making it. But the work continues to be hard and it just seems to go on and on.

It helps at these points to remember that feeling overwhelmed is a normal reaction. Everyone goes through these feelings, most people more than once. And it’s not too uncommon to question one’s career choice.

I see students from all our schools and programs -- medical, dental, the biomedical sciences, nursing, public health -- and I can tell you they all report that graduate school is very demanding. Many tell me, "I knew it would be hard, but I didn't know it would be this hard." When you are in graduate school, you may feel overworked. Well, that's true. At least part of the time, you are overworked. It's somewhat harder because no one who hasn't gone though this process can believe it is as consuming as it really is, so your sources of support may be limited.

The second thing to remember is that feeling discouraged is temporary. It will pass. Typically, there are periods of intense effort alternating with periods of somewhat less work. As soon as feasible, take a break, relax a little and do something for fun. Go to a movie; get together with friends, read a book. Try to plan for a better balance between the demands of school and taking care of yourself. And remind yourself why you are here. You chose this path because it will get you something you very much want.

Somewhere toward the end of your schooling, you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When you graduate, it will all be worth it!

If you would like to talk to someone who has not only gone through it but has helped many others through this process, call us at the Student Counseling Service: 713-500-3113.

-Joyce L. Hawley, Ph.D., Student Counseling Service