Grad school opens doors! SO many doors were opened up for me just in the last two years of my degree.
Make sure you choose an adviser who is well-known in the industry because they will help you grow quickly in the field. I saw my adviser as a professional mentor and I'm able to go to her with questions about the industry. She has given me so much insight into the future of our professional field which has helped shape my future career goals. Take advantage of all the mentorship opportunities that you can. Grad school is the BEST place for that! Finding mentors when you're not a student is hard. Being a student is a great excuse to find mentors who will be so strategically useful to you, if you take advantage of your time here!
Choose a supervisor who makes you excited about your project. There will be times when your project does not go as planned and reminders of that enthusiasm and why you are doing the work are crucial to continuing through the hurtles.
I advise prospective grad students to network with as many interesting people as possible. Networking is key to finding research opportunities and gaining experiences. Even simple conversations can stimulate new ideas or help solidify original ones.
My advice would be that a Masters degree is like a roller coaster. You will have your ups and downs in your research but that is all apart of being a scientist! There is no such thing as a 'bad' discovery.
While it's true that you should work hard to reach your goal, burnout is real. Allow yourself to take breaks when needed; take a nap, play video games, and laugh at some memes. Life will feel less annoying.
Words of advice for someone considering graduate school.
Do not hesitate to ask questions in all aspects of overseas study. Your peers, professors, graduate coordinators, and everyone you meet here would love to help.
I would encourage all prospective graduate students to research their program of interest and speak directly to faculty prior to applying as this can ensure that your research goals align with your prospective advisor/program of choice.
Smart or slow, doesn't really matter in the end, the point is everyone has their own time zone, all you have to have is your own balance of work, play, and all other stuff, the others don't really matter.
