10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Graduate School

By Kate Quick

My name is Kate Quick, and I am one of the Peer Career Coaches of the Education, Human Services, and Government Career Community. In my two years here, I have gotten to work with many students interested in graduate school. In addition to my on-campus job, I am also a graduate student, pursuing a Master’s of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and set to begin my third and final year. I know firsthand the challenges of transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school and how overwhelming it can feel. However, I also know that with adequate preparation and utilizing a few tips and tricks, anyone can make this transition and set themselves up for success in their graduate years!

Here are ten tips on how to prepare for graduate school:

Review your financial situation and make informed decisions

Funding graduate school is a huge consideration not only to attend, but even to apply. There are many costs that go into this undertaking, such as application fees, entrance exam fees, textbooks, tuition, the amount of years of the program, the number of credits or hours required, scholarship opportunities, your desired career and its typical pay, and future licensure and board examinations, among many others. How you plan to fund your education should be determined before you begin the program, whether it’s on your own, through federal loans, scholarships and grants, graduate/teaching assistantships, research positions/grants, employer continuing education programs, diversity-related funding, or private loans. For more information, check out our Funding Graduate School resource, from the Career Center Library. Additionally, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications are still open for the 2025-26 academic year. See https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa to learn more and apply.

Attend any information sessions or orientations before your program starts

The Counseling department at DePaul hosted several information sessions for admitted and enrolled students during the summer before the program started. Most graduate programs both at DePaul and at other universities across the country will host events for prospective students to learn more about the program expectations, estimated tuition costs, how to enroll in courses, faculty introductions, and other important information. In my opinion, it is crucial that students attend these. The one that I attended provided valuable information that was not readily available on any public website, so I felt more prepared getting that information before beginning my classes.

Consider your commute or transportation method to campus

It is common at the graduate level for folks to either relocate to a new city for their graduate program or to have a longer commute to campus. For me, it was the latter, as I am not living in Chicago and have to commute from the Northwest suburbs at this time. Luckily, I have a car to park on campus, but many students do not have their own vehicle and must rely on public transportation, such as the CTA, Metra, or Pace. All three of these offer great transportation options within the city and the surrounding suburbs of Chicago. Transportation should definitely be considered early especially if you have classes in the evening or at times where there might be less options available.

Apply for any available scholarships or graduate assistantships

There tends to be less scholarships at the graduate level, but do not let this discourage you from applying to any and every opportunity available. Most programs offer some scholarships, grants, or assistantships, whether through the department or from private donors and alumni. Prior to beginning my classes, I spoke with an admissions counselor to learn about scholarship opportunities for students in my program, and she noted that the College of Education (houses the Counseling department) offers an assortment of graduate assistantships. These are full- and part- time work opportunities for graduate students to assist faculty and staff in various academic departments, in return for tuition reimbursement and a stipend divided through biweekly paychecks. I worked in one of these roles during my first year, and this significantly reduced tuition costs.

Determine if you plan to work a job and adjust your schedule accordingly

This is an important step to take before you begin your program, whether it is to apply to new jobs, adjust your current work schedule, reduce hours, or resign from your current role. After graduating from my undergraduate program, I knew that I needed a new job and decided to apply to several jobs at DePaul through the Campus Job Board, knowing that I would already be commuting for classes and wanted a flexible and consistent position. Because classes only occur in the evenings, most folks in my program continue to work full-time and part-time jobs throughout the program. Working full-time can get busy with two or three evening classes a week, but it is feasible. No matter what choice you make regarding employment, this requires advanced self-reflection and planning to adjust your schedule or finances accordingly.

Remember that there are additional costs beyond tuition

While tuition is the largest bulk of expenses for graduate school, it is important to remember that there are other costs, such as textbooks, membership fees to professional associations, other fees required by the university, and program-specific mandatory costs. For my program, all students had to purchase a $200 membership to Tevera, which manages the Counseling program’s field placements for all students, as well as malpractice insurance for all students during their practicum/internship year. Many programs will have their own mandatory expenses, so students should prepare for other expenses beyond tuition. I recommend checking out more affordable options for textbooks, such as renting books through DePaul’s University Library, the bookstore at DePaul, or free textbook databases that are open source or in public domain.

Be aware of your program plan and commitments

This might go without saying, but it is essential that you are aware of your typical program plan and expectations. This means having a general idea of the average course load from term to term, when courses are offered, knowing if any terms require additional coursework, if and when you need to apply for any internships, etc. Many programs, like education, counseling, social work, and healthcare require clinic hours, field placements, or practicums. Most of these are unpaid and consume a bulk of your work week. For example, the Counseling program requires all students to work a 20-30 hour a week internship throughout the third year of the program. Knowing this in advance helped me to financially prepare ahead of time knowing that I will be working reduced hours during my third year. Although things can change, it is a good idea to be generally aware of the program’s plan and typical expectations.

Remember that graduate school is more than achieving straight A’s

Something that I quickly learned into my program is that having a “straight-A mentality” can be a hindrance to your development and growth. While it is important to strive for good grades and receive the necessary passing grades of the program, an excessive focus on achieving perfect grades can put unhealthy academic pressure on yourself and lead to less overall growth and preparation for the field that you are entering. As an undergraduate student, achieving a high GPA is often needed in order to get into graduate programs, so this can feel like a large change when you begin graduate school. Graduate schools tend to emphasize independent growth and contributions to a field, as well as preparation for state licensure examinations and career readiness, which don’t always align with traditional academic metrics such as GPA.

Start practicing self-care early

No matter what program you choose, self-care is incredibly important. Burnout is very common in graduate school, and it is easy to let academics consume your life. Generally speaking, graduate school is harder than undergraduate school. Although my courses are not necessarily harder in terms of the content itself, the amount of critical thinking and the ability to engage in complex discussions is more rigorous than undergraduate. I also have felt as though the stakes are higher since I am working towards getting licensure to practice as a mental health counselor, and graduate school is the gateway to this. I have found that keeping self-care a priority has prevented me from complete burnout and has been a source of calmness in my life even when school gets stressful.

Take a breather!

We are currently in the summer, meaning that you likely have a couple months before your program officially begins. Of course, preparation is necessary, and I would recommend staying on top of your graduate school to-do list, but whether you have taken a gap year (or several) or like me, have chosen to go straight from undergrad to grad, you deserve a breather and some time for relaxation before your program begins. Spend time with loved ones, go on a trip, develop new hobbies, try new restaurants, or engage in whatever activities make you happy. You are about to embark on the next chapter of your academic and professional journey! However, without self-care and leisure time, this next chapter might begin with burnout already present. Take care of yourself this summer and enjoy some time off!

While this is not an exhaustive list of all the things that you should do before your graduate program begins, I hope these ten tips will help give you a sense of guidance before you begin your graduate school journey. Good luck to all of you scholars, and know the Career Center is here to help you through your graduate school journey!

Check out these graduate school resources from our Career Library:

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Not sure what the future holds? Need support along the way? That’s exactly where we come in. Whether you’re a freshman or an alumnus, it’s never too early (or too late) to utilize our services. Book an appointment with Kate, or another member of the advising community through Handshake, or by calling the front desk at (773) 325-7431.