Each student at Iowa State University has different tips to help ease the transition into college life.

Coming into graduate school from a different undergraduate school can be no less challenging with the transition.

With advice and tips from current Iowa State graduate students, the transition can be less challenging and more exciting.

Peter Huffman, a graduate student in materials science and engineering, said he eased into graduate school at Iowa State fairly well.

“An obvious concern was whether or not I could make it,” Huffman said.

Iowa State helped lift Huffman’s concerns through his coursework and himself finding out if he had what it took to be a graduate student.

“Be prepared to do a lot of work,” Huffman said. “It [graduate school] certainly is rewarding as it is challenging.”

Huffman spoke with numerous graduate students about their experiences prior to coming to Iowa State, which helped him transition into school.

If Huffman could go back to the beginning of his graduate school career, he would change the order he took his classes.

“There are classes that if I had taken them earlier it would have made the other ones easier,” Huffman said.

Jacquelyn Hoermann comes from a literature and language background and went into professional and technical communication for graduate school.

“You don’t have to have a degree or be working on your bachelors in some field that has to match the degree you want to pursue,” Hoermann said.

Having a reliable and helpful group of mentors to pick up Hoermann at the beginning of her graduate school experience helped remove any concerns she had about school.

“They kind of took me under their wing. I didn’t ask for them to do that, so I’ve been fortunate in that it doesn’t happen for everyone,” Hoermann said.

At the point of realizing your specialization in graduate school, students begin to focus their attention and energy in different and more productive ways, which was another helpful way that Hoermann’s network of mentors helped relieve some concerns.

Five tips that Hoermann has for students looking to be in graduate school are:

1. Do a lot of research on the program and customize the program to the student’s individual needs and wants.

2. Receive peer feedback and professionalize materials. Students should have a visually dynamic and memorable resume.

3. “Focus how you [the student] are going to stand out and what makes you marketable,” Hoermann said.

4. The Graduate Record Exam, GRE, is not everything and students with poor scores can still receive funding and assistance.

5. Last tip: network and talk to the program prior to the school semesters to know what is required from the program.