A Graduate Student’s Guide on How to Re-Enter University Life

Advice and tips on how to successfully return to school

Haven’t been in school for a bit? Feel out of practice, anxious and unsure of the road ahead?  It doesn’t matter where you’re at in life, Sacred Heart University will meet you there and create an environment where you can succeed.

Continuing your education can be exciting and daunting, but knowing that you don’t need to do everything alone is key. SHU has the resources to help you earn your advanced degree. Whitney L. Kolwicz, SHU’s director of graduate admissions & recruitment, answers questions and provides a confidence boost for returning students.

How should students prepare to come back to class?

“Stick to a schedule,” Kolwicz said. “Depending on your program, you may have in-person courses, online synchronous courses, online asynchronous courses, labs, internships, practicums or a mix of them all.” Setting aside dedicated time or days to concentrate on coursework and assignments helps fit your program into your daily schedule.

Creating a schedule that is realistic for you can include breaking up your week’s assignments into manageable time periods. Do you work best on the weekend or in the evening after work? If you’re working full time, how you handle projects at work can translate into how you will approach time for your classes, studying and projects. Would you rather do your weekly readings electronically, using audiobooks, or have a physical copy? As you navigate your first courses, you will pick up habits that work and habits that need to be changed.

What should students bring to class?

Your faculty will go over expectations for your course in Blackboard. Making sure you understand those expectations is important, Kolwicz said. If you have any questions, your faculty will be happy to clarify or explain. It’s likely your classmates will have the same questions you do, Kolwicz added.

In class, on a syllabus or in Blackboard, faculty will provide their office hours, the times they are available in person, by phone or video call.

What if students are still having a hard time adjusting?

Feeling overwhelmed? Having trouble understanding a concept? Reach out to your instructor. “Not only are they here to teach, but they can provide guidance when you may become stuck, whether it is in a project, a concept or who to reach out to on campus with a question,” Kolwicz said.

Along with your faculty there are multiple support offices on campus eager to assist SHU students. The Center for Teaching & Learning offers tutoring, writing and academic support for all SHU students. The Factory offers technical support including Blackboard and classroom technology help. The University Library offers research and information support, in person and online. SHU’s counseling center and campus ministry also provides support to students.

How can SHU help incoming graduate students?

Use the extensive resources available to you as a graduate student. SHU’s Graduate Student Affairs Office hosts orientations where you will learn more about the ways to be connected through graduate student engagement and learn how to create and use SHU accounts and systems, Kolwicz said. Not on campus to use the library? You can access their services online too.

Becoming familiar with Blackboard is important as you may not have used the platform before. There are areas on Blackboard designed to show you how to use programs. This includes how to register for courses, how to use Blackboard, using SHU accounts, career & professional development and more.

What kind of mindset should students approaching graduate school have?

“Graduate school is about collaboration,” Kolwicz said. Each student brings their own experiences that can contribute to the program. Your work experience or life experience might help other students who have not been through that before. Get to know your classmates and start building a network that will help you inside and outside of the classroom. When working on group projects, be the teammate you would like to work with, Kolwicz said.

Typically, each graduate program cohort is made up of a diverse group of students, some straight out of their undergraduate programs, some with a few years of work experience under their belts and others who are seasoned professionals with families and successful, established careers. This mix of students, opinions and backgrounds allows for amazing collaboration in the classroom. It adds to the learning that is already going on.

Want to learn more about SHU’s advanced degrees?

Visit SHU’s graduate admissions webpage to learn about our nearly 40 available graduate programs, and discover the right fit for you!

Have any questions? Email gradstudies@sacredheart.edu to get enrolled in a SHU program today!