Who better to provide advice to new students than the recent graduates who managed to thrive through a very challenging time? We reached out to 2020 and 2021 grads to ask if they had words of wisdom to impart to this year’s incoming students. Here are some of their recommendations.
“Almost every class at SPH gives you the opportunity to choose the topic for your final paper/project. My advice to you is make sure to choose a topic that interests you. You might be working on this paper/project all semester, so make sure it’s something that you are passionate about and want to learn about. My other piece of advice is GET INVOLVED! I served in the Graduate Student Government Association every semester of my SPH career and I loved it. It really made me feel like I was part of a community and connected to my peers. Join clubs, pursue leadership opportunities, don’t be afraid to take the leap to take on a little extra responsibility within school. Don’t be intimidated. I was unsure at first too, I didn’t think I was deserving or good enough, but once I started, the impostor syndrome I was experiencing melted away and I could not be more happy and proud of the job that I did.”
— Zoe Schacht-Levine
MPH in Community Health and Social Sciences, 2021
“The professors at CUNY SPH are your biggest allies! Utilize them outside of the classroom to learn more about their research interests. This small step could potentially lead to research assistantships where you can get hands-on experience conducting/analyzing research and contributing to manuscripts for publication.”
— Kelsey Schobert
MPH in Community Health and Social Sciences, 2020
“Stay focused, manage your time. Don’t try to do too much at once, and be proactive.”
— Zyaijah Bailey
MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 2021
“My biggest piece of advice is to never feel alone. Many other students are in your shoes and professors too are available for help. Be friendly with your classmates and professors. Exchange contact details with at least a couple students in your classes as you can help one another stay on top of deadlines and any syllabus changes or room changes. I also recommend you take advantage of the campus computer lab and textbook library as this is a great space to stay focused and get ahead on assignments. Good luck!”
— Brianna Dayer
MPH in Health Policy and Management, 2020
“If you are navigating your program as a part-time student holding a full-time job simultaneously, I would recommend making a concerted effort to spend more time on campus. Reach out to fellow students as often as you can!”
— Anonymous
“Create a personalized calendar with blocks of time carved out on specific days of the week to dedicate to each course, non-school commitments, and most importantly, off days! Scheduling time for yourself is of utmost importance so that you are not overwhelmed!”
