Real Talk: The Challenges & Rewards of Graduate School

Victors in Grad School

Are you considering graduate school, currently enrolled, or maybe just accepted? No matter where you are in your academic journey, the transition into graduate studies is filled with both challenges and opportunities. That’s the theme at the heart of this week’s episode of “Victors in Grad School,” where Dr. Christopher Lewis sits down with Dr. Julie Snyder, the Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Flint, to unpack her path from bachelor’s to master’s to earning a PhD.

Changing Directions and Embracing New Opportunities

Dr. Snyder’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s okay to change direction. Originally planning to attend law school, she found herself drawn to the world of student affairs thanks to a mentor’s guidance—even at the last minute. Her advice for those making similar choices is simple and clear: don’t get boxed in by traditional timelines or expectations. Sometimes, taking the road less traveled leads to the most fulfilling outcomes.

Transition and Mindset Shifts in Graduate School

One of the main themes discussed is the significant mindset shift required in graduate studies. The workload becomes more rigorous and independent. Impostor syndrome is real, especially when it feels like you’re surrounded by “geniuses”—but, as Dr. Snyder notes, hard work, not innate brilliance, is the ultimate key to success. She emphasizes acknowledging your struggles and leaning on your peers, admitting you can’t (and shouldn’t) do it all alone.

The Power of Mentorship and Peer Support

Mentorship and support systems are fundamental. Dr. Snyder credits mentors with helping her identify opportunities—including her eventual career pivot—and prioritize demands when all tasks seem equally urgent. She also stresses the importance of relying on your peers, sharing resources, and working together, especially when preparing for comprehensive exams or tackling difficult coursework.

Balancing Life, Work, and Academics

Dr. Snyder also addresses the balancing act required in grad school: managing coursework, work obligations, family, friends, and personal well-being. It’s not easy, but she assures listeners it’s possible by knowing your priorities, using time management strategies, and, crucially, not losing sight of what you love outside of academics.

Final Thoughts

If you’re seeking inspiration and practical advice for your graduate journey, this episode is packed with candid stories and actionable insights. Dr. Snyder’s honesty about the ups and downs, her encouragement to pursue opportunities, and her message that “it is all doable” make this a must-listen for any current or aspiring grad student.

Ready for more wisdom, support, and real talk about surviving and thriving in grad school? Be sure to tune in to this episode of “Victors in Grad School,” and join the ongoing conversation about success, support, and self-discovery in graduate education.

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]: Welcome to Victors in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]: Welcome back to Victors in Grad School. I'm your host, Dr. Christopher Lewis, Director of Graduate programs at the University of Michigan, Flint. Really excited to have you back again this week. As always, every week we are on a journey. As you are considering graduate school, you're looking at graduate school. Maybe you've applied and you're and gotten accepted. Maybe you're getting ready to start.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:30]: No matter where you are, you are truly on a journey. Because no matter if you are at the very beginning just starting to think about it, you're in graduate school or maybe you see that light at the end of the tunnel, there are things that you can do all the way through this journey to be able to prepare yourself and to help yourself be more successful in the journey itself. That's why this podcast exists every week. I love being able to talk with you, to work with you as you are going through this journey, to be able to provide you with some, I'm going to call them, tools for your toolbox to help you to think about things in a little bit different way. We do that by introducing you to people that have gone before you. They've gone to graduate school, they've been successful, and they have had the opportunity to be able to learn some things along the way. Maybe positive, maybe negative, you never know. But we.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:16]: But today we got another great guest. Dr. Julie Snyder is with with us today. And Dr. Snyder is the Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Flint. And Julie has three different degrees. So we're going to be talking about the journey that she went on from getting that bachelor's degree to that master's, that doctorate, and kind of learning along the way. So I'm really excited to have her here.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:39]: Julie, thanks so much for being here today.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:01:41]: Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor just to have the opportunity to share life experiences with graduate students.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:47]: Well, I'm really excited to be able to talk to you as well. And I guess first and foremost, what I'd love to do is be able to go back in time because I know that you did your bachelor's degree at Duquesne University, and during that experience, I'm guessing based on the fact that you got a bachelor's in political science and then knowing what you got your master's degree in, I'm guessing you got a little involved in that undergraduate experience and you made A choice to go on and get a master's degree in student affairs and higher education. And I guess. Take me back to that point. Go back in time. Take me back to that moment, that moment that you figured out for yourself that the next step for you was graduate school. What was going through your head and what made you choose that graduate school was that next step?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:02:32]: Well, I actually went to Duquesne with the intention of pursuing a professional degree. It was. I wanted to go to law school. And so that next step was always in. In my mindset. And Duquesne ran a program where you could start law school in your senior year of your undergraduate degree. And so I was also. I grew up in the Detroit area, so I picked a campus that was far from home in its location in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:02:57]: And so while I was there as a student, I took a. At a law firm while getting involved on campus. And it was very late in my senior year, and it was the night before the lsat, and I was at an event, so I was involved in campus activities, and I was at an event and just really struggling with this idea that I didn't want to go to law school, that it didn't. Practicing the law didn't have the impact, I guess, that I wanted to have when I originally thought about it. And so I was sitting with a mentor, which is a key piece in this. In the process of pursuing graduate work, a mentor who said, do you know you could do this career path and stay within higher education and pursue the master's degree? And I had no idea. And so that was the start of the process. It was my senior year, and I was behind schedule on timelines, but I refused to take a gap year.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:03:52]: And so in that journey, I stumbled into a graduate program that accepted me late out in Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. And that's how I ended up enrolled there, which was a. I believe everything happens for a reason. And it was a fantastic campus and a fantastic opportunity for me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:09]: You know, I think it's important to. To hear what you just said, because sometimes people feel that they are bound into the. The regular norms of applying, of being considered, and if you're outside of that, that there are no options. And what I just heard you say was, no, that is not the case. You know, you can think about things that are outside the norm. To be honest, I did the same thing. I graduated in December of a year, went to a similar program to what you did, but the traditional model at that time for us was a fall start. So there were very few options or very few programs that were willing to take in those students mid year.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:52]: So I guess what I'm saying to you as you are considering graduate school is that don't let the traditional model always constrain you to what you consider when you're thinking about graduate school, because there may be other options for you and it may take you down a little bit of a different path, but still get you to the same point at the end.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:05:13]: Absolutely.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:14]: Now I know that you got through that program and you made that transition. And I guess before we talk about your doctorate, because I know you went to the doctorate. Further down the road is every student, every student, as they are considering graduate school and moving into a graduate school, there is a transition that you go through. Just like when you go from high school into undergrad, you know, you have to learn what it means to be a college student when you go to graduate school. Again, it is a very different type of way of learning. It's a different. There's different expectations, there's different ways of being taught. So talk to me about that transition for you.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:50]: And what did you have to do as you transitioned into graduate school and what did you have to do as you went through graduate school to find success throughout the entire journey?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:06:00]: There's absolutely transition. And I can definitely talk about my own experience. I can also say as a supervisor of hundreds of graduate students, that it is real and it is legitimate. And I always told them to wait till October because that's when the transition really hits you. If you start your graduate program in August, October is when you're like, okay, I really now feel the crunch. And there is an elevated degree of expectation academically. And so the workload is more rigorous, more intense, and far more independent even than the undergraduate level. Then there, I think, is the idea that if you are pursuing the graduate degree, while you may have a graduate assistantship, a teaching assistantship, it's a level of preparation and execution.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:06:47]: So you might have a 20 hour a week position, but in order to properly prepare to execute in those 20 hours, it has that additional time constraint. And so time becomes even more, more precious at the graduate level. And the one piece to remember is that your peers are having the same struggles, they are having the same struggles and to really utilize one another to help divide and conquer. And so when we studied for our comprehensive exams, everybody took a major course and, and created the study guide and we shared those mutually, you know, because there isn't enough time to do everything alone. And so having the humility to recognize I can't do this alone. And being comfortable with that and, and really leaning in to find good support networks with your classmates, your cohort, however your program may be structured.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:07:35]: Again, I love what you just said there because I think that sometimes there's this thought of I have to do it alone and I can't ask for help and I need to prove that I belong here. And that's not the case. Especially in a cohort based program. If you're working along and you hit those comps, if you're hitting them at the same time, which sometimes in a cohort program you do, there's no reason why you cannot all work together to try to lift each other up because all of you want to be successful, all of you want to get to that end point and you want to support each other along the way. So you talk about some of those transitions for yourself. And I guess as you think back to your own graduate experience, what mindset shifts did you have to make to be able to be successful in graduate school?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:08:23]: I had to acknowledge, and this is probably filtered many years later in my language choice is in world. I think there are very few people who are really geniuses, but all of us have ability and academic ability and can be successful and do well academically. And so what the mind shift was about the work ethic and just recognizing that it would be hard work at different points in time and working hard through that and not allowing that struggle. Because sometimes working hard is a struggle to be an indicator of my ability or my self worth. I am not a genius, but I can work hard and I did well academically. And so for graduate students to remember, as you're struggling, it's not because you can't do it. It's because it requires that level of effort to do it well. And I think that's what everyone inherently wants to do, is to do well.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:09:17]: And those are transitions again, back to high school. The people who didn't have to study in high school or didn't have to do much effort in their undergraduate degree, that'll be a transition. And just keep at the forefront that you are capable of doing this and you just have to work hard.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:35]: And graduate school is not always easy. You know it's going to challenge you, it will make you question yourself. And many times students will feel a sense of imposter syndrome that they may not they, especially at the beginning part, but sometimes throughout it. Julie, did you feel that imposter syndrome yourself or did you have a feeling of self doubt through your graduate Studies. And how did you handle it?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:09:58]: Absolutely. And I would say they were probably more significant in my PhD program, but they existed in both degrees because what the master's level, you're coming into a content area that you, that you don't know anything about. Like, my master's degree is so unrelated to my major that you're coming into it. And so you, you question if you have the ability to, to do the work as you're coming through the coursework and as you're learning the practical components through the assistantship, but it's again, acknowledging how you're feeling and not isolating that and remembering that there are others that are feeling that way. So again, leaning into that support network and establishing good networking, finding a good mentor who can help you talk through those feelings of I don't understand why this is the way that it is, or I don't think I can do this, or I'm really struggling here, you know, someone who can be that sounding board. And I do really, really want to emphasize that mentoring relationship because it's that perspective of helping you prioritize. You're going to, everything's important in grad school, and it all is, but it all is at different points in time, and the mentor can help you prioritize so that you're not completely overwhelmed. And again, feeling like an imposter, like, there's no way I can keep up with this, and I'm just making it up as I go along.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:11:19]: I know you just mentioned the PhD and I want to talk to you a little bit about that because I know that after you got your master's degree, you went off, you worked for a bit, and at some point in those about eight years of working, you made a decision, just like you did at the undergraduate level, to take that next step. And at that time, you were working at Bowling Green State University, and you chose to go into a PhD program at bowling Green State University. But take me back to that point. What made you decide to kind of shake it up and go back to school while you were working and working toward that PhD?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:11:56]: So step one, I think, was taking the second to do that poor soul searching of what do I want out of my career? And so I'd been working in a functional area in resident residence life in housing. By happenstance, that wasn't even my background in my undergraduate level. It was just my first graduate assistantship. And it led into my career, but I knew I didn't want to stay there. I didn't want to stay in that area. And so in examining the pathways, the career pathways, and in talking with mentors, and I'd reached a critical point in my career, the number of years that I needed to make a decision, either a pivot to a different area or to pursue the degree, to broaden my skill set and to look at it. So that was step one is just really pointing your career where you have to think about what's next. I'm not one to be able to plan out the next five years, but it's important to think broader, like what is the end goal or what are the things that I want to be able to achieve in my career, and then finding the timing of when that feels appropriate.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:12:58]: And I'd reached a point in my position where I was bored. And I don't say that meaning I didn't have enough work to do. But there is a level of repetitiveness as you do this work, because everything cycles through the academic year. And so the timing was right. I was ready to learn more, move on, and really think about my career and professional development in a broader scale.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:22]: And I know I mentioned that you did choose to go to Bowling Green State University. There are a lot of different PhD programs that are out there in the country. What made you decide to stay where you were working and doing that degree at the same institution?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:13:37]: I was in intimidated from even before I applied. Like, I was prodded to apply by faculty, and retaking the GRE was a stumbling block for me. I think I postponed applying to the PhD program for a number of years. And so I already had a faculty mentoring relationship before I started the program. And that was important to me. I also knew that I wanted to pursue the PhD full time and really delve into being a student. I didn't want to work full time and take it part time. And that's what I needed for me.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:14:12]: And it was one less transition. So the program had a good reputation. Could I have gone to a program with a better reputation? Absolutely. But it would have added a level of transition for me that would have created more anxiety because I was already kind of anxious about again, can I do this? Do I have the ability to do this? And so that's why I chose not to have to also transition into a new community, into a campus, and feel comfortable. All of that was already there for me by staying on my campus.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:14:41]: Now, just like in the master's degree, there's another transition into the doctorate. Talk to me about that transition and you know, the good, the bad, the ugly in regard to what you had to Learn to be able to make sure that you were be getting past that, I'm going to say imposter syndrome, or that feeling of not being ready for it, to getting into the groove and being able to get through the program and be successful in that.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:15:08]: So we had a first semester course in our PhD program which really focuses on the philosophy of education and the foundations of education. And it was that faculty member who flat out said to us, my job is to break down the way that you think and teach you to think like a PhD. And that was the biggest transition, is to really transform the thought process, to not settle with what is, but to continually ask why. To always be in search of a level of truth that is research based, that is that exists through demonstrated findings and whether qualitative or quantitative. And really a level of critical thinking that far surpassed what I'd been asked to do before. I think a master's degree really prepares you to do the work and the PhD prepares you to ask why are we doing it? What are we doing? What should we be doing differently? And really get into that critical element. Again, the degree is, you know, a doctorate of philosophy. So it's the philosophy behind what we do and why we do it.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:16:10]: That was tough. That was very tough because those courses would challenge every, as you learned to write, they would challenge every assumption you made in writing and really push back and really get you to transition to being that critical thinker. And again, the key in this group were the upper class PhD students who very much could, could, could help you understand it and pick apart because each, each faculty different style. Not all of them made you feel great about who you were and not internalizing that and recognizing that that's part of the process. That's not about me, but about helping me to really push through and grow and develop in my thinking.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:16:51]: Every person wears hats. There's a lot of things you have to balance as you're going through graduate school, whether it's at the master's, the doctorate level. And that could be balancing school, work, family, friends, responsibilities, etc. Talk to me about what you had to do to be able to balance all of that for yourself as you were going through those different experiences.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:17:14]: I think there's a lot of little things. After working for eight years before I pursued the PhD, there's a rhythm of going to work. And not all of my courses were in that normal time frame, but treating my coursework as work and scheduling for it, right? So some traditional, like good time management skills building in appropriate times for me it was recognizing my windows of productivity, when was I most productive doing certain types of things, whether it was intense reading, writing and then structuring things accordingly. So for me, I'm an early morning writer. It took me the first semester to figure that out. And so rebuilding everything and making sure that I had opportunity to do that. I also realized that I'm a writer in my head before I sit anywhere and as I'm digesting research. And so I literally bought a pad of paper for my car that stuck to the dashboard because I'd have a thought while driving or I would do audio.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:18:11]: Back then we didn't have cell phones that recorded you, but I had one of those ones that you carry around that I needed for research course. And if I had a thought or I'd be walking to class, you know, I was notorious for putting a paper together by post it note I used to say, and so recognizing when are those things happening and don't lose those to find methods to take advantage of it and understanding your learning style. And then there were times there sacrifices. My family lived two hours away, my in laws lived three hours away. And there were times when I had to say no and I had to miss whatever it might be. But there were also times that you had to plan ahead because it was a priority to be with those people or at that event or whatever it might be. And so I really think managing it all is about prioritization and you know, taking your time management skills that you've learned over the course of the undergraduate or the master's degree and really enhancing them. And it's all doable.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:19:06]: There's ton of us out there as sitting proof it is all doable. So anyone who thinks it's not it is doable.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:12]: You mentioned mentors and I think one of the things that happens in going through a master's degree, a doctorate degree is you do build mentorships. You build relationships, people that are within your program or around the program, administrators at the institution, whatever it may be. Talk to me about those relationships that you were able to build and what did you have to do to build those? Because sometimes I know that for some students it's a little intimidating to try to build those professional and non professional types of relationships that truly help you as you go through those type of programs.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:19:53]: I think it starts with not saying no to opportunities, especially if you're in the graduate degree. If you have an opportunity to travel to a conference, then do it because you're exposing yourself to others in your field and step One to creating mentoring relationships. When you've identified someone who just personally resonates with your values and how they do their work is something that you admire. To me, that's. That's recognizing that you want to learn from that person. For those people who are in close proximity to me, it started really just informally with, can I take you to lunch? Could we grab a cup of coffee? And grew naturally through those experiences. And I was never the person who formally said, will you please be my mentor? I know that some of the literature talks about asking people that. Those relationships just naturally formed, and those people were always open to a mutual dialogue about helping, you know, me navigate what's going on in my.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:20:57]: In my career and serving in that mentoring relationship. Also, though, I think the cross between networking and mentoring, because as you identify people in your network that are outside of where you are, those are critical because they can help you see circumstances from an external perspective. So if all of my mentors were just on my campus, they can't necessarily see the worldview in a way that's different because we're all looking at our campus together. And so finding a mentor outside of that was really important so that it could help me learn and grow in a broader context of my profession, which was just broader than my own experience.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:21:36]: Now, I know you got through your graduate degrees, you got through the master's, you got through the doctorate, you finished up, you were successful. And I know that you've worked with a number of different graduate students throughout your career as well. As you think back to your own graduate experience, you think about the relationships and the conversations that you've had with other graduate students along the way. What are some tips that you might offer others that are considering graduate school that would help them find success sooner?

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:22:00]: Understand your motives, motive, and don't let that fall away or forget about that. So if you are doing this because you want to advance your career, keep that as a good focal point. If you're doing this because it's something you've always dreamed of, keep that as a focal point. So really, just understanding at the core of who you are, why you're doing this, because there'll be days when you're like, I don't want to do this anymore, and I'm exhausted. And so really keeping that intention and that motivation, motive central. Don't be afraid for the new opportunities. I think I said that earlier. Whatever opportunity that might unfold in graduate school may lead to a different path because you're being exposed to all the things that you didn't know existed.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:22:44]: So just being opened to those opportunities and being willing to say yes. And sometimes that can be stressful because it may take away time or may take away your chance to do some of the. Some of the academic pieces. Right. It's going to compromise time. But what you'll learn from that I think is really important. We've talked about finding support systems, we've talked about finding mentors, which are really critical components. I think the only other piece is just don't lose sight of what you love and what makes you who you are and stay true to that.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:23:17]: So if you have a hobby that you love, build that in to life. Don't give that up. So if you're a person that loves to work out or to hike or bike or scrapbook or play video games, whatever it is, don't lose that because it's a good way for you to stay grounded in who you are.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:37]: Well, Julie, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for sharing your journey today. I truly, truly appreciate it and I wish you all the best.

Dr. Julie Snyder [00:23:45]: Take care.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:46]: The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of master's and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:09]: Thanks again for spending time with me.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:11]: As you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].