Graduate School Surprises and Successes

After four years of college in my hometown, Hattiesburg, I moved straight to Minnesota to start law school for an adventure in a new place. Cut to the first week of class and I was completely overwhelmed. Everyone had made friends during orientation week and seemed so much more on top of it than I was, academically and socially. I stumbled through answers to questions in class while other students provided eloquent, thorough answers. About a month in, my dream of city living and excelling in a competitive academic nightmare had turned into a nightmare. I was ready to give up. But I didn’t.

There were a couple of things that helped me. First, I finally found some people I could relate to, other out of state students who were lonely and though hard-working, intimidated by the demands of law school. They become my community. We ate together, studied together, and complained, very loudly and often, together.

I also went and met with one of my professors, one of the less scary ones. She sympathized with me about the demands of law school and helped me find some additional resources. I’ll admit going into the student support office for group tutoring sessions she recommended felt like defeat. I wasn’t used to needing additional help to be a good student and felt this weird stigma about asking for help. But, once I started attending regularly, I found my comprehension improving, along with my answers in class.

After finals, I said goodbye to my new friends and headed home, not entirely sure I would return to Minnesota for the new term. Finally, we got notification that grades were posted. I won’t keep you in suspense, I passed every class—it was one of the worst GPAs I’ve had in my life, but I was so happy. It was then that I realized the struggle was worth it. I knew I could do it and I knew I would go back for the spring term. And I know you can persist in this challenging time too.

This semester has thrown us many curve balls. We are learning and working in new ways. We miss personal connections. The news is scary. For our seniors, your final semester at Southern Miss has been different from any class before you. While many of you are feeling this loss, remember you have so much to look forward to in life. Let my experiences remind that no matter what you face, success is possible. It may look a little different and be harder than you expected, but you can do it. Take it from me; persisting when you thought you would fail is one of life’s greatest accomplishments.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Learning-focused.

By Katie McBride - Katie is the Director of the Office of New Student and Retention Programs (NSRP) at The University of Southern Mississippi