In the States, most incoming Ph.D. students have made application decisions by mid-April.
There are many instructions for earning a spot in a program or selecting between programs. There is little advice on what to do once you have accepted an admissions offer.
I know because I searched after I was asked by a student what comes next. I did not find much.
So a few tips on what you must do now & what you must do in the coming weeks.
First.
You need to notify schools that you have taken a position.
Many schools compete for the same #phdstudents. So notifying schools that you are off the market frees them to make offers to other students.
But won’t it be awkward?
Yes. But you want to leave a good impression in the mind of the #recruiter. They will want to know where you are going. This helps.
Second.
You need to send thank you notes to people that interviewed you.
Why? Because the schools that you applied to as a Ph.D. student are likely your first choice schools to work at someday.
While your job market may be five years away, interviewers will remember if you were smart & polite.
Third.
You need to confirm the details of when & where you need to turn up for #PhDorientation & onboarding.
Some schools have summer boot camps that are essential to attend.
Who holds that information varies, so contact your #programcoordinator & get a reference to the right person.
This is important because the four months from acceptance to start move quickly.
You must book flights, arrange housing, and complete paperwork on a tight timeline. You can save a lot of money booking if you book flights earlier.
Note: the program coordinator isn’t much help with these things. The uni or college graduate student office usually is a good resource.
Fourth.
You need to see if there are opportunities to engage with faculty & Ph.D. students.
Most schools have no opportunities for incoming students - bc they are used to FTF models.
Some schools have weekly talks, online student events, and more. If they are available to you, take advantage of them.
Ask your program coordinator for help on this. If they don’t have one, ask if a #student#mentor is available to ask questions.
Either way, you need access to local knowledge about how culture, registration, and classes work.
Fifth, if you are changing countries and languages, start consuming news and media content from sources and in languages that are local to the area.
This offers two benefits - you will know what is happening in your new home & you will be more able to communicate in the local dialect.
Knowing street names, places to eat, community events & more can help combat loneliness.
Working on reading & listening comprehension will make it easier to make friends.
I hope this helps!
Your first weeks as a Ph.D. student will be less stressful if you do a little prep work now.
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