I Survived My First Semester of G...

I Survived My First Semester of Grad School—Here’s What I Learned

The Plasticity Podcast por Santina Duarte
E12
15 dic 2025
38:32

Notas del episodio

Hello, it is I - Santina Duarte - reporting live from Calgary for a change of pace. I have officially survived my first semester of grad school, everyone. We made it.

And listen… it almost broke me. Daily crash-outs, so many cockroaches, fighting with admin, learning how to live alone... and yet, here we are. Still standing. Mostly.

So after desperately needing a more chill episode, this week I’m breaking down the top 10 things I learned during my first semester of grad school. From lab dynamics and classes to depanneurs decorated like submarines, this episode is a candid (and slightly unhinged) collection of lessons, reflections, and tips from my first few months of becoming a grad student.

As per usual, I release a new episode every Monday at 7:00 am EST. You can find me on all podcast platforms and on Instagram at @theplasticitypodcast. Thank you so much for another week of listening and remember that when people do you dirty, ask yourself what would 50 Cent do.

Palabras clave

Neuroscience
Academic Journey
Coming of age
Graduate School
University
Science communication
science and tech
knowing your audience
women in science
experimentation
relationships