I entered graduate school knowing that my higher-education doctoral degree would be the catalyst for changing my career path.  My original path through student affairs had been fulfilling but not sustainable. The long hours of evening events strained my relationships, and the pay and opportunities for advancement were few. Over time, my values shifted, and I was no longer willing or able to make the tradeoffs in my work-life balance and mental health often required in student affairs positions. I had a vague understanding that I would need further education to embark on a career in research in higher education, but what even was a research career?  I entered my graduate program knowing that a faculty role is the most commonly sought post-graduation career path. Additionally, I felt fortunate that my institution offered a Certificate in Institutional Research and some guidance for students who wanted to follow that path. Beyond those two options, I was unsure what else existe...

Div J presents an advice column called Asking for a Friend…Academy Edition, where graduate students can anonymously ask questions or express concerns about navigating graduate school and academia to Div J representatives and senior scholars. Navigating graduate school AND academia can be difficult, but there is always a silver lining: This advice column affirms and reminds you that you belong.   Asking for a friend…Academy Edition is a place for questions of any kind, from “What’s the best way to study in grad school?” to “What do I do when someone in my program has the same research topic as me?” and even serious questions like, “How do I choose my committee for dissertation?” or "Omg... My advisor is leaving; how do I navigate that?" Don’t worry; any questions posted here will be completely anonymous! No names, no problems.  Latest Submissions: Question: How do I maintain a relationship with my advisor (and committee) after graduating? Developing relationships during y...

Rudisang Motshubi , Doctoral Candidate at Iowa State University  Dear U.S. Higher Education Stakeholders, Like many aspiring scholars who wish to impact the U.S. higher education landscape positively, I am uncertain what being a higher education scholar entails. I have chosen to be daring and take a more vulnerable route in this blog post to provide a more authentic picture of where potential emerging scholars may be and show that we are not alone; I see you. It is okay not to know what you are doing and whether or not you are doing the right thing. Not knowing is part of becoming a higher educational scholar; the journey and process will eventually get you where you want to go and—more importantly—where you are supposed to be. Reading the prior post about socialization reminded me clearly how being socialized into higher education involves knowing what you are doing. Let me explain. In some educational spaces, this idea of purpose is often described as your why in hi...