What I am up to! Okay, now seriously, the nine things to know or do!

I’ve recently been thinking about some of the things I wish I had done or known before coming to grad school, and so I’ve compiled some of my thoughts here for you. This is a list of 9, and I imagine there are still 91 other things I wish I had known!

Read for yourself!

1. Read a book for yourself. Just do it for the fun and the love of reading. Then remember this feeling will come again. Maybe two years later, but I promise it will be one of the first things you do after graduating! Not that you won’t read amazing books and material in grad school. In fact you are going to discover amazing new theory and books of poetry that will make you fall in love, but that sit down by the candle or fireside feeling, try to remember that when the school gets grueling!

I just can’t. Nothing will ever feel this good on paper again!

2. Invest in a pocket journal that you will love, maybe more than one. And then find out what your favorite writing utensil is. I mean down to the lead size and grip comfort. Then buy as many as you can reasonably afford :)!

3. It never hurts to research the field. Get to know the field of poetry, start checking out journals, and publishing houses. List of Poetry Journals. List of Small Presses.

My first apartment!

4. Set up a budget. This is something I wish I had prepared a little more for. The cost of living in Chicago is on the higher side, but let’s face it, we are paying to be in the middle of a major hub for entertainment and the opportunity to receive an unforgettable education. It’s worth it, but it’s even more worth it if you’re money smart, and know how to plan your finances. I used Apartment People to find my first apartment. It was a great company, because I wasn’t in the city very long to do the in-depth research. But, if you have the time to do the research, it can save you some money in the long run!

5. Stay true to who you are! A lot of people, like me, will tell you what to do or to expect! And that is certainly awesome, and it’s important to get the low-down from those who have lived the life. But don’t forget you got yourself here through your own ambition. Have an open mind and at the end of the day it’s your future you are building!

Me, two years ago!

6. Be prepared to change and become a new person. I look back on my life two years ago and I don’t even recognize the man I was. At times I don’t even believe the last two years happened and all the amazing things I got to experience? There’s no way that was me!

7. Start a Netflix binge now. Get it out of your system. Take a week, it’ll be okay, because you can’t afford to binge-watch in grad school (unless it’s your thesis! Nod to Katie Goldstein who wrote a thesis titled “Binge Watch”).

My Amazing friends and cohort!

8. Remember that there is rarely another place on earth where you will find a community who shares the same passion as you, who has intelligent and engaging conversations about poetry. Remember this, and cherish it! Remember this when you are at the end of your first year, and you might be tired of some of your cohort members. Remember they love the same thing you do, and that shared passion is a needle in haystack. Don’t lose it!

9. Some people may tell you not to worry about post-grad and they’re partly right, but also don’t forget it altogether. Be smart, think of some post graduate positions you may want to apply for when you’re done. Be ready for that to change, learn to adapt, and breathe. The journey of your life awaits you!!