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What does it mean to be a graduate student? They come in different flavours. This short series will explore the different types of graduate student experiences we have at the U of A.
In celebration of Women's History Month in March and to highlight the aspects and roles that female graduate students at the U of A play, I am interviewing a female graduate student who balances her academic pursuit with her young family.
Pam Hung is in her third year of a Ph.D. program within the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. With a background in occupational therapy, she gives insight into why she chose to come back to academia for another degree and how she balances her study and home lives.
Tell us a bit about your undergraduate or past academic experience.
My undergraduate degree was in science with a specialization in pharmacology from the U of A. During my undergraduate experience, I lived with my parents and had different responsibilities than I have now. Afterwards, I decided to complete my master's in occupational therapy as I have always been interested in working in health care. I was particularly intrigued by the functional aspects of daily life and helping people perform activities that they enjoy. My main focus during both instances was on my schoolwork and completing my degree. I participated in a few extracurricular activities and even worked part-time. Since completing my master's, I have worked as an occupational therapist in the hospital and in chronic disease management programs in the community.
Why did you decide to apply for graduate school?
After working as an occupational therapist for about 15 years, my interest in research and my previous experience with teaching occupational therapy students motivated me to apply for the Ph.D. program. I hope to contribute to advancing clinical research. I have always desired to go into research, and this program offers me the opportunity to contribute in areas where there is not a lot of clinical research and allows me to teach students. In fact, as cliche as it may sound, I actually love learning!
Tell us about your graduate experience.
I started my Ph.D. program in September 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. I have three kids and a partner. It has been quite different from my previous experience as I now have to juggle my multiple roles as a partner, mother and working part-time clinically. Doing my coursework online was very convenient as I did not have to commute to campus. But it hindered the mindset of being a student because I still had to meet the needs of my family, and as such, I wasn't given the chance to be completely consumed with schoolwork. I work hard to balance meeting the needs of my family and taking care of myself by getting enough sleep and exercise while completing my schoolwork. In addition to that, the flexibility of not having set work hours has helped me with managing when my kids are sick or when their school is closed. This flexibility as a graduate student has also enabled me to easily volunteer at my kids' school.
Tell us about your home life.
One of the perks of studying from home has been the ability to walk with my kids to and from school, which I could not do when I was working full-time before starting my Ph.D. As an unintended consequence of the flexibility in my school and work schedule, I am able to do things like bike to school with my kids. One of the things I have had to reconcile with is my expectations of how I would like to be doing my schoolwork and needing to allocate time for different parts of my schoolwork, depending on what is happening at home. The time allocated will sometimes be different for the same tasks depending on the situation at home.
How do you balance both?
It's been a challenge navigating everything all at once and ensuring everyone's needs are met, and balancing the expectations of how I would ideally like my school work to be done. My partner is very supportive, and we have had to negotiate our roles at times, but having a good support system in family and friends has been a huge help.
What are some tips you wish you knew before starting graduate school?
- Have a support system and connect with people in your program, perhaps a cohort system to help keep you in pace with your progress and to bounce ideas off each other.
- Don't be hesitant to ask for help when you need it and even when you're not sure if you need it. Don't wait till the last minute, even if you're not too sure.
- Be kind to yourself! Especially when you're trying to do a lot. It's okay to say no.
Lastly, any words of encouragement to graduate students looking to pursue the same program?
Make sure you are doing things that make you feel good about yourself. Take care of yourself first and foremost. Then you can show up for everybody else!
Thank you, Pam, for sharing your insights with us and inviting us to take a look into the diversity of the life of a graduate student!