One of my family’s biggest concerns back in Chile was how I would spend my first birthday away from home. They hoped I wouldn’t end up all by myself that day. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about: my birthday was a blast. We had a big party with my friends at Valhalla, Rice’s grad student bar, a place that quickly became one of my favorite spots on campus.
The next day, I was completely out of energy and didn’t feel strong enough to even reach for food or water. That’s when I had a huge realization about grad school: my advisor, who I deeply cherish and admire, was not going to show up at my door with hot soup and a bottle of Gatorade.
It sounds obvious, but this is something a lot of new grad students overlook. We get so focused on classes, research, and lab rotations that we forget we’re also committing ourselves to five (or more) years of our lives in a new city, and we’ll need people outside academia who can have our back when life happens.
Grad School is not a Pause Button
Pursuing a Ph.D. doesn’t mean hitting “pause” on your life for the next five years. In undergrad, it’s easy to think, “Once I finish studying, then real life begins.” But a Ph.D. is different: this is your job, and it’s part of your real life.
Life is going to keep happening while you’re here. At some point you’ll probably get sick, you’ll miss someone back home, or your favorite team will lose an important game. Those things don’t stop just because you’re in grad school, and neither should the rest of your life. You don’t have to wait until graduation to think about other goals or moments you want to enjoy. While this time will shape your career, it’s also a big part of your life, and it’s worth making the most of it along the way.
I think of it like this: my friends who took more traditional jobs are already building their lives, earning salaries, traveling, picking up hobbies, living in apartments that look a little less like a young college student’s space. However, though it may look different, we can also build our lives in graduate school. For me, this was a top priority.
The Rice Community, Beyond the Cliché
When I first heard about Rice’s “warm and collaborative environment”, it sounded like something pulled from a university brochure: nice, but a little corny. I figured it was just the kind of thing schools say to attract students.
But during my first year, I learned how much truth there is behind it. The collaboration isn’t just for research projects: it spills into daily life. People check in on each other, celebrate each other’s wins, and are willing to help when things get tough. Have you ever tried moving out on your own? It’s a lot easier when you’ve got lab mates and friends who will show up with a car, an extra set of hands, and the promise of pizza afterward.
One of my favorite examples is Valhalla, the graduate student bar on campus. It’s where, after a long week, you can grab a drink, dance, and have a good time with friends in the Grad Commons. There’s even a speaker you can borrow to play some salsa or Bad Bunny, and it’s not unusual for people to join in, even if they didn’t know each other five minutes ago. When friends from other universities visit, I always take them there. Without fail, they’re impressed, not just by the place, but by the atmosphere. I’ve been told more than once how lucky I am to have this kind of community, and I am so grateful for it.
Life Outside the Lab Starts Here
I could (and probably should) write another entire blog about the hidden gems in Houston outside Rice. But the campus itself is an amazing starting point to meet people, find hobbies, and unwind from our academic duties.
One of my favorite examples from my first semester was joining the Rice Salseros Club. I have two left feet, but I still signed up for their salsa classes on Tuesday afternoons. The people there were so supportive, and the instructor was fantastic. Every class brought together dancers of all levels, from complete beginners to people who looked ready for a competition. I was probably the worst dancer in the room, but I always left smiling. It was the perfect midweek break.
If you are looking for your own perfect fit, check out OwlNest to explore all the groups, events, and opportunities that Rice has to offer. I’m sure there’s a hobby, interest, or community here for each of us, maybe even something you never thought you’d enjoy until you stumbled into it by accident.
Thinking back to that first birthday in Houston, I’m still grateful for the people who made it special. And when I was completely drained the next day, I was just as grateful for my friend July, who showed up with Gatorade and hot soup. That simple gesture summed up what I’ve learned in my first year: grad school is about much more than research and classes.
These five (or more) years are a big part of your life. You’ll need people who can celebrate with you, support you when life happens, and remind you to take a break from the lab. I’ve found that at Rice: in Valhalla, in salsa classes, in the friends who show up when you need them most.
About the author:
Sebastián Berríos-Carvajal is a Ph.D. student in Applied Physics from Santiago, Chile. He completed his M.S. in Physics at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2023 and is a Fulbright Equal Opportunities Scholarship Fellow. Read more.
Further Reading:
To my Fellow Future Fulbrighters