Transitions: First-Year Focus

Transitions: First-Year Focus is an optional, year-long program for first-year graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, sponsored by the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD), to provide incoming students with the skills, connections, and community that will let them flourish at Yale. Transitions will help you to:

  • gain effective, personalized strategies to navigate academic culture in your department and beyond
  • identify university resources to help achieve your academic and professional goals
  • cultivate meaningful advising and mentoring relationships
  • experience a richly diverse interdisciplinary community 

What Does Transitions Involve?

Transitions: First-Year Focus Orientation

Participate in a Transitions Orientation event before the beginning of the Fall Semester.

Academic Strategies Workshops

Attend at least four Transitions Workshops per semester.

Peer Mentoring

Participate in at least two peer-to-peer mentoring sessions with OGSDD Fellows per semester.

Social Events

Enjoy social events and networking opportunities throughout the year.

Fall 2024 Upcoming Events Calendar

Forming and maintaining relationships with professors can be very different as a graduate student than an undergraduate. A good mentor can offer invaluable academic guidance, career advice, networking opportunities, and personal growth. What qualities should you look for in mentors? How do you approach professors and maintain those connections? How do you overcome unexpected challenges in those relationships if things don’t go as planned? Join this interactive workshop facilitated by current graduate students for a discussion and brainstorming session to help prepare, strategize, build a strong network, and make the most of your graduate experience.

Come and learn about the mental health and wellness resources available to you at Yale from our GSAS embedded mental health clinicians and current graduate student fellows. We will talk about how to find care and navigate Yale’s mental health system, common myths about mental health in graduate school, and different ways in which you can develop or build on your wellness practices.

Contact us

Additional Resources for First-Year Students

Featured Resource

McDougal Center

The McDougal Graduate Student Center offers support resources, events, and programming that build community and help you to connect with your fellow graduate students.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

https://sas.yale.edu/students

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) works with Yale students with acute or ongoing disabilities to provide appropriate accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services through an interactive process. The Graduate School's liaison in SAS is Jordan Colbert.

Featured Resource

GSAS Embedded Mental Health Services

GSAS students have access to a variety of free mental health services and programming through the GSAS Embedded Mental Health program.

Featured Resource

Professional & Career Development

We promote an intentional approach to professional development, one that begins with the first year of your PhD and continues to evolve as you build knowledge and shape your scholarly and professional identity. Take advantage of the resources Yale has to offer: join a workshop series on leadership, communication, or project management; develop mentoring skills; or prepare for the job market through workshops on scholarly profile, job market materials, and interviewing skills. You can participate in professional development and career strategy workshops, and also schedule one-on-one consultations about your professional development and job search readiness.