Building Your On-Campus Network

by Brian Freedman

Graduate school is about more than just becoming an expert in your chosen field. It's about building the networks that will not only afford you the opportunity to take the fullest advantage of all that graduate school has to offer, but also to begin the process of building the social and professional networks that will carry through to your professional life once you graduate. And while this is not terribly difficult - remember, most everyone in grad school is looking to build networks - it can be a bit more complicated for minority students. After all, minorities, by their very definition, have fewer people just like them in a program. As a result, there may be fewer natural affinities - be they cultural, religious, or national - to facilitate organic network building.

But this doesn't mean you can't do it. In fact, there are some instances in which minority students may have an easier time building networks than those students who are from the majority group. Here, then, are a few helpful hints for building a successful social and professional network in graduate school whether you're part of an under-represented group or not.

Look For Already-Established Organizations

Most educational institutions have organizations that specifically cater to the needs of minorities. Often, they are governed and administered by the students they serve. This means that, with a little bit of searching, you will have instant access to other students just like you. And as a result, you will feel more comfortable and will be able to make the most of your time in school.

These organizations tend to focus on both the difficulties facing minorities and the solutions to those issues, as well as on the ways in which everyone in that organization can band together to enhance the experience of its members. And whether there are regular meetings or merely membership lists of those who are involved, the result is the same: Your participation in the organization will expand your social network much further than it otherwise would have been. And your success in grad school will be that much greater and that much easier.

It's important, however, to think outside the box here. Ask yourself into which groups you fit. In other words, don't just seek out groups based on religion or race or national origin. You should also look for groups that are built around other aspects of your life and your background. For example, say you're a New Yorker attending graduate school in South Carolina. There is a very good chance that, as a northerner, you'll be a minority. And as a result, there is an equally good chance that there will be an organization that serves the needs of that specific group of people. So thinking outside the box will afford you the opportunity to make the most of your situation. Indeed, you may even have a better network as a minority than you would have had as a student in the majority. And that, after all, is the real benefit of these organizations: They even the playing field.

Or, Go Out On Your Own

For better or for worse, people tend to associate with others like them. Whether it's a shared cultural background, national or religious heritage, language, or any of a million other things, people gravitate toward others who share traits with them. This, then, provides you with an excellent opportunity to build your own social network, exclusive of other organizations. Remember, some of the best networks are nothing more than informal groups of friends who support each other.

And as such, some of the best networks out there have nothing to do with specific, "classifiable" groups of people. They can be nothing more formal than a group of disparate people who have a shared desire to succeed. So the more friends you can make, the better chance you have of building a successful social network that will help you in the long term. So make yourself social: Set up study groups over pizza, have friends over for dinner or snacks - whatever you do, make sure you're as friendly and as accessible as you can be. No matter who you are, no matter what race, religion, or nationality you identify yourself with, if you are a decent, friendly person, then you'll build a social network in no time. Just don't forget to give yourself a little "me" time to decompress, too.

And Remember, It's Good For You

How many presidents are members of secret collegiate societies? How many Masons have sat at the head of boardrooms throughout the country? How many world leaders become friends with one another and continue to work together even after their time in office is up? No matter whom you are, no matter what field you work in, it is impossible to overstate the importance of social networks.

In our ever-more impersonal world - colleagues two cubicles apart from one another often communicate via e-mail, for example - personal contact is more important now than it ever has been before. The old cliche "It's not what you know but who you know" has never been more accurate than it is today. And it is not uncommon for members of certain social networks to all benefit from the successes of one of its members. That, indeed, is how social networks function: The people who have always been there for one another will generally do everything they can to spread the bounty of their individual success among the network's constituent members. And as a minority, those ties are often even stronger because of the added difficulty people from under-represented groups tend to face as they work their way through school and professional life.

In then end, then, forming a solid, reliable social network is just as important as succeeding academically in graduate school. After all, you're not only in grad school to earn the privilege of adding those fancy extra letters at the end of your name - you're there to facilitate a successful career. And one of the best ways to do that is to make sure you're part of a good social network. ItÕs not only rewarding personally - its professional benefits are tremendous, too.

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