A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum

by Jessica McCrory Calarco

An essential handbook to the unwritten and often unspoken knowledge and skills you need to succeed in grad school

Some of the most important things you need to know in order to succeed in graduate school--like how to choose a good advisor, how to get funding for your work, and whether to celebrate or cry when a journal tells you to revise and resubmit an article--won't be covered in any class. They are part of a hidden curriculum that you are just expected to know or somehow learn on your own--or else. In this comprehensive survival guide for grad school, Jessica McCrory Calarco walks you through the secret knowledge and skills that are essential for navigating every critical stage of the postgraduate experience, from deciding whether to go to grad school in the first place to finishing your degree and landing a job. An invaluable resource for every prospective and current grad student in any discipline, A Field Guide to Grad School will save you grief--and help you thrive--in school and beyond.

Provides invaluable advice about how to:
Choose and apply to a graduate program
Stay on track in your program
Publish and promote your work
Get the most out of conferences
Navigate the job market
Balance teaching, research, service, and life

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Academia, Grad School, Academic, Self Help, Reference

476 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2020

Reviews

[Adora · Rating 5 out of 5]

bless this author, seriously

This book is helpful from a "how to" perspective; it's also a riveting commentary on how much of academia is premised on exclusion. I appreciated Calarco's call to deans, professors, department chairs and others with the power to change things to "uncover the hidden curriculum for their students."

[Johannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally the most helpful guide I have found relating to graduate school–I wish it had been published before I applied, but I will refer to it often as I advance in my grad school career.

[Annas Jiwa Pratama]

This book succeeds on two fronts. It is a very useful and practical guide to grad school, and arguably academia in general. It is also an honest and incisive commentary on the cult(ure) of academia. In short, this book is an excellent practical and critical combo.

In terms of practicality, the book does well in thoroughly walking you through the steps you will likely take as a grad student, from articulating what you actually want out of grad school and into the business of publishing and teaching, as well as getting into the job market. Each of these steps are covered in detail, even going into very specific (but actually very helpful) things like email templates, spreadsheet outlines, and CV examples. Though it is centered on grad students, I’m sure a lot of the things discussed are quite relevant for early career academics as well as anyone making a living off that system. I’m currently more or less a freelance RA, so I do a lot of grant application writing, and I found her chapter on it to be very helpful. However, some of its recommendations are highly US-centric, especially when it comes to the funding models, types of programs, etc. If you plan on/are doing your grad studies elsewhere, you might have to do a lot of your own digging.

What I appreciate the most however, is how honest and critical it is of academia. The book balances its goal of helping individuals succeed while criticizing the inequality and systemic exploitation that are so deeply ingrained within academia. For example, in the chapter on research and funding, Calarco acknowledges the need for grad students to churn out publications, while commenting that ultimately this culture and demand is harmful to students, faculties, and to the discipline itself. I think this makes both her practical suggestions more tempered, and her critiques more nuanced and readily accepted from people at the bottom of the rung, people with the least job security and those who struggle the most with these demands.

All that said, I’m not really sure whether I feel encouraged or discouraged to pursue a PhD and an academic career after reading the book. I mean, it really does reinforce my own rather negative view of academia (that it is a scam and a cult) lol.

Tangents

Did not expect this book to have me marking quotes, but here are some excellent ones:
“Academia works (or at least should work) on a pay-it-forward model. Your faculty mentors help you today. And then when you’re successful tomorrow, you help those who come after you.”

”That’s why it’s important to know when enough is enough. And that’s why it’s important to start your project with a good research design. Because a well-designed project makes it clear when enough is enough. You’ll have a sense up front of what questions you’re trying to answer. And once you have the data necessary to answer those questions (and rule out alternative answers), you’re done.
(this one hits a personal nerve because I goddamn hate it when people add shit to the design without knowing what to do with the data afterwards. You’re making the research gaudy!)

“When grad school’s hidden curriculum stays hidden, those inequalities get amplified, and their source stays hidden too. Essentially, the hiddenness of the hidden curriculum makes it seem as though the people who win in grad school are just “better suited” to play the game.”

[Katherine Stevick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess we'll see how helpful this actually was when I start classes come fall--but it felt very helpful, and makes me feel like I'm going in with my eyes open. I think this would also be a great read for someone who is considering grad school and not sure if it would be a good fit.

[Nathan Sexten · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read for anyone pursuing a graduate degree.

[Matt Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful reference text to check in at various stages of the journey. I'm sure I'll be selectively returning to sections of this as I proceed.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone even thinking about grad school (at all levels) needs to read this book. It allowed me to realize all the things I didn’t even realize I needed to ask.

[Samuel Massicotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main aim of Calarco’s book is to reveal all the nooks and crannies, all the hidden information that’s there to see but never presented in the academic world of graduate and post-graduate studies. The flaw of the academic world is that it takes for granted that you know what you are looking for and what you need to do. But this assumption is based mainly on the fact that it is highly hierarchical, and that it is mostly built on social networks, on connections, on knowledge passed from word of mouth. Your average undergraduate who aims to reach the graduate level, or even professorship, never learns if not by being told by others who have experienced it, that there are rules and structures that you must follow in order to succeed in the graduate world. This is Jessica Calarco’s objective: make the hidden curriculum of grad school known, open the doors and reveal what is normally kept under wraps, because it advantages people in privileged positions to keep their rank, and to ensure that only those who have the connections, who knows how to build those networks and who ensures that those connections are properly kept are the only ones able to excel in grad school. She uses a very modern tone throughout the book, making the reading often very shallow, as well as allowing some grammatical mistakes to pass through. Then again, this is not an attack on the book, or even on Jessica’s writing. This style of modern writing (that disengages me often), is part of the features of this book. The simpler the writing, the easier it is for students at all levels of reading, and from all backgrounds, to have access to this information. She also inserts tweets into her book, which made me cringe, initially. She is adamant that building connections through twitter is a net benefit for grad school. This book is very representative of her views, of her political opinions, and of her perspective of the world. She takes a very progressive or liberal view of academia, and spends entire chapters addressing discrimination and marginalization. I understand the objective, but at times it becomes somewhat distracting. And so, as much crucial information that she gives, she also discusses her political views. I saw it a bit as filler. The information she gives, or rather reveals, the resources she presents, and the advices she recommends, is why I believe this book is an incredibly useful piece of writing for potential or even current grad students.

[szymborskalyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’ve read enough of this genre already. The Professor Is In was more insightful, I thought. It’s probably a great primer though.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading this, but more importantly, I'm so relieved and glad to have gotten my hands on it. It's so, so useful for anyone considering grad school (for context, I'm not even at the stage in my BA where I can begin applying for that). It's accessible and well-written, and all the ideas and concepts brought up, all the terms that are explained, are presented in a really digestible, easy to understand way. Calarco does an incredible job at clarifying a lot about grad school; I took so much away from this book. I wrote notes as I read it, and I'm very pleased at just how much I learned! There's a lot that will benefit me when I'm applying and further down the road in grad school itself, and I'm grateful to have all this new knowledge at hand now. That being said, there was a lot that I didn't feel was applicable to me, or that seemed like it focused too much on social or lab sciences. Of course it's impossible to write about every discipline, and I wasn't expecting that, but there were times when I was reading this and wondering how I could adapt it to work for me. But I do feel like I gained enough other knowledge that I should be able to eventually figure those things out for myself, or have the confidence (and know-how) to ask other people for help.

The biggest thing I gained from this is the confidence that I can go to grad school and very likely succeed. It's been a goal of mine for basically forever, and this book has shown me that 1) there are a lot of tools and tips to help me achieve my goal and 2) I'm actually on a good path towards it. I feel less stressed than I was before, simply because of how Calarco frames everything and the advice she gives.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book for my dual enrolled high school undergrad who promptly developed an eye twitch and broke out in hives at the sight of it. So as the household librarian who always tries to find the right read or reference material for the appropriate circumstance, I decided to give this one a first read myself. I know the title targets grad students, but this is an excellent resource for undergrads who are interested in research and aspire to attend grad school in the near future. In particular, the chapters about building a support team of mentors and peers, reading and writing about other people’s research, and doing — from funding to publishing and promoting — your own research are all very relevant to the undergrad research experience. (And as a former publicist and corporate communications professional, I feel qualified enough to say the suggestions for promoting your work and positioning yourself as a reliable expert in the field check out.) The rest of the book can help you determine what comes next — jobs, teaching, work-life balance. Waiting until you are in grad school to read this almost seems too late. At the very least it’s a great book to skim through, bookmark, and add to your personal library for future reference when you need insight, guidance, or inspiration on your academic journey through higher ed.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Calarco talks about structural issues in academia, explaining why this system is set up and reinforced to be more challenging for students from systematically marginalized groups. As a first-generation international student, I feel so much heard and seen when reading the book.

She shares that the key for students to navigate graduate school and learn hidden curriculum is through effective mentoring from faculty, peers, and other meaningful connections. More importantly, she shares practical guidance on how to build your mentoring team, and how to ask for help.

She also emphasizes that long-term solution for mitigating the structural issue needs changes at the institutional level and cultural shifts in faculty members, for example, having more incentives for teaching and mentoring for faculty, and having teams providing tremendous support for students' professional development.

In this book, she transformed her research on equity in higher eduIcation into a practical guide for graduate students. I think this is also a great book for undergraduates who are thinking of going to graduate school and faculty who mentor graduate students.

[Sherman Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential guide to graduate programs, probably more relevant to PhD programs and research-oriented masters

Let me start with the most important piece: I wish I had this book as a resource when I was a doctoral student — and when considering and applying to programs. In A Field Guide to Grad School, Calarco covers the ground on the vast majority of issues faced by students in doctoral and research-oriented masters programs.

One important limitation: Calarco is writing primarily about research-oriented programs in North America. If you are thinking about more professional-oriented masters programs, you can probably read this more selectively. And if you are considering or in a program elsewhere in the world, be aware that Calarco is describing (mostly) U.S. norms and conventions; much of what she says is applicable elsewhere, but not necessarily her description of institutional norms, so you may need some help in translating her advice to your context.

Having said that, I am recommending this book to all of my doctoral students.

[Brandon Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book does what it aims to do, and that's why I gave it 5 stars. This book was gifted to me as I was leaving a summer research program. I am someone who has an interest in going on to earn a graduate degree after I complete my undergraduate education. This book fits well with that goal and is very educational.
Recently I've been in a reading slump and been very busy but this book was quite easy to read and also didn't make me feel stressed or unproductive. I liked how organized the book and the thoughts in the book were.
"The path to a graduate degree is like an obstacle course, and the various program components and requirements are like the walls you'll have to climb and the mud puts you'll have to slog through along the way. If you don't know which obstacles come next, it can feel like you're running in the dark. And that darkness can slow you down - by making each step more tentative and making each obstacle feel scarier than it might actually be" (page 151).
"'Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem'" (page 364).

[Kayse Maass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish a book like this existed when I was in grad school. In 2021, my research lab read one chapter a month and discussed it together— highly recommend as a way for faculty to talk to students about these important things about academia that are usually never formally taught. Although the author isn’t an engineer (our field), she does a great job of explaining where some topics may differ from field to field, such as which outlets you should try to publish in, the normalcy of grants, etc. Reading this together as a lab really helped so that I could highlight the things that were most important within our field and explain where some of the content made differ from how our specialty field does things. I particularly appreciated the author’s perspective around how race, gender, sexuality and sociology-economic backgrounds affect the way that we move through academia.

[Aryan Prasad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is much concerned about equity, cites Robin DiAngelo and her kin a few times, and wants us to actively look up for "Young Black Queer Women Scholars" and cite their work. Also for most part, the claims "Hidden Curriculum" (a concept I do agree with in itself) can he primarily be explained with Race and gender. Also the author seems to have some minor grudge against what she calls "Lab Sciences" (but includes fields like Maths into it.)

These small issues aside, the book is much in depth and well as width and surely would be useful.

[Buster · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, different parts were more helpful than others. As someone who is a first generation college graduate, the way the first part of the book spoke about imposter syndrome was like a salve. I needed it. Some later chapters on teaching and so forth were more skim-worthy, not because they don't include valuable information, but because I've been teaching for a while and have developed a philosophy and my own rhythm. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is nervous about grad school.

[Makenna Luzenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this was especially helpful as someone applying to PhD programs. I marked it up a lot and will be absolutely returning to it over the years. There were moments where it was very general or very specific, but I think overall it balanced out to be very helpful for individuals coming from backgrounds where they know very little about graduate school.

[Morgane Golan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't notated up a book like this since I was in high school! All jokes aside, this is the most valuable book I've read on the subject of grad school, and also the most up-to-date. I will certainly be coming back to this book many times over the next few years.

[Sarah Gao · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t read this whole things just the parts that were relevant to me. Some parts were helpful but since it’s a book for every person going to grad school I felt it was a little too unspecific to be super helpful.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any graduate student!

If you’ve felt alone at any point of your graduate journey, pick this up and feel welcome to the community!

[Priscila Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for someone planning on going to grad school or for those who are already in.

[João Vítor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great perspective of what the academic field looks like!

[Emma Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful guide to hidden “norms” in academia, full of how-tos for navigating the culture (including email templates!).

[haniya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope at some point in the future, a book like this is not needed because the “hidden curriculum” is either transparent and/or dismantled. But until then, this is an indispensable guide.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are overwhelmed thinking about grad school read this book!

[Heather Hoyt]

This was fine, but almost too generalized to be super helpful.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, practical advice and lots of reassurance. Great templates for writing papers and all kinds of formal and informal communication.

[Miriam Villazón Valbuena · Rating 5 out of 5]

About to start my 6th year in grad school and there’s so much stuff still to learn! Great book to learn about many important things that belongs to the hidden curriculum.