5 Tips for Maximizing Your MFA Experience

If you’re pursuing your Master’s of Fine Arts degree, you likely have a lot on your plate. From taking studio classes to teaching undergraduate students or fulfilling other GA requirements, getting a graduate degree of any kind is full of demands. At the same time, you’re investing a lot of money while pursuing an MFA, so it’s important to make the most of your time and your studies. Here are five tips for maximizing your MFA while you’re still in school.

1. Improve your writing with helpful online tools.

In graduate school, you’re going to do a lot of writing. Whether you’re writing your artist’s statement as a sculptor or are pursuing an MFA in creative writing, you can make the most of your essays by using online tools that help you meet the academic requirements for each of your classes. If it’s your first year and you’ve found yourself asking questions like, “how many pages is 2000 words?” The Word Counter is an incredibly helpful tool. Beyond helping you keep track of the number of words in your college essays, The Word Counter can also help you out with spelling and grammar tips.

2. Conduct better research with websites like JSTOR.

Even though you’ll be doing a lot of learning in your classes, there’s still going to be times when you’ll need some extra research to help you with your papers. JSTOR is a super helpful and easy-to-use website that archives a wide range of primary and secondary sources for academic use. This is perfect if you’re trying to pad your work’s cited page or find another perspective about a topic you’re researching to help with a project. Best of all, many universities offer free access for students!

3. Take a break from studying and relax with CBD gummies.

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and need to relax, it might be worth trying CBD gummies. Just like CBD oil or other CBD products, CBC gummies have been reported by users to help deal with chronic pain, inflammation, and anxiety, among a few other medical conditions. Taking a gummy form of CBD is simple and delicious, making it easier than ever to calm your nerves if you’re preparing for an art history exam or are pulling an all-nighter to finish your thesis. They’re especially good if you don’t want to deal with the other side effects of things like alcohol or worry about next-day drowsiness. CBD is a natural, holistic way to address your anxiety during school.

4. Take advantage of office hours.

Office hours are a great way to get to know your professors better and can be especially important for working with your thesis mentor. Part of making the most of your experience at graduate school involves getting the most out of your studies. By learning more about your professors and connecting with them, you’ll not only do better in your course work but you’ll also make the most of their mentorship, absorbing valuable lessons during your years pursuing your MFA. You likely enrolled at your current school as a way to learn from certain professors, so be sure to get to know them and their work while you’re going to school.

5. Take time to make connections.

Just like it’s important to connect with your professors while pursuing your MFA, it’s just as crucial to network with your peers. The connections you make in graduate programs can be invaluable once you graduate since many of your fellow students will be your colleagues when you start working outside of school. Especially in MFA programs, getting to know your fellow artists can be a valuable source of inspiration and encouragement, allowing you to form lifelong bonds that set you up for success in your career as a professional artist.