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You’ve decided to go to graduate school. That’s great! Choosing to get your master’s or doctorate is a big decision, and now there are two more steps: choose your school and figure out how you’re going to pay for it.

Meet Samona Drexler, a 2016 graduate of the UL Lafayette Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She is now the manager and clinical nurse practitioner in the Pre-Anesthesia Clearance and Evaluation (PACE) Clinic at Lafayette General Medical Center.

Figuring out when to start graduate school depends on your personal and professional goals. Will a master’s degree help you get ahead? Do you need a doctorate to reach the top of your field?

Let’s face it. Grad school is no cake walk. It’s a lot of sleepless nights, countless hours in the library, and a ton of triple-shot lattes.

Chances are that during your undergraduate years you attended a music festival or two. You may have gone to Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Voodoo, Hangout, or one of the many other festivals held across the country.

“Work smarter, not harder.” Sure, it’s a cliché, but when you’re looking for a leg up on grad school success, it rings true. Here are a few practical suggestions for ways to be successful in grad school.

We’ve put together a checklist of all the essential to-dos to help you get the most out of your time in the Graduate School at UL Lafayette … as told in GIFs.