With the fall semester coming to a close, you might find yourself facing project deadlines, or you may be beginning to plan for the spring semester. These deadlines, tasks, and responsibilities can be overwhelming. Here at GradPro, we encourage you to take a step back and reimagine the type of academic and social support that you will need to accomplish all of your competing goals during the spring semester, while not losing sight of what is truly important—your emotional and physical wellbeing. If you are looking for an affirming approach to accountability this coming semester, GradPro’s check-in groups might offer the type of support you need!

If you are interested in learning more about check-in groups, we will be holding two virtual information sessions: 

  • Session One: Tuesday, January 10, 12:00 – 1:00 pm PT
  • Session Two: Friday, January 13, 12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

Register for an information sessions by Friday, January 6th at 5PM PT.

You can also express interest in registering for a spring check-in group by December 19th by filling out this interest form. We anticipate that registration for check-in groups will open on January 16th; access to the registration form will be available through the check-in group toolkit website

Every semester, GradPro facilitates weekly check-in groups which are specifically designed to provide graduate students with peer mentoring support. Check-in groups are facilitated by experienced Professional Development Liaisons (PDLs), advanced graduate students from a wide variety of disciplines and fields. Every week, check-in groups convene around themed discussions that address the multitude of challenges that graduate students face, such as time management and imposter syndrome. Check-in groups also provide participants with space to share information about on and off-campus resources and to establish and reflect upon weekly academic and personal goals. Finally, the groups also provide an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate academic achievements.

The demand for check-in groups has grown consistently over the past four years, which allows GradPro to offer multiple check-in group options. To this end, GradPro actively collaborates with campus partners, including the Office of Graduate Diversity, to carefully design check-in groups that support students of diverse and intersecting identities. For example, we have offered check-in groups for students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) or who are first-generation and/or low-income. Some of the check-in groups that may be offered this coming semester include: International students, Mixed discipline Masters & Ph.D. students, STEM, Post-quals, & Undocugrads. 

Remember, here at GradPro we are a community that is dedicated to supporting every step of your journey!

About the Author: Martha Ortega Mendoza is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Berkeley School of Education and self-identifies as a first-generation student who comes from a working-class background. Martha’s doctoral research seeks to document and uplift the voices of undocumented graduate students. Currently, Martha serves as a Professional Development Liaison (PDL) at GradPro.