Alan B. Tyson II
PhD Student, Music Technology
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Purdue School of Engineering and Technology
Department of Music and Arts Technology
Sometimes I find myself wondering if I am doing enough. As a full-time graduate student I have, by default, given most of my time and energy to school. Sometimes it feels like I live in two worlds—there’s school, and then there’s everything else. Most of my academic career, I’ve been able to separate the two. I mastered the art of not letting my school life bleed into my personal life and vice versa. I’m not sure that was always a bad thing, but more recently, like many others, I’ve had a hard time processing everything that is currently happening in the world, while simultaneously managing school responsibilities. I’m going to tell a quick story. Hang with me for a second.
Recently, I added a new faculty member to my dissertation committee. We met on Zoom so he could get caught up on my research. His first question to me was “What are you passionate about?” I replied by telling him about my research. I somehow thought that a slightly extended elevator speech was an appropriate, “not too formal” and “not too casual” response. He then followed by saying, “That’s great, but let’s step back for a second. I really just want to know what drives you. What is your passion?” I couldn’t recall the last time someone had asked me that question. I knew the answer, but I was so conditioned to give an academic response that I totally missed it. It was at that moment that I was reminded of something very important— school for me is a very important, but smaller part of a much bigger picture in my life. It is a pertinent step in the process that will help me accomplish some of the goals I’ve created for myself.
After the zoom call, I found myself revisiting the vision statement, mission statement, and core values my wife and I created for our family. They are what drives us and it is our goal to make sure that everything we do fits into that framework. Side note—if you have never written a vision statement and mission statement for your own life, I highly recommend it. They are powerful tools that help everyday life fit into “the big picture”. Now, I will try to bring this all together.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several conversations with people who share similar feelings—that is, they are having a hard time managing school and life outside of school. Like I did with the faculty member on my research committee, the people I’ve talked to separate academia and external life pursuits so much so that goals for school sometimes feel completely disconnected from overall life missions. Hear me correctly, I am not saying that school life should become personal life and vice versa. That is, undoubtedly, a disaster waiting to happen. I am, however, pointing to a more underlying concern. Many students desire to be impactful in ways outside of academia. Moreover, the idea of waiting to finish school to be impactful is not a viable option, especially given today’s climate. So what’s the answer? How can you make and impact now?
I think it is somewhat complicated, and the answer may different for each person, but I’ll give a few suggestions that helped me become more confident about my approach. I am choosing to write somewhat broadly, because I do not want the word “impact” to take on a meaning that is too narrow. Making an impact looks different for everyone.
- As I mentioned before, take time and write down a vision and mission statement for yourself. It will become the driving force for everything you do, so take your time with it. This will help you determine exactly where you are going. Secondly it will help you filter through ideas that are connected to your vision vs. simply “good ideas”. In terms of making an impact, you will likely discover that the way you choose to be impactful right now may look different for you. As it relates to school and extracurricular activities, it will help you connect both to your overall vision for your life in a way where school and “everything else” don’t feel so disconnected.
- Determine your audience. Who are you connected to? Who do you feel “called” to? Your overall vision for your life will connect you to groups of people. Start with them. Understanding who you are connected to will help you be intentional about the people you are looking to reach and the impact you want to make, in and out of academia. This is not always the case, but I’ve found that sometimes people, including myself, who question whether or not they are doing enough either 1) don’t know their audience or 2) have lost track of who their audience is. Sometimes we make the mistake of comparing other people’s audience to our own. Consequently, it can cause us to feel like we aren’t doing enough. Understanding your audience will help prevent you from jumping at every opportunity that seems like a good idea. Instead, it will keep you focused on your own path.
- Let graduate school be a step that drives you to be the best version of yourself. I am fortunate to be around some brilliant minds at IUPUI. Even more so, I am fortunate to be around individuals in academia who have no desire to hide behind a degree. They are committed to excellence in and out of academia. That being said, there is sometimes an internal struggle with individuals who are wired to be academics and “get your hands dirty” kind of folks. I know because I am one of them. There is the thought of attempting to make a significant impact now vs. later. Later means time has to be split between school and other meaningful causes until school is finished. This has been a discussion that me and some of my colleagues have had. For me, I know the spaces in which I desire to be someday. Simply put, graduate school is a piece to the puzzle that will help me get where I need to be. Long-term I will be most impactful having completed my graduate studies. Being in grad school right now does not mean I forfeit my opportunity to be impactful in society now or later. I may have to adjust my approach temporarily, but with a clear vision and understanding of my audience, I have discovered there are creative ways I can be impactful in the moment.
I am reminded that being able to connect graduate school to the big picture is important. Often we train ourselves to completely separate school from every other aspect of our lives. The reality is that school and “everything else” should point us to the “bigger picture”. If you’ve experienced some of what I’ve discussed, my hope is that this blog helps you understand what this ongoing process looks like for me and that you can use some, or even all of these tools to help you connect everything you do to your “big picture”.