Grad School Femtoring: Inclusive Grad School Stories, Personal Development, and Productivity Tips for First-Gen BIPOCs

The Signal Award-winning Grad School Femtoring Podcast provides first-generation BIPOC students and professionals with conversations about graduate school and growth to help you sustainably achieve your goals. I’m your host, Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu, a first-gen Chicana, mama, neurodivergent, and chronically ill grad school and productivity coach, consultant, author and speaker. For over fifteen years I’ve been empowering first-gen students of color along their personal and professional journeys, and I’m really excited to support you too. Listen every Friday to solo and guest episodes where you’ll be listening in on inclusive grad school stories. You'll also learn more about grad school and academic success, career and professional development, personal development and mindset, productivity and time management, social justice and community building, wellbeing and mental health, money and financial literacy, first-gen student of color experiences, and more! This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and share this resource with a friend.

Grad School Femtoring: Inclusive Grad School Stories, Personal Development, and Productivity Tips for First-Gen BIPOCs is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 389 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 87. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Grad School Femtoring: Inclusive Grad School Stories, Personal Development, and Productivity Tips for First-Gen BIPOCs, a education show with 389 episodes published.

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  Episode #389

  389: Dopamine, Rewards, and Novelty: How to Keep Writing When the Excitement Fades

  Sep 14, 202624 min

  In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I discuss why the excitement surrounding a long-term writing project can fade and how dopamine, executive functioning, and your working conditions can shape motivation. I offer a more compassionate approach for academics, students, and other writers who are struggling to return to work that still matters to them. I share practical ways to make writing more approachable. You will learn how to build a personalized menu of writing tasks and rewards that reflects your energy and capacity while recognizing when you may need rest, accommodations, redistributed labor, or additional support. In this episode, you will learn: How dopamine, feedback, novelty, and executive functioning can influence your ability to begin and sustain writing Why fading interest can point to your conditions, workload, health, access needs, or an unclear next step How to add supportive cues and sources of comfort, purpose, or connection before and during a writing session Ways to make progress visible beyond word counts  How to create novelty by changing your medium, environment, sequence, social setting, or level of challenge Four questions for building a flexible writing menu that includes options for low-capacity days Work with me If you want structure and compassionate support as you work toward a dissertation, qualifying exam, writing project, career transition, or another important goal, learn more about one-on-one coaching: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/coaching/ Free resource Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/ Explore more Listen to more episodes on Dissertation and Writing Strategies: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/dissertation-and-writing-strategies/ Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401 Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/ This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #388

  388: Exploring STEM PhD Careers Through a GSF Externship with Reem Salem

  Sep 7, 202635 min

  In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I speak with Reem Salem, a fourth-year molecular engineering PhD candidate at the University of Chicago, about career development for STEM PhD students. Drawing from the research she conducted during her Grad School Femtoring externship, Reem shares why graduate students need greater access to career guidance, mentorship, and opportunities to explore the many paths available beyond academia. We discuss how to identify and communicate the transferable skills you are already developing through your doctoral training. Reem also offers practical steps for exploring careers that align with your strengths and values. In this episode, you will learn: What research reveals about the career development needs and pathways of STEM PhDs How limited mentorship and professional networks affect historically excluded and first-generation graduate students How to identify transferable skills within your doctoral research and training Why career exploration can begin before you know exactly where you want to end up How to approach career planning as a gradual and systematic process grounded in your strengths and values Work with me If you are exploring new career paths or navigating a major academic or professional transition, I offer personalized coaching to help you clarify your goals, communicate your strengths, and create an action plan aligned with your capacity and values. Learn more at: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/coaching/ Connect with today’s guests Connect with Reem Salem on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reem-yasser-salem Free resources Download the Career Development Brief for STEM PhDs: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/career-development-brief-stem-phd-students/ Download the Grant-Writing Toolkit for STEM Graduate Students: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/grant-writing-toolkit-stem-graduate-students/ Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/ Explore more Listen to more episodes on Career and Professional Development: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/career-and-professional-development/   Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401   Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/ This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #387

  387: Seven Graduate School Myths That Hold Students Back

  Aug 31, 202630 min

  In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring podcast, I unpack seven common graduate school myths that can leave students questioning their abilities, belonging, support systems, timelines, and career prospects. These myths can be especially harmful for historically excluded students—including those who are first-generation, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, chronically ill, parenting, caregiving, and nontraditional students—who are navigating uneven access to resources and insider knowledge. I explain why graduate school success depends on learned skills, supportive relationships, and sustainable practices rather than intelligence, independence, constant productivity, or a perfectly linear path. You will also learn how to treat struggle as information, build a broader support team, ask for help before challenges become a crisis, account for your changing capacity, and begin exploring career possibilities before the final year of your program. In this episode, you will learn: Why academic confidence often reflects prior exposure, resources, mentorship, and insider knowledge How to interpret struggle as information about the support, accommodations, strategies, or rest you may need Why one advisor cannot meet every need and how a broader support team can fill important gaps How to ask for help by sharing relevant context, explaining what you have tried, and making a specific request Why rest, revised timelines, pauses, and redirection can all be part of a successful graduate journey How to begin translating your skills and exploring career options before completing your degree Work with me Explore my coaching services for culturally relevant support as you navigate graduate school, build sustainable systems, strengthen your support network, and plan your next steps: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/coaching/ Free resource Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/ Explore more Listen to more episodes on Grad School Hidden Curriculum: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/grad-school-hidden-curriculum/ Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401 Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/ This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #386

  386: How to Calculate the ROI of Grad School

  Aug 24, 202617 min

  In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, I explain how to calculate the return on investment, or ROI, of graduate school. As admissions season begins, many prospective students are asking whether an advanced degree makes financial sense. I walk you through the data you can use to make a more informed decision, including expected salaries, the full cost of attendance, lost wages, completion rates, and time to degree. I also invite you to consider the personal, professional, and community returns that may matter alongside salary. Through a simplified break-even calculation and a set of values-based questions, you can evaluate whether a particular program will bring you closer to the work, impact, autonomy, and long-term well-being you want. In this episode, you will learn: How to compare your earning potential with a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree Which expenses to include when calculating the full cost of graduate school Why lost wages, retirement contributions, and time away from the workforce matter when calculating the ROI of grad school How completion rates, attrition, and time to degree affect a program’s potential return How to estimate the number of years it may take to recover your graduate school investment How to weigh financial outcomes alongside intellectual fulfillment, professional autonomy, community impact, and personal values Work with me Explore grad admissions consulting support as you clarify your goals and decide whether grad school aligns with the future you want: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/consulting Free resource Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/ Explore more Read the full blog post on "How to Calculate the ROI of Grad School": https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/how-to-calculate-the-roi-of-graduate-school/ Listen to more episodes on Financial Literacy and Grad Funding: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/financial-literacy-and-grad-funding/ Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401 Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/ This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #385

  385: What I Wish I Knew Before Grad School: 3 Truths Every Student Should Know

  Aug 14, 202625 min

  In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring podcast, I share three truths I wish I understood before starting graduate school. For first-generation, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and other students navigating unfamiliar academic spaces, graduate school can feel like entering a cultural system with its own language, expectations, hierarchies, and unwritten rules. I reflect on my experience of feeling behind and explain why struggling to understand the hidden curriculum does not mean you do not belong. I also explore how productivity culture can tie your sense of worth to your output and why mentorship, femtorship, and community care are essential parts of a sustainable graduate school experience. Through three reflection prompts, I invite you to name the expectations affecting your sense of belonging, identify where you may be overworking to prove yourself, and consider who you can reach out to for support. In this episode, you will learn: Why graduate school functions as a cultural system with unwritten rules beyond academic requirements. How unclear expectations, departmental politics, and unstructured time can affect your sense of belonging. How doing less, resting more, and setting boundaries can protect your wellbeing. Why mentorship, femtorship, and community care are essential to navigating graduate school. Three reflection questions to help you seek clarity, reduce overwork, and identify support. Work with me Explore 1:1 coaching for culturally relevant support as you navigate graduate school, protect your capacity, and build sustainable systems: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/coaching/ Free resource Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/ Explore more Listen to more episodes on Grad School Hidden Curriculum: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/grad-school-hidden-curriculum/ Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401 Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/ Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/ This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network. The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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