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Show r. in a graduate program and more career-specific questions. For some it is not a matter of careers but knowledge. Third-year psychology doctoral student Alyson Froehlich said she had no real goal in mind when she began to apply to graduate school; she simply wanted to continue studying her interest area within psychology. "I wanted to keep learning; it was not about a degree," she said. Froehlich said she will likely continue in academia. Matthew Baker, a doctoral student in the Department of Communication, said, "I'd like to be a professor ... I want to be very engaged in my research and in motivating my own students." All of these individuals saw something within themselves that motivated them in their academic careers. And that is exactly what White suggests students do. "If you're going to graduate school to get a degree for others, or because of others, that gets hard to do, because when it gets tough, you start to question and doubt your abilities, and [it's hard] to get to the point where there is something driving you," White said. Helping and Motivating Each Other Although some may believe that competition motivates graduate students to succeed, in many cases it is just not true. Many graduate students are encouraged to form cohorts and help each other with the intense workload and stress, and they also help each other emotionally. They motivate each other. For example, Baker said it's not about the individual. "We're all a team. It's not a matter of doing better than somebody else; it's a matter of doing well." It helps to have someone who will listen and can relate to certain situations. In these cohorts, the students feed off each other with information. Froehlich said that it is not a competition but a way of comparing. "Making that comparison is useful to monitor you progress," she said. It helps to know who is doing what, what classes to take, and when to fill out what forms, and it helps to approach others for ideas on research projects, she added. "We share our experience ... It's nice to know other students have your back when things get tough," Froehlich said. Just as Froehlich has been helped by her peers, she said she helps new graduate students in teaching and in taking certain steps within the program. Esther Israel, a clinical psychology master's student, said she thinks with such diverse interests there is hardly any room for competition. "We all have different career objectives, not to mention that the field of clinical psychology has become so specific," she said. "I think that contributes to reducing rivalry among peers, because it almost seems like |