I'm a novice sailor. I don't even know if I can use the word sailor in reference to me, that's how much of a beginner I am.
I started taking sailing lessons at a local yacht club last year. As you probably know from previous posts, I live in Victoria, BC which is surrounded by ocean and as a result, I've been trying to learn more about how to have fun safely on the water.
In being a novice sailor, I've realized that it is so humbling not knowing how to do something but being surrounded by people who do know how to do it.
Most of the instructors at the sailing club have been racing competitively since they were kids. This is a much different approach than me, who started sailing as an adult.
When we're in grad school, we're surrounded by people with varying levels of knowledge and expertise in our fields, domains, research labs, courses, etc. When we don't feel great about our own knowledge and experience, this can cut away at our self-esteem, self-efficacy, and motivation. Some call it impostor syndrome and you may call it something else altogether.
So why is being a novice at something good for grad school if you already feel like a novice in grad school?
That question helps answer itself!
Just the fact that you are in grad school alone makes you not a novice. You have completed an undergraduate degree (probably), and you have collected a wealth of knowledge and strategies about how to succeed in academia.
It's just that sometimes we make such strides in academia that we don't know how to or forget to laud our accomplishments. We're also in a system that doesn't really allow much time or thought to our successes.
But if we have nothing to compare it to, then that persistent feeling of not being good enough for academia can persist.
So, your situation permitting -- try to learn a new skill or hobby while in grad school. Not only will it be good for you to have something else to put your mind to, but it will help you see what being a true novice is like. The result on how you may feel about grad school may surprise you!
In the meantime, I'll be looking up a bunch of sailing terms, practicing my knot tying, and hopefully getting more comfortable being on a boat in the ocean that tips from side to side depending on the wind!
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