It's funny really, getting accepting into a five-year Masters Program and starting graduate courses in my senior year of college. But no one told me what really to expect. Now that the first month is over, I have a better idea of how it all works. So here are some things you can expect if Grad school is where you're headed.

1. There really aren't many (if any) exams. I know that most of you are probably thinking "great" sign me up!" This is actually one of the best parts of graduate school. No cramming for an exam and having an anxiety attack because you have no idea what your professor is going to put on the exam. And honestly, that's no way to live.

2. It's a lot of papers. For those of you, like me, who hated exams and cramming, papers might be your strong point. There's so much more you can do with a paper. You can take your time writing, editing, and you have a pretty good idea what your professor is looking for in your work.

3. However, there's also group work It's weird, but group projects in grad school are so much easier than those in undergrad and high school. Probably because this is something that relates directly to your future career and everyone there WANTED to be in the program. It makes a world of difference when people want to learn something and are put in a group.

4. SO MUCH READING Literally everything is reading. All reading. Sure you don't have an exam to study for but you have 6145646 pages of reading a week (totally a made-up number). You need to have a large collection of highlighters and extreme time management skills in order to get it all done on time.

5. Your classes will probably discuss those readings ALWAYS READ AND TAKE NOTES ON YOUR READINGS. If your graduate classes are anything like mine, you will discuss your readings as a class. And that counts towards participation. You don't want to sit there and not have an opinion because you didn't read your readings or read them well enough to talk about them.

6. NO FINALS At this point, your professors and program heads understand that a written exam cannot measure all you've learned over the semester. But don't worry your smart little brain, there are a million other ways they can test you.

7. So many other forms of assessment. Papers. Portfolios. Group projects. Presentations. PAPERS. Become friends with the library.