Five Pieces of Good Advice for M.F.A. Students

5. Don't worry about publication-yet
Some teachers urge students to constantly send work out and test the waters, but others caution that worrying too much about immediate publication can fog your judgment about the quality of your own work. School is a time for experimentation and figuring out what you don't know. If you publish too early, it can lead to shame, once you realize that the work wasn't ready for prime time; stunted development, when you tie your confidence as a writer to quick publication; and out-of-whack expectations, if you don't develop the toughness and perseverance that comes from rejections.