This paper describes the life experiences of graduate students who were satisfied with their graduate careers at a research-oriented university in Taiwan. A qualitative phenomenological method was used, with in-depth interviews for data collection. Participants included 17 master's students and eight doctoral students. Four themes emerged as central to the lives of these students: enhancing professional competence; developing autonomy, independence, and responsibility; augmenting interpersonal competence; and increasing self-awareness and self-control. Professional competence emerged as central to Taiwanese graduate students. Their efforts in developing autonomy, independence, and responsibility; interpersonal competence; and self-awareness and self-control, were viewed mainly as valuable for enhancing professional competence. In terms of three identity issues (work, love, and worldview) central to the development of emerging adults, the participants appeared to be dedicated much more to the "work" aspect of identity exploration than to the aspects of "love" and "worldview."