Surviving Grad School

The Perks of Teaching in College and Being a GTA

Published: 11 March 2013
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Surviving Grad School, Teaching in Grad School
Tags: teaching in college

Teaching in college is one of the many opportunities for professional development that most graduate programs offer. The level of responsibility for graduate teaching assistants can range from assisting faculty members (i.e., grading papers, copying tests, covering lectures while professors are out of town) to being the primary instructor responsible for the course, or even teaching an online course. Teaching in college is a great way to get some valuable…

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Refinance Student Loans

Published: 4 March 2013
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Paying for Graduate School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: refinance student loans

Some students choose to refinance student loans to reduce their student debt and monthly loan payments. Students can refinance their loans through various ways, such as consolidation. Students should consider several things before refinancing student loans. For example, federal and private loans should be refinanced separately. Federal loans have lower interest rates than do private loans because government lenders know that students’ incomes will increase as they continue their educations.

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Increase Your Reading Speed and Comprehension

Published: 25 February 2013
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Strategies for Grad School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: how to read fast, improve reading, reading comprehension strategies

Almost all students have had some experience like the following: one professor assigned you 800 pages to read, and another assigned you 900 pages to read, both of which must be read by the next class on the same day. Besides the 1700 pages of reading assignments, both of those professors also assigned other homework, such as annotating the content of those 1700 pages. Now, you are left in a…

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Student Debt Assessment

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Paying for Graduate School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: relief from student loan debt, student debt

As the price of higher education has been rapidly increasing, so has the national amount of student debt. Funding student loans has been a recent priority of the government and banks. A law passed in 2007 discouraged private lenders from consolidating student loans, which caused problems for students with debt. Lenders do not want to consolidate debt, but students need to save on interest and to have lower monthly…

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What To Do in Graduate School Classes

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Managing Time and Stress, Surviving Grad School
Tags: graduate school class

Just because you’re in graduate school doesn’t mean that you will be an expert in every graduate school class you take. Maybe you have been in the corporate world and have forgotten how to play the academic game. Maybe your success as an undergraduate was mostly due to your good test-taking or essay-writing abilities, and you managed to graduate despite your tendencies not to go to class or pay attention.

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Student Loan Consolidation

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Paying for Graduate School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: how to consolidate student loans, student debt consolidation, student loan consolidation

The numerous types of student loans are commonly organized into two categories: federal student loans and private loans. Over $60 billion a year is disbursed through federal loans, military compensations, work-study programs, and grants. Federal student loans issued through the U.S. Department of Education are usually simple to consolidate.   Private loans are granted through lending institutions, such as signature loans through Citibank or Sallie Mae. Private loans are often…

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The Competition

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Adjusting to Graduate Study, Surviving Grad School
Tags: tips for graduate students

Most individuals who end up in grad school were often in the top of their undergraduate classes, perhaps that is why they don’t think they need any “tips for graduate students.” Because you will be in class with the top of the top students, you might find it more challenging to stand out as a shining student. Here are some tips for graduate students to make sure that you stand…

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How to Hone Your Presentation Skills

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Standing Out in Graduate School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: give a good presentation, presentation skills

Knowing how to give a good presentation and present your ideas effectively is crucial to your success as a graduate student. You should take advantage of any opportunity to present your work because presenting your work (a) helps you cohere your ideas, (b) helps you develop and improve the methods you use to communicate your ideas, (c) allows you to receive feedback about your ideas, and (d) allows you to…

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How to be Effective in Networking

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Standing Out in Graduate School, Surviving Grad School
Tags: networking in academia, networking tips

Many reclusive graduate students are terrified of the concept of networking, and desperately seek any networking tips that they can get. Even though they know and understand that networking is crucial to their success as academics, many graduate students avoid opportunities to network with other professionals in their fields, perhaps because they don’t understand what networking is or how to go about it. We can eliminate confusion about, as well…

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You Deserve To Be Here

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Adjusting to Graduate Study, Surviving Grad School
Tags: graduate from graduate school

Many graduate students were among the top students in their undergraduate programs, so competition in graduate school is fiercer than it was in undergraduate school. A very common reaction for many students as they begin their graduate programs is to believe that there was some kind of mistake and that they are not nearly good enough to be in the program with all the other high-achievers. This is referred…

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