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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Relaxation Techniques

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Managing Time and Stress, Surviving Grad School
Tags: life as a graduate student

During graduate school you could be demanded to write a term paper, finish your research assignments, and plan a birthday party for your best friend all in the same day. Because you are so busy, you probably find yourself overly stressed from time to time. Although having a little stress in your life as a graduate student is a good thing and results in high productivity, too much constant stress…

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The Grad School Dash: Tips on How to Graduate from Graduate School

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

If you have ever seen the 400-meter hurdle dash on the Olympics, then you already have a pretty good sense of what it will take to graduate from graduate school. You will start out going as fast as you can, and every so often you will jump, sometimes praying that you will make it over your next obstacle and not eventually drop out of graduate school. The good news…

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Time Management 101: Learning to Say No

Published: 15 June 2011
Written by PhdStudent
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Categories: Managing Time and Stress, Surviving Grad School
Tags: graduate student organization, Time management

Saying no is not always easy, although it is vital to time management. Telling your major professor that you do not have time to write a literature review for his or her upcoming manuscript because you have to study for your comprehensive exams will be really difficult. It might even be harder to tell your best friend that you cannot make it to his or her birthday because you have…

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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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