grad school advice

Part 1 of How to Pick Your Defense Committee

Published: 5 February 2016
Written by Ryan
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Categories: blogs
Tags: defense committee, dissertation, grad school advice, phd

So you’re ready to pick your committee members; there are a few things to keep in mind first—after all, it is a 3–6 year process. It is essential that doctoral students take the time to reflect on who they will choose to guide and mentor them through the doctoral process and to eventually determine whether they have earned the degree. It should be said that I come from a social…

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Intro To Series on How to Pick Your Defense Committee

Published: 29 December 2015
Written by Ryan
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Categories: blogs
Tags: defense committee, dissertation, grad school advice, phd

Choosing the right defense committee can potentially be the difference between a smooth transition of receiving your doctoral degree or dodging bullets in an all-out civil war. Hyperbole aside, I’ve been particularly lucky with picking my defense committee members. However, I’ve had colleagues who have struggled, so it’s easy to be on either side of this tough choice. As a new blogger to this site,…

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3 Holiday Tips for Graduate Students

Published: 24 November 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adapt to changes, cheap food, grad school advice, graduate holiday, graduate school, Rene Paulson

Is Thanksgiving really only two days away?! If this is your first semester as a graduate student, you are in for a treat or two with the holidays coming up. Not knowing what to expect, you might be feeling nervous, excited, anxious, or a combination of these and other emotions. On the other hand, you might be as cool as a cucumber. Either way, your holidays as a graduate…

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9 Reasons Why I Miss Being in Grad School

Published: 15 June 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, graduation, social changes

It’s now been two years since I walked across the stage, shook the administrators’ hands, and received my doctorate degree. I remember thinking, “Yes, I did it!” Things were looking up for me, I had a job lined up, I was a new mom, and finally free from school and all the unpleasant things associated with it (like sitting in seminar meetings). Two years later, I have a much different…

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Why You Shouldn’t Email Your Advisor Back Right Away

Published: 15 May 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: advisor email, family life, grad school advice, job advice, time

Grad students have a hard time keeping the lines between school and home separate. When your advisor finally emails you back, it feels like you need to be ready no matter what you’re doing. However, given what we know about work-nonwork conflict, grad students should proceed with caution. How Work-Nonwork Conflict Can Be a Downer Allowing work-related activities to creep into your home life can lead to more stress…

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8 Dos and Don’ts About Note-Taking in Grad School

Published: 7 April 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, note-taking, planning, Rene Paulson

In a previous post, I wrote about a few general strategies to use while taking notes in graduate school.  Those methods included digitally and manually taking notes and the pros and cons of each.  With this second post, I wanted to provide a short list of tips for taking notes while in grad school.  These will help you hone your note-taking skills and become more organized with your…

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Note-Taking Methods for Grad Students

Published: 27 March 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adjusting to grad school, first-year grad student, grad school advice, note-taking, Rene Paulson

Graduate school can be overwhelming, as most of you already know.  There are classes and seminars to attend, research to do, labs to complete, exams to study for, and comps to take.  I’m sure if there was something that could make your routine easier, you’d be up for it, right?  Well, here’s your chance to simplify your life, if only just a little bit, by learning which method of…

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Responding to Your Graduate Advisor’s Negative Feedback

Published: 27 February 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: advisor email, depressed, grad school advice, graduate school, research

Sent a draft to your advisor and got it back dripping with red ink? Does it mean that you should quit? Not at all! How, then, should you handle negative feedback from your advisor? Don’t take it personally. If your advisor is highly critical of your work, you should not take the criticism as an attack on your academic aptitude, intelligence, or abilities. It’s not like your advisor is…

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Should You Encourage Students to BYOD?

Published: 13 February 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, smartphone, student interactions, teaching

Teaching has changed dramatically with the advent of the smart phone. Perhaps you actively encourage students to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), or maybe you’ve given up on trying to police students’ behavior in the classroom. Either way, your educational goals may ultimately be tempered by this one course policy. Problems with BYOD Some college professors have long battled the use of cell phones or other electronic devices in…

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Grad School Probs? Use Personality Differences to Your Advantage

Published: 30 January 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, personal connections, psychology, student interactions

There is no question that you will need to work with others in order to be successful in grad school. If you know a little bit about personality theory, you will not only be able to predict how people will react in various situations, but you will also be able to use your own personality tendencies to increase productivity. Before you run a personality assessment on yourself or your advisor,…

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