grad school advice

On Babies and Dissertations: Part 1

Published: 31 May 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: dissertation, family life, grad school advice, graduation, research

I recently had the experience of expecting my first baby a month before I graduated and accidentally learned tips on graduating on time with a PhD. The fall of my final year in graduate school, my husband and I found out that we were expecting our first baby in April—a month before I was supposed to graduate. I had a lot of work to do before the baby came: finish running the second…

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New Grad Student? Become a Great Job Candidate Now! Part 2

Published: 11 May 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, first-year grad student, grad school advice, research, teaching

Perhaps you’re anticipating entering your first year of grad school or maybe you’re just starting your graduate career. There’s a lot to take in during your first couple years, but now is the perfect time to become the superstar job candidate when you graduate. So you’re a new graduate student, and there’s years of possibilities for you ahead. If you want to make the most of your time in graduate…

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New Grad Student? Become a Great Job Candidate Now! Part 1

Published: 16 March 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, first-year grad student, grad school advice, graduate school, job advice

Perhaps you’re anticipating entering your first year of grad school or maybe you’re just starting your graduate career. There’s a lot to take in during your first couple years, but now is the perfect time to become the superstar job candidate when you graduate. Picture your first day of graduate school. Maybe you planned out what you’re going to wear and you show up to school bright-eyed and ready to soak…

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Advisor Won’t Respond to Your Emails? Avoid Inbox Oblivion with these Seven Tips

Published: 4 February 2013
Written by Amanda
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Categories: blogs
Tags: advisor email, first-year grad student, grad school advice, graduate school, how do I get my advisor to respond to my emails

Your graduate advisor is a human being (I have scientific evidence to confirm this…in an unpublished manuscript) and as is common for human beings, they tend to avoid things that are difficult or aversive.  Your long, rambling, obsequious, and convoluted emails with statements disguised as questions and vice-versa qualify as both difficult and aversive to address, and so will be avoided.     There are a…

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So You Want to Go to Graduate School?

Published: 31 January 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, preparing for grad school

Going to graduate school has received a bad rap from the people who are in graduate school. If you are an undergraduate who wants to go to grad school or a first-year grad student just starting out, there is no doubt that graduate school is a long-term commitment that involves a lot of hard work. There are plenty of grad school humor websites poking fun at the hopelessness of graduate…

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The Imposter Phenomenon

Published: 11 January 2013
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: first-year grad student, grad school advice, graduate school

During our graduate orientation, our program director told us, “You may feel like comparing yourself with each other throughout your time here, but let me assure you: compare your success with yourself and no one else. Your success depends on you and you alone.” Even though I remembered this advice, I still found myself comparing myself to others in my program. There always seemed to be the “golden boy” or…

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