|
|
 |
D E P A R T M E N T S : |
|
|
Helpful TipsSuggest a TipHousing When looking at an apartment, if the current occupants are there, take them aside and ask THEM about the apartment: is the landlord decent, how much do utilities really cost, has there been a bug or rodent problem, etc. Unlike the realtor or owner, they are likely to give you an honest and candid answer! Dissertation and Thesis Tip If you're having real difficulty finding time to work on your thesis, try the following exercise. For 2 days, from the time you get up until you go to bed, log on a note pad every activity you do and how long it took to do it. After 2 days, identify those activities that are less important or immediate than working on your thesis. Plan to substitute thesis work during those times until your working at least 3-7 hours per week on your thesis. It has been found that with just 7-10 hours of work a week, most students can finish their dissertations in 2 years or less. For more info about this, please check out this site: www.asgs.org Holiday Stress Chances are most graduate students are under an enormous amount of pressure right now. End of semester deadlines and holiday stresses are piling up. Add to that the intense fatigue and isolation that sometimes accompany graduate work and it can feel like there's no way out. If you or anyone you know is feeling anxious or just needs to talk, help is available. 1-877-GRAD-HLP is a national crisis-line staffed by trained counselors who understand your unique pressures and know how to help. FINANCIAL PRESSURES By Ron Blue Ron Blue summarizes the topic, FINANCIAL PRESSURES, this way, "Changing your financial direction is a four step process: spend less than you earn, avoid debt, build liquidity, and set long-term goals." Step 1. Spend less than you earn. Step 2. Eliminate all high-interest debt. "Paying off credit-card balances and auto loans can bring a guaranteed 15-21% return." Step 3. Set aside one month's living expenses in an interest-bearing checking account. These funds can be used for minor emergencies with the intent to repay the account when funds become available. One of the greatest drains on graduate student emotional energy is the constant fear of financial setbacks. The added security in having funds set aside lends greater peace of mind and an ability to focus on study without worry of finances. Step 4. This step may seem unattainable to those living check to check, but consider setting aside 6 months worth of funds for unexpected emergencies in a money-market account. For most graduate students, their primary investment is in themselves, their education and their future capacity to earn a living applying their craft in academia or industry. Long-term investments can be seen as a more future consideration, secondary to surviving graduate school. As one cartoon stated, "the money handbook for the rest of us: No-Money Management." For more info from Ron Blue, please check out the following: Ron Blue, The Debt Squeeze, 1989, 57-68 FINANCIAL PRESSURES "Once economic difficulties begin, it becomes too painful to think about them, making budgeting and expense tracking nearly impossible. The time to prepare for the onslaught of expenses is while there are still funds to manage and before denial set in." Dr. Teresa Sullivan, UT-Austin. Things not to include on a Professional Web Page Here is one guy's opinion. His name is Phil Agre and you can find out more about him and Networking on the Network, if you go to our Site of the Month for September. Phil does not recommend including personal information on your Professional Web Page. If you do want to maintain a personal home page for your friends and family, or if you want to post your baby pictures and jokes and links to TV show fan pages, get an ISP account and create a completely separate home page for that purpose. He also does not recommend putting goofy stuff on your Professional Web Page. It needn't be dour and pompous, but is should not be frivolous either. Humor is okay, but professional humor. It's a fine line. National Graduate and Professional Student Week This first week in April is "National Graduate and Professional Student Week". Find sources of affirmation from the Students you TA, your Department, your Advisor, or within Yourself, as you continue your quest for an advanced degree. Grad Resources joins the University Administrations and Government Officials, who celebrate your critical role in serving undergraduate education. Grad Schools, how to choose If you are considering grad school for the Fall, one of the best resources for charting your course through the process is "Getting What You Came For" by Rob Peters. From 'How to be a Good Graduate Student' This is the season when we think of family and things important to us. Here is a thought to consider for this month: 'If you have a family, you will have to balance your priorities even more carefully. Graduate school isn't worth risking your personal relationships over: be sure that you save time and energy to focus on the people who matter to you.' Tip: What is a Mentor? Good mentors are able to share life experiences and wisdom, as well as technical expertise. They are good listeners, good observers, good problem-solvers, and make an effort to know, accept, and respect the goals and interests of a student. For more info, check out our site of the month. Financial Pressure When feeling financial pressures, be aware of alternatives to increasing your credit card debt. Check with the Financial Aid Department on campus for information about short-term interest free loans. These may be only $300-$500, but could help you survive until the next TA check. Look us up again next month for additional insight in a new paper on Dealing With Financial Pressures. Suggest an Article We could use your help for future articles. Please suggest some topics that we can research. Offer Support Offer support to the incoming graduate students on your campus, by supporting the National Graduate Student Crisis-Line, 1-877-GRAD-HLP. To find out if your campus is participating in our fall orientation promotion (free rechargeable 30 minute phone cards), contact your graduate assembly/council or Grad Resources. Women Grad Techniques for Success Self-esteem and socialization are the root of many women's difficulty in dealing with new methods of learning in graduate school. Although problems like these are not going to be solved overnight, there are steps you can take to make your experience more rewarding and satisfying. Hints on feeling Confident: 1. Set realistic goals. Remember, you're there to learn. If at first you don't succeed.... 3. Talk to others about your experience. The excerpt above is from, THE WOMAN'S GUIDE TO NAVIGATING THE PH.D. IN ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, by Barbara B. Lazarus, Lisa M. Ritter, and Susan A. Ambrose. Copyright, C 2001, IEEE Press YOU TELL US! Before Grad Resources produces a new article, we always interview Grad Students on the topic. Our Peer Relationship article is our latest article on the web. A thousand interviews have been conducted and are being processed for an article on Financial Pressures of Grad Students. Hopefully this article will be on the web in the next couple of months. What issues would you like to see articles written on? Let us know by emailing us. HOLIDAY STRESSES Chances are most graduate students are under an enormous amount of pressure right now. End of semester deadlines and holiday stresses are piling up. Add to that the intense fatigue and isolation that sometimes accompany graduate work and it can feel like there's no way out. If you or anyone you know is feeling anxious or just needs to talk, help is available. 1-877-GRAD-HLP is a national crisis-line staffed by trained counselors who understand your unique pressures and know how to help. One grieving parent shared his depth of pain when he stated, "We continue to mourn the death of our son. If you can prevent just one suicide and the associated pain and anguish to the family, friends and community, the effort would be worthwhile. We share your hope that students in need of counseling will reach out and use the resources available to them." Support is out there. 1-877-GRAD-HLP. Keep this phone number handy. Use it anytime, 24-7. Your life matters. For more information about the crisis line, check out: National Graduate Student Crisis Line. Please forward this message to as many friends as possible. Let's try to prevent the kind of tragedies that have become all too common on our campuses. GETTING TO THE THESIS The hardest part of getting a Ph.D. is, of course, writing the dissertation. The process of finding a thesis topic, doing the research, and writing the thesis is different from anything most students have done before. If you have a good advisor and support network, you'll be able to get advice and help in setting directions and goals. If not, you may need to be more independent. If this is the case, don't just isolate yourself from the world: try to go out and find the resources and support you need from professors, other graduate students, mailing lists, friends, family and publications like this one. For more information on this topic go to the article "How to Be a Good Graduate Student" by Marie desJardins. BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FINANCIAL PRESSURES Some campuses send out TA paychecks several weeks after the start of classes, creating cash flow problems for many students. Realizing this, some Universities make available interest free loans for 30-40 days upon request. If you are financially strapped, check with your Student Aid Department. HOW TO ENHANCE YOUE MARKETABILITY Regardless of your discipline, career counselors say there are ways to enhance your marketability:
PEER RELATIONSHIP NUGGET by Nick Repak Perhaps you have experienced a "worse than anticipated" condition among your pee rs in graduate school. If the fear of vulnerability, time constraints, and lack of mutual respect as individuals has soured you in your department, it may be ti me to look elsewhere for a support system. If you feel ready to initiate new pee r relationships, here are some issues with which you may wish to wrestle first:
DISSERTATION COACH ...Effective strategy to overcome the gloom and doom of the summer months is to hire your very own dissertation coach. A coach that you meet with on a regular basis can drastically boost your productivity by providing support and helping you set up a structure with realistic goals. Some of the things you can expect from working with a coach are:
Dr. Sally Jensen To learn more, visit helpful sites. HOW CAN I TELL WHAT I'M FEELING IS A CLINICAL DEPRESSION?* The hallmark of clinical depression is the total elimination of your capacity to enjoy anything. Often, the sleep and appetite difficulties are present. Conce ntration can become very problematic. One common refrain from my patients is th at they say, "I feel so awful and there's nothing I can do about it." Clinical depression does not need a "cause." It can come out of the blue for no good rea son. Or, it can come as a response to difficult situations, including those in which you feel powerless and out of control (does this sound like ABD-land?). *Full text from Dr. Joyce R. Kamanitz to be included on the site soon. The pursuit of a Ph.D. entails much more than classes and research
Like many prospective Ph.D.'s, Lauren Wittenberg arrived on campus a bit starry- eyed\x96dizzy with love of her discipline, psychology, and eager to fulfill a ca lling to the academy. She dreamed of becoming a professor at a high-powered rese arch institution, of standing in front of packed classrooms, lecturing undergrad uates about the nature of prejudice and stereotypes, and then heading to her lab to investigate topics like the social aspects of eating disorders... Read More... JOURNAL YOUR PROGRESS For those in a program that is 5 to 7 years long, it is often difficult to see t he light at the end of the tunnel. Especially if a professor does not give you feedback. By Journaling a sentence or two each day, you track your own progress (each small step) and give yourself the strokes you need to keep going. RULES FOR WRITERS
MAXIMIZING TIME WITH YOUR ADVISOR When meeting with a professor, be organized. Have clear-cut goals so that you can make the best use of your valuable time and that of the professor's. One University of Wisconsin-Madison student suggested that "when given only ten minutes with an advisor for an appoi ntment, submit the major questions to discuss the day before. Allow him 24 hours to reflect on his response and suggestions." TRAIN YOURSELF IN PUBLIC SPEAKING The first step in developing good speaking skills is to understand that they don't come as a gift but must be earned. Just as with writing, tennis, and other skills, you need training and practice. Take a long-term approach. Here are some pointers on writing a good speech:
|
|
 |
(800) 867-0188 · (972) 867-0188 · info@gradresources.org |
