blogs

Should You Connect with Students on Social Media?

Published: 2 January 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, social media, teaching

If you are going to retweet, friend, follow, or otherwise connect with your students on social media, make an informed decision about this one ethical boundary in which many institutions provide little guidance. What Do Students Think? First, the popularity of the professor matters in what students think is appropriate. Unsurprisingly, students are reluctant to friend unknown or disliked professors (Karl & Peluchette, 2011), but not popular and well-liked professors…

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Upcoming Series: Smartphone Apps for Grad Students

Published: 29 December 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adjusting to grad school, career outcomes, finances, grad school advice, graduate school, Rene Paulson

It seems that technology is advancing with each passing day, especially when it comes to our mobile phones.  Smartphones have become such a part of our normal routine that we tend to panic when we forget them at home, when they run out of batteries, or when we drop them and crack the screens. I’m basing my next series on these gadgets and something that…

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Establishing Yourself in Your Career: Why You Should Consider Warmth and Competence

Published: 19 December 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, lay audience, psychology, research, teaching

As you start your career, you may consider going into academia or industry. Either way, the career path you choose can affect how others view you—even without knowing anything about you. This type of stereotyping allows people to make fast decisions about a person’s intentions. Is this person good or bad? So how will others perceive you when you begin your new career? Why Should You Care? Perhaps you’re thinking…

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Should Grad Students Care About Course Evaluations?

Published: 5 December 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, graduate school, teaching

If you’re even remotely considering going into academia, you will need to gain as much teaching experience as you can. Part of teaching is the dreaded course evaluations. Whether you are teaching a solo class or are simply a teaching assistant, should you care about course evaluations? The short answer is yes. Why? Because teaching evaluations are proof that you might be a somewhat competent instructor. I say “might be”…

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Being Sick as a College Student

Published: 3 December 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adapt to changes, adjusting to grad school, cant sleep, grad school eating habits, graduate school, Rene Paulson

We’ve all been there: sick in bed and unsure if it would be good to grin and bear it and carry on about our day, or call in sick to stay at home and rest.  Many graduate students probably end up ignoring their sicknesses and acting like they’re okay, but this isn’t always the best decision.  There are plenty of reasons why you might want to think twice about going to…

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Are You a Super-Parent? Why You Shouldn’t Put So Much Pressure on Yourself

Published: 21 November 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adapt to changes, family life, graduate school, parenting, social changes

You’ve excelled at everything in your life thus far. You’re a budding expert in your field. You dazzle your peers and faculty with your mad research skills. You’re a superstar in your field. So why would becoming a new parent be any different? According to recent research, feeling pressure to be a “super-parent” can exacerbate mental health conditions in new parents. This research comes from a new study on perinatal…

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3 Ways to Impress at Career Fairs

Published: 18 November 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, career fairs, conferences, grad school advice, graduate school, Rene Paulson

If you look around, many job hunting opportunities are available to us now, including university-sponsored career fairs and job fairs in the community.  Unfortunately for most, career fairs cause anxiety because of the amount of people who attend or because of the pressure people put on themselves to impress employers.  Here are some thoughts to keep in mind while attending career fairs. Types of Career Fairs Be…

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Customer Service Model in Higher Education: What You Should Know

Published: 7 November 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: academic jobs, grad school advice, student interactions, teaching

As a grad student, I often joked with people about how we must cater to the needs of undergrads. Their parents were paying big bucks, and who would want their little snowflake to feel the pangs of disappointment? It wasn’t until my first year as an assistant professor that I heard the term “customer service” applied to students in a serious, non-satirical manner. I was shocked. You mean faculty treating…

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Things I’m Glad I Did in Grad School

Published: 24 October 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, planning, psychology, time

We’ve all had our successes and failures in life, and grad school is no exception. Here are some of the successes I had in grad school. In my last post, I shared with you some regrets I had, but here I’ll share with you my high notes in grad school. If you do some of these things, maybe you can have an easier time in grad school, too. 1.

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What Are the Best Coffee Shops?

Published: 13 October 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adapt to changes, all-nighter, grad school eating habits, graduate school, Rene Paulson

Do you like having a morning boost to get your day going, or do you enjoy having caffeine to get some work done later in the day and into the night?  However you like to have your caffeine fix, you might be interested to know which popular coffee shops around you have the largest caffeine count.  I’ve picked four of the most popular coffee places in America and compared their…

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