grad school advice

A Pep Talk to the Overworked Grad Student

Published: 16 January 2015
Written by Sara
No comments
Categories: blogs
Tags: adjusting to grad school, avoid burnout, first-year grad student, grad school advice, graduate school

Feel like your advisor is working you into the ground? Perhaps you have come to the conclusion that graduate programs have complete disregard for their students’ personal lives and that they intentionally and ruthlessly work their students like slaves. I won’t attempt to deny these accusations, but I do believe in seeing the bright side to any unfortunate situation. Below I’ve outlined a little pep talk to encourage you on…

Read More

Educational Apps for Grad Students

Published: 15 January 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
No comments
Categories: blogs
Tags: apps, educational apps, grad apps, grad school advice, Rene Paulson, smartphone

Sometimes, graduate students want to learn something new and step back from the monotony of their field of study.  Apps like the ones I will discuss can provide opportunities for you to learn something new in an environment that is conducive to your lifestyle. You might recognize the following apps from previous school subjects (or present, in case you see your own major here), but don’t let this…

Read More

Should You Connect with Students on Social Media?

Published: 2 January 2015
Written by Sara
No comments
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…

Read More

Upcoming Series: Smartphone Apps for Grad Students

Published: 29 December 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
No comments
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…

Read More

Should Grad Students Care About Course Evaluations?

Published: 5 December 2014
Written by Sara
No comments
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”…

Read More

3 Ways to Impress at Career Fairs

Published: 18 November 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
No comments
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…

Read More

Customer Service Model in Higher Education: What You Should Know

Published: 7 November 2014
Written by Sara
No comments
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…

Read More

Things I’m Glad I Did in Grad School

Published: 24 October 2014
Written by Sara
No comments
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.

Read More

Things I Wish I Would’ve Known Before Applying to Grad School

Published: 10 October 2014
Written by Sara
No comments
Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, masters degree, phd, preparing for grad school

Looking back on my time in grad school is a bittersweet feeling. I had a lot of difficulties but I still treasure the hard work and tears (maybe that’s the cognitive dissonance speaking). I thought I’d share with you some wisdom from my time in grad school: the things I wish I would’ve known. If you understand and take seriously some of these things, then maybe you can avoid some…

Read More

7 Myths About Getting a PhD

Published: 12 September 2014
Written by Sara
No comments
Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, graduate school, masters degree, phd, planning

Should you get a master’s degree or should you go on to get your PhD? If you’re considering getting even more education, be aware of some of these misguided assumptions surrounding the elusive PhD. MYTH #1: Getting a PhD guarantees a job. It is true that people with doctorate degrees have lower unemployment rates on average compared to people with less education ( Bureau of Labor Statistics,…

Read More