planning

Should you work towards a Master’s or Doctoral degree? Which is right for you?

Published: 18 January 2017
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: grad school advice, masters degree, phd, planning, preparing for grad school, Rene Paulson

If you are considering going to graduate school, you are probably wondering which degree to get. The choice should not be too difficult once you understand the differences among the two types: doctorate and masters. Graduate school is a lot of work and can be very competitive. Many students who floated through undergraduate work are…

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How to Find Free Money for Graduate School: Part 4

Published: 28 December 2016
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: broke graduate student, grad school advice, graduate school, money, planning, Rene Paulson

The best kind of financial aid is money you don’t have to pay back, such as scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Grants for graduate students can be the difference between earning an advanced degree and ending at the bachelor’s level. But while scholarships are often merit-based, grants are more likely to be need-based. There are many grants available if you know where to look. The following includes a…

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3 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Academic Performance

Published: 1 May 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: graduate school, planning, professional development, study tips

Grad students are plagued by self-doubt and wonder if they’ll make it through the week—let alone the semester. When everyone else seems to be doing well, it’s easy to believe that you’re the only one struggling. In reality, these feelings get to everyone whether they’ll admit it or not. Research shows us, however, that there are simple things that you can do to improve study habits, grades, and even motivation…

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Time Management: How Your Scheduling Style Affects Well-Being

Published: 17 April 2015
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: graduate school, health, planning, schedule, time

Grad school will test your time management skills. You won’t be able to graduate without successfully scheduling and completing events. But did you know that your preference for planning your day can have long-lasting implications on your psychological well-being? Scheduling Style: Clock-Timers vs. Event-Timers Are you the kind of person who wakes up when you feel like waking up? Or do you wake up when your alarm tells you…

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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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Best Grad Apps to Get Organized

Published: 12 February 2015
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: apps, grad apps, organization, planning, Rene Paulson, smartphone

Grad students have so many things going on at the same time: school, work, family, and friends.  I definitely remember those times of feeling like I would never be able to catch up and get organized, so I wanted to see how some apps might help alleviate some procrastination and disorganization.  With all these handy mobile apps and tools right at our disposal, we have plenty of ways to…

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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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10 Questions to Ask Yourself before Deciding to Get a PhD

Published: 26 September 2014
Written by Sara
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Categories: blogs
Tags: career outcomes, graduate school, phd, planning

Before deciding to embark on another 5-10 years of education, know the facts about getting a PhD (see my previous blog on myths of getting a PhD). If you’re still confident a PhD is the right path for you, ask yourself the following: 1. Can I afford it? If you are considering student loans, mean graduate debt was $14,479 according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (…

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7 Myths About Getting a PhD

Published: 12 September 2014
Written by Sara
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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,…

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How Your Schedule Changes In Grad School

Published: 31 July 2014
Written by Rene M. Paulson
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Categories: blogs
Tags: adjusting to grad school, graduate school, planning, Rene Paulson, schedule, time

I hope you’ve all been enjoying this blog series about adjusting to graduate school. Today’s post is about scheduling changes: what you should expect in grad school and how you can transition well. When you become a grad student, you might feel that you’re not able to fit everything you need to do within your week, but here are a few ways that you can alleviate this feeling. Set Your…

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