Graduate School 101

Ezinne Anaba, NursingKristen Traynor, Political Science

Questions or concerns?

• Please write down:• Any questions you have• Any concerns you have about starting

graduate school• This session includes a top 10 list of our

advice for starting graduate school• Informed by a survey of KSU’s graduate

coordinators• Feel free to ask questions

• More reading and autonomy• Read before class• More work outside of the classroom than inside

the classroom• Learn the GPA requirement for your

department and specific programs, especially for GA positions

• Don’t come to class late• Re-learn how to think and discover the breadth

and history of your field of study

10. Remember: Graduate school differs from undergraduate studies

10. Remember: Graduate school differs from undergraduate studies

• ALWAYS be prepared• You will have a smaller class size

• Stick to your studying style• Be patient because things always take more

time than you think• Accumulative curriculum so things will come

back to you• Enjoy your time off when you have it!• Graduate school is expensive

• Save money

9. Focus on your long-term goals and develop a plan to achieve them

• Path toward graduation• How long will your program take?• What are the steps and milestones?• How long do you have to complete your

dissertation or thesis?• What do you want to research?• Writing always takes longer than

you think it will• Remember that editing will take time

9. Focus on your long-term goals and develop a plan to achieve them

• Career and professional goals• Look at job boards and postings• Find out what kills/experience you need

for the job(s) you want• Set up informational interviews• How can you stand out?

• Research goals• How many publications do you need?• How long does the process take?• What type of research do you need to

be doing?

8. Take care of yourself and build your support system

• Build your support system• Friends• Family• Spiritual leader

• Self-care is important• Don’t forget to sleep, eat, and exercise• Schedule routine doctors’ visits• Visit the Avoiding Burnout session for

ideas on how to decrease stress

7. Become a self-starter and learn how to motivate yourself

• There will be a lot of reading and writing outside of class

• Find what motivates you• Develop a writing practice

• Set time aside daily to write• Get involved in writing groups or the

NCFDD 14-day writing challenges• Take initiative• Do research on your own, outside of class

6. Work on research and build up your skills

Graduate Student Senate symposium and small

local conferences

Get involved in conferences or papers to build your skills

6. Work on research and buildup your skills

• Graduate Student Senate

• Offers awards to assist graduate students with travel both internationally and domestically

• Domestic Travel Award

• Learn more at Conferences and Publication session

• International Travel Award

• An award that offers a maximum of reimbursement up to 1,500 of approved student incurred expenses for travel outside the U.S and Canada.

6. Work on research and buildup your skills

• Office of sponsored programs funding opportunities

• Government agencies, foundations, corporations and nonprofit organizational support for student researchers and scholarly activities

• 207 Michael Schwartz Center Department Funded Grants and Scholarships

• For research conferences

5. Celebrate and appreciate the little victories and accomplishments

• Acknowledge what you have accomplished• Reward yourself• Take time to unwind

• Watching your favorite shows• Coloring, drawing, or being creative• Spend time in nature• Whatever helps you de-stress

• Remind yourself of how far you’ve come• Try to keep your confidence up by

appreciating what you’ve done

4. Present yourself in the best light

Dress up for conferences like going to job interview, with a blazer

Dress appropriately for class (no sweats/flip flops) ESPECIALLY on presentation days

Business casual for class

4. Present yourself in the best light

When writing, be professional. Address people appropriately.

People treat you differently depending on how you talk.

For more information, attend the session on Personal Branding.

3. Network and work in teams

• Get to know people in your department• Build your relationships with professors

and the staff in your department• Talk to cohort above yours• Find out who can help you with different

things you may need

• Building your network starts with GSO• Meet other graduate students on campus• Meet people at conferences

• GSS Symposium

3. Network and work in teams

• Learn your department culture• Pay attention to peers to see who you can

work with• Pay attention to others’ strengths and

research interests• Work together on projects outside of class• Try not to work with procrastinators

2. Ask for help and know how, who, and when to ask

• Do not act like you know it all!• It can rob you of a lot of opportunities• No question is stupid, so ask• Check with your peers

• Build rapport with your professors

• Make friends with people that have the skills and can help you.

• Join graduate organizations on campus

• You can meet some representatives at the social this afternoon.

2. Ask for help and know how, who, and when to ask

• Know your campus resources

• Your advisor

• Your department’s graduate coordinator

• Your department chair

• College Dean

• The Student Ombuds

• Health and Psychological Services

• Subject librarian• It is free!

1. Develop and refine your time management skills

• Multiple responsibilities to balance• Family and personal life• Work or assistantship• Studying and class work• Research

• Urgent/Important Matrix• What is urgent and what

is important?• Prioritize your work and time

1. Develop and refine your time management skills

• Your time is precious• Don’t procrastinate• Schedule your time to prevent burnout• Set aside a certain amount of time each day

for long-term projects• Try NCFDD webinars

• Time management is difficult• Visit the Technology Tools and Avoiding

Burnout sessions to learn more tips

Questions or Concerns?

• Last, but certainly not least, we have your own individual concerns

• Is there anything we haven’t touched on?

THANK YOU

Ezinne Anaba eanaba@kent.eduKristen Traynor: ktraynor@kent.edu

References

• “Keep Calm and Finish Graduate School.” http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/16/eb/e4/16ebe4370a72843119ff2d6a60a79a88.jpg

• http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=388e20926de4

• http://www.vectorfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Diploma-Graduation-Cap-Vector.jpg

• http://www.ucop.edu/pmo/_files/The%20Urgent-Important%20Matrix.pdf