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How To Get a Master’s Degree: 8 Tips For Success

Impossible erase in possible writed on a blackboard with wooden frame

How can you set yourself up for grad school success?

If you’ve chosen your program, that’s the question that now matters most. Before you enroll and start that first graduate school course, you must be prepared for what’s ahead. Many well-intentioned degree seekers start strong but fail to finish. You need a plan that will keep you on track to completion.

The good news is, you can start building that plan right now. And, in turn, you can set yourself up to avoid the things that cause many people to slip up and fail.

The information, warnings, and advice below will give you a tactical guide for success.

4 Big Reasons People Fail to Complete Their Master’s

We won’t sugar coat it: getting a Master’s degree requires a lot of hard work. It’s not easy. And not everyone who attempts a Master’s program will actually complete their degree. Below are some of the most common hurdles to success we’ve seen.

1. Falling Behind on Their Coursework

Procrastinators will quickly find that the constant, high volume of reading, writing, and research means that falling behind is not an option.

“From day one, you need to think about time management. Make sure in your first classes that you set your time management expectations: learn how often you need to study, for how long, and on what days. Over the long course of your continued studies, the time management habits you develop early on can either make or break you.” George Pomeroy, Graduate Admissions Advisor at Franklin University

Typically, “pulling an all-nighter”—as some do when they get behind in undergraduate studies—won’t be enough to get you caught up.

2. Struggling to Write at a Graduate Level

The style of writing is different at that graduate level. That catches some students off guard. If you’re unable to articulate your research or your unique point of view, it’s hard for a professor to see how well you are achieving in your classwork

“You will need to adjust your writing style to graduate-level work. Begin writing through the lens of your experience and the subject you’re studying.” George Pomeroy, Graduate Admissions Advisor at Franklin University

Also, remember that you’ll need to be reading, reviewing, consulting, and footnoting multiple references and sources. Your writing must reflect your critical thinking, showing both theory and applied knowledge.

3. Expecting Too Much Hand-Holding

Graduate work is designed to be independent in nature.

“Earning a degree involves massive blocks of work that you must plan for on your own. Although professors are there to coach, prod, and advise, they will generally assume you’re doing your work on a schedule that works for you.” George Pomeroy, Graduate Admissions Advisor at Franklin University

Unlike undergraduate programs, professors are not likely to plan “check-ins” or “first draft reviews” for their Master’s students. You’ll be held to a much higher standard of independence.

4. Interrupted by Unplanned Life Events

Of course, graduate school doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Real life always factors in. Sometimes, major life events cause school to take a backburner.

“Perhaps a spouse loses employment. Or a child is hospitalized. Or a parent needs extended care. Any number of things can make life suddenly very difficult. When it happens, students end up feeling trapped between two high-demand worlds.“ George Pomeroy, Graduate Admissions Advisor at Franklin University

This is one advantage to choosing a program with flexible scheduling options. Students can manage their coursework amid challenging life events by taking six or twelve weeks off, and picking right back up where they left off. Or, they can reduce their load to one class for 6 weeks or 12 weeks.

What matters most when choosing a master’s program? Compare features, benefits and cost to find the right school for you.

8 Proven Strategies to Get a Master’s Degree Successfully

In reality, a host of issues can impede the path toward a Master’s degree. But you have ways to overcome those challenges. Here are 8 steps to take to increase your odds for success.

1. Build a Support System—and Use It

In a Master’s program, you’ll find yourself surrounded by some intelligent and motivated people. Consider them to be a part of your network.

Many of them will be adult students—an average age of around mid-30s—with notable career experience already behind them. That’s why your peers are a great wealth of resource, advice, information, and practical input. In your next course, there might be a CEO or an executive working right alongside of you.

These people can guide you and be a part of your education. Some classes have you working in groups and collaborative exercises; these are great opportunities to stretch yourself and build a network that can last a lifetime. When you see someone familiar from one class to the next, you may find ways to help each other

2. Take Advantage of Free Help

Also remember that most schools offer tutoring services. In some schools it’s free. Typically, undergraduate students try to muddle through on their own, and as a result grad students may not even try to ask for help. Don’t hesitate to tap into tutoring or even writing services. Your school will be able to tell you about educational experts who can help.

3. Schedule Milestones, Not Due Dates

Rather than placing looming due dates on your calendar, break your project down into micro-steps to achieve—steps that will lead up to fulfilling the assignment by the due date.

Having a project management regimen can be very helpful to stay on top of the many long-term and daily deadlines of a graduate program. Using digital tools, like the ones above, can ensure that all your tasks are synced across devices, and always at your fingertips.

Consider using a combination of Google calendar and the todoist app to keep track of these activities.

4. Find Work Times That Work

Your home, work, social, and school efforts can feel as if they’re competing for priority.

Remember that this isn’t like undergraduate programs. You’ll likely be working on weekends. Maybe your personal life will need to adapt because you’ll need uninterrupted weekend time for coursework, reading, and writing.

TIP: As you schedule, it’s good to account for the unique demands of your chosen school and each individual professor. As an example, at the working-adult-focused Franklin University, assignments are generally due on Sunday evening. That lets Monday-through-Friday employees have some time on Saturday and Sunday to complete and submit their assignments. On your calendar, try blocking out certain hours on every weekend or evening in order to have time at the ready.

Until you get your degree, you may have to set aside things you used to do on the weekends, like watching movies or sports, hanging out with friends, and doing other leisure activities.

5. Create a System to Organize Notes & Insights

There’s a major difference between the “regurgitation” of undergraduate work (memorizing, understanding, and knowing) and the “application” of graduate work.

To stay organized, consider using an app like Evernote or try creating detailed, nested folders in the GDrive app.

In a Master’s program, you’ll be expected to already know the information; you’ll now have to apply it by sharing your thoughts, opinions, and practical use of it. And that takes a lot more time and organization.

6. Hire a Freelance Editor

As mentioned earlier, the type of writing will be held to a much higher standard than undergrad work. If writing isn’t your strong suit, you should secure an editor to help you better position your writing. You can easily find them online using a service like Upwork.

You might be surprised at how affordably you can hire this kind of service. Editors can typically begin at $5-$10/hour.

7. Talk to Your Professors

Your professors and other faculty members are there to help. Remember that graduate schools want you to succeed, so think of it as a partnership where everyone wins. Let your professors know when you might need a little more guidance, and they’ll get you back on track.

8. Keep the End in View

It’s going to get hard. Be ready to fight off feelings of frustration. It’s a good idea to constantly remind yourself of why you’re getting your degree. When you’re feeling upbeat, get on your smart phone and set up a series of encouraging text reminders to pop up in the future, when you know your workload will be heavy.

Mastery Is in Your Grasp

Taking on a Master’s program can be overwhelming and might even inspire some feelings of fear. Now you have some advice that will put hurdles into perspective, help you address them as they come at you, and put you on the right path to successfully complete your degree.

A Guide to Starting Your Career Off Right

It used to be that a college education in itself was enough to guarantee you a high-paying job immediately after graduation. But with more and more Americans choosing to attend college, a degree alone unfortunately doesn’t cut it anymore. Increasingly, employers expect you to have internship experience so that you come to your first job out of school ready to hit the ground running. We know that getting one can be tough, though — which is why we’ve come up with a guide containing everything you need to know about how to get an internship.

Follow our advice, and you’ll get an offer in no time!

Consider Your Qualifications

One of the most common misconceptions that students have about how to get an internship is that they must apply to every position that catches their eye to increase their odds. But this is a sure-fire recipe for radio silence from recruiters and hiring managers. Instead, think about the skills and experience you currently possess, and which positions you might be a good fit for based on that information. A few ways to narrow down which internships are right for you:

  • Consider your experience: Think about your previous work experience, and which roles it might prepare you for. A student working at a campus newspaper might consider a journalism internship, while a student who tutors for a statistics class may want to look at data science internships.
  • Identify transferable skills: Skills that help you succeed in school or in the student organizations you participate in — such as organization, critical thinking and time management — will all be useful in the working world. Some quick research should reveal which jobs require these skills.
  • Explore your interests: With how much time you spend at work, you want to make sure you enjoy it! Write down a few career fields that interest you, and search internships in those areas.
  • Start small: Don’t feel pressured to get your dream internship right away, especially if you have no prior work experience. Start by exploring small local organizations, groups affiliated with your school or volunteer work in order to bolster your resume.

Know Where to Look

Once you have a more concrete idea of which internships would be the right fit, it’s time to see what’s out there! Here’s how you can do that.

Visit Job Sites: Websites like Glassdoor have millions of job listings, so you’re bound to find something that’s right for you. You can search for the internship titles you’re interested in, and narrow results down by location, size, industry, company ratings and more. To get relevant results delivered to your inbox, create a job alert.

Use Your College’s Career Resources: Almost all colleges have a career site where employers interested in hiring their students can post positions. Career and internship fairs can also be invaluable, as they allow you to connect face-to-face with hiring decision-makers.

Leverage Your Network: Getting a personal recommendation can make all the difference in your internship search, so make sure to reach out to friends, family, colleagues, classmates, professors and alumni to see if they know anyone hiring. Another great strategy is to look up the companies you’re interested in and reach out to employees there for an informational interview. You never know what opportunities it might lead to!

Contact Companies Directly: If you have a dream company in mind, but they don’t have any relevant internships, you can always try writing them a letter of interest in hopes that they will either contact you when one opens or even create a new one for you. It’s more of a longshot than applying directly, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Prepare Your Application Materials

No matter what job you apply to, there are a few key materials you’re going to want to have on hand. Here are the most common ones, and how to perfect them before you apply.

Resume

Resumes are brief documents that showcase your skills, education and professional background. Typically, resumes will contain your name and contact info, education, professional summary, work experience, skills and additional experience. If you’ve never written a resume before, using a template can be helpful.

Some tips to keep in mind as you write your resume:

  • Use the STAR format — situation, task, action and result — in your work experience bullet points
  • Quantify your impact whenever possible (e.g. ‘Served 50-100 customers per day and handled a cash register that totaled over $1,000 a day in sales.’)
  • List your key wins and accomplishments, not just your day-to-day tasks
  • Highlight meaningful extracurriculars & awards
  • Emphasize skills & responsibilities found in the job description
  • Keep it clean, concise & easy-to-read

Cover Letter

Cover letters add additional color and context to your application. It’s important to note, though, that cover letters shouldn’t just list what’s on your resume — they should persuade whoever is reading the letter that you are uniquely right for the job. While not always mandatory, cover letters are almost always a good idea. They show that you are passionate about the opportunity, and provide a more well-rounded picture of who you are as a candidate.

Some tips to keep in mind as you write your cover letter:

  • Start with a unique opening line — anecdotes, quotes and fun facts are all good options
  • Do some research into the company, and mention a few things you’ve learned about it throughout the letter to showcase your knowledge of and passion for the organization
  • Explain how your previous work experience has prepared you for this role
  • Share a few ideas about how you would contribute to the company if hired
  • Customize your cover letter for each new job that you apply to

Social Media Profiles

Many recruiters use social media to research candidates — some may even require a link to your social media profiles. So if you haven’t already, you may want to create a professional social media profile, especially on a networking site like LinkedIn.

A few best practices to follow as you polish your social media presence:

  • Choose a professional headshot for your profile picture
  • Add relevant work experience as applicable
  • Keep it appropriate — delete any suggestive references or pictures
  • Share and engage with relevant industry content

Online Portfolio

If you’re entering a creative field like web development, graphic design or writing, an online portfolio is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd. Platforms like Squarespace and Wix make it easy to put together a polished collection of your most notable projects and work samples.

As you’re creating your profile, remember:

  • Highlight the projects that most closely resemble the type of work you’d like to do moving forward
  • Describe the impact these projects had
  • Feel free to add some color and design, but keep it clean and easy to read
  • Update it frequently

With your materials ready, you’ll be ready to apply! It will likely take multiple tries, but if you keep at it, you’re bound to eventually hear back from a recruiter or hiring manager hoping to set up an interview.

Interview Like an Expert

Interviewing is often the process of the job search that people dread the most. But if you adequately prepare, it won’t be nearly as intimidating. Before your interview, make sure to look up some basic information on the company — things like what products/services they offer, who’s on their leadership team, what milestones they’ve reached recently, who their competitors are, etc. Any of these subjects are fair game in an interview, and not knowing the answer to one of them will show that you haven’t done your due diligence.

You can also use this information to come up with a few questions of your own. Asking your interviewer specific questions about the company will show that you are passionate, curious and well-informed.

You’ll also want to research common interview questions beforehand. You can reference Glassdoor’s list of the 50 Most Common Interview Questions, as well as search interview reviews for your job title and company on Glassdoor in order to see what real recruiters are asking candidates like you. Once you’ve identified a few of the questions most likely to come up, practice them aloud with a friend.

Here are some tips that can be applied to answering nearly any interview question:

  • Get specific: There’s nothing interviewers find more frustrating than a vague or evasive answer, so when responding to a question, share specific ideas, examples and anecdotes.
  • Think positive: Always exude enthusiasm and optimism. No one wants to hire a candidate who makes it clear that this isn’t their first-choice internship.
  • Ask for time if necessary: When faced with a tough interview question, sometimes your mind just goes blank. That’s okay — it happens to the best of us! Rather than rushing through a half-baked answer, say “That’s a good question, let me think about it for a second,” and take a few moments to gather your thoughts.
  • Be yourself: Students often get caught up thinking about what interviewers want to hear, but if you just tell somebody what you think you should, you risk coming off as artificial or maybe even ending up at an internship that isn’t right for you.

Follow Up & Finalize the Offer

Once you’ve gotten past your interview, breathe — the hard part is over! But your work isn’t quite over just yet. To start with, you’ll need to send a thank-you note to anybody you spoke with. Thank-you notes show that you’re organized and thoughtful, which both matter a great deal to employers. To write a great thank-you letter:

  • Send it within 24 hours
  • Thank the interviewer for their time
  • Mention what you enjoyed learning about the company
  • End with a call-to-action that invites them to reach out to you for anything they might need

Then, it’s time to wait until an interviewer provides you with an update. If they don’t reach out to you when they said they would, feel free to send a short check-in note — something like the following:

Dear [contact name],

I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up about the [job title] role. I really enjoyed meeting you and the team last week, and I’m very interested in the opportunity. I’d love to know if there’s any further information I can provide during your hiring timeline.

Thank you,
[Your name]

With any luck, you’ll get an internship offer from the company shortly afterwards. Most companies make it official by sending you an offer letter, which you will be expected to sign and return to them. Look out for important details like start dates, responsibilities, pay and location. You should also ask if there’s anything you can do between now and your start date in order to prepare for your role — you want to make sure to start off on the right foot.

5 Tips for Studying for Final Exams in College

Everyone in school has to take them – final exams, that is. But, not everyone knows how to study for final exams, and college is where things get tricky. Exams in college are much different than they are in high school. Likely, in high school, you received a study guide, or an explicit list of information to know for your final exam. In college, you may not get anything at all, so you’ll need to study in a very different way. Here are a few tips for how to study for final exams in college. Use them to your very best advantage!

Identify the Type of Exam

Some professors or adjuncts will give you an essay exam at the end of the semester. Just think of it – tons and tons of information crammed into a three-hour essay. Sounds fabulous, doesn’t it?

Other teachers stick strictly to short answer questions, while others will give you a multiple-choice exam or a combination of sorts. The variations are endless, so it’s imperative that you find out the type of exam you’ll be receiving and whether or not you’ll be able to use your notes.

Multiple-choice final exams are a whole different ball of wax than essay final exams, and as such, must be studied for in quite a different way! Ask, if your teacher isn’t forthcoming.

So, you have a semester’s worth of material to remember for the big day. How do you manage to learn it all? Some of the stuff you were taught at the beginning of the first nine weeks has gone right out of your head!

Divvy up the material you have to learn according to the number of days prior to the day before the test. (You need an overall review day before the final). Then, divide the material accordingly.

For example, if you have fourteen days before the exam, and you want to start studying, then chop the semester into thirteen equal parts and study a section on each day. Leave one day before the final to review everything. That way, you won’t get overwhelmed with the enormity of the task.

As you know if you’re a college student, it’s not only important to learn how to study for final exams, it’s important to find the time to do it! You’re busy – it’s understandable.

You must carve out an hour or so a day to fit studying into your schedule. It will not present itself – you’ll have to sacrifice some things to get it done.

Learn Your Learning Style

You may be a kinesthetic learner and not even realize it. Take a learning styles quiz and figure it out prior to studying – your solo, sit-at-a-desk study session may not be doing you any favors at all!

Or, you might be a group study person. Have you given it a shot? Sometimes, students study the best for final exams with others.

Or, maybe you’re into studying solo. That’s great! But figure out if it’s better for you to study with music or without, and choose the best study spot for you. A crowded coffee shop with white noise may be less distracting for you than the library. Everyone is different!

In college, it’s imperative that you figure out how you learn best, as you’ll have little guidance. At this stage of the game, professors assume you know what you’re doing. Make sure that you do!

Review Session

More than likely, your professor or TA will host a review session before the final exam. By all means, attend the darn thing. If you fail to go to this class, then you’re really in big trouble! This is “How to study for final exams” 101! In it, you’ll learn things like the type of exam it is, what kind of information you’ll be expected to showcase, and if it’s an essay exam, you’ll probably get a selection of topics you may see on test day. Whatever you do, don’t miss it!

What Holiday Treat Should You Stress Bake/Eat?

It’s the most stre-e-essful time of the year!

Let’s face it: the Hallmark movies they’ve been showing since Halloween don’t depict the real end-of-the-year hustle no matter who you are, whether you’re a high school senior trying to finish your college applications before the end of the year or a college student with finals beating down the door. Even if you have everything under control, there’s the stress of traveling, family gatherings, shopping, decorating, entertaining, and all those holiday parties you have to attend!

Luckily, December is prime treat season. Now’s the time to stress-eat or, even better, stress-bake. Stress-baking, especially to share with others, has actual psychological benefits associated with it, according to science.

So take an application/study break, pull out the baking sheets and cookie cutters, and whip up one (or all) of these stress-beating snacks!

College app stress

If you’ve got your Common App filled out and all you need to do is finish those pesky supplemental questions and essays, you’ve earned yourself a decent break—which means you have time to put into baking some delicious gingerbread cookies or sufganiyot.

Depending on how well you’ve budgeted your time, you can donate more or less time to your cookie-making break. You can use store-bought dough that’s premixed or the kind you just need to add eggs and water to; you can make your own dough but limit your decorating to the bare minimum or not at all; or you can go all out and make the dough and frosting yourself and decorate each cookie with individual detail (if you really need to procrastinate take a break). What’s great about gingerbread is that you should let the dough rest for a little bit, and watching an oven is no fun, so you can work on your apps during those times. Just don’t forget to set a timer!

Sufganiyot are time-consuming but delicious jelly doughnuts for Hannukah. What’s great is that there’s a long inactive period while making these because the dough has to rise. Set a timer for the recommended rising time (maybe add a five-minute buffer just to be sure) and work on your applications intermittently. You can be busy in the kitchen and keep busy at work too! (Here’s a recipe for baked sufganiyot in case you’d like to be slightly healthier this season.)

Exam stress

With exams, you probably just want to step away from everything for a few days, or better yet, just not take them at all. While this seems like a great idea, it’s not really that possible. You’re better off to take a short break to make a quick fudge or some candy.

A lot of fudges are pretty easy to make and aren’t that time consuming. You have to give them time to cool before eating, but let that be your incentive to study hard or finish your essay in a timely fashion and reward yourself with decadent fudgy goodness. And all you need for a lot of fudge is a microwave, a microwave-safe bowl, and a pan to put it in! You can find some simple fudge recipes here and here.

There are also a lot of candy options. Again, these tend to require setting or cooling times, but that allows you to schedule different breaks in your studying. From a holiday twist on classic muddy buddies to homemade gelt to microwave-made candy, there are plenty of easy candy recipes floating around.

If you’re super nice and your class is on the smaller side (not a 100+ person lecture of course!), you might consider bringing some to your final for your classmates. Unless there’s none left of course!

General holiday stress

This is for the Golden Students who submitted their college applications early and are cool as a cucumber about exams. This time of year can still be anxiety inducing with all the pressure surrounding the holidays, plus Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) setting in for some people. You might need a little pick-me-up, and making food can be great stress relief. That’s why it’s called stress-baking! Since you don’t have to worry about being crunched for time, bake something delicious that will force you to focus on it for a while. Try making pie or maybe some truffles.

When it comes to pie, the prep time is long, but the payoff is big. And there are so many different types of seasonal pies you can make, from an old-fashioned pecan or apple pie to something less traditional like eggnog or cookie—warning: the literal best thing you’ll ever eat!—pie. If you’re really bored (and creative), you can get fancy with the crusts.

Truffles are delicious, addictive, and typically easy to make. However, they are a time commitment. They typically take at least an hour just to chocolate-coat them. But if you’ve ever had truffles, you know they’re worth it. You can find some recipes here and here.

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving Break for a College Student

Many students want to forget about schoolwork over Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Break is ideally supposed to be a time when you relax, enjoy family and friends, catch up on the sleep you’ve missed from studying, and reflect on what you are thankful for.  But when you are in college that idea is far from reality. Here are five things me and mostly every other college student will be doing during Thanksgiving “break”:

1. Playing Catch Up!

And by this I mean trying to email your teachers and see what late assignments they will accept because you’ve finally had some free time to calculate your grade, and you are regretting not turning in that 5-point response. Also, catching up on shows you haven’t watched in-between time. Somehow when you are in college TV is non-existent due to late night study sessions and falling asleep between chapters.

2. Roadtrip Homework

The awesome part about Thanksgiving break is spending time with family you haven’t seen in a while. Georgia State has so many students from so many places, it can be easy to get homesick. But the unfortunate thing is while making that trip to Grandma’s everyone will be catching up on sleep, watching their fav Netflix series, and then there will be you, studying for those tests you have as soon as the break ends.

3. Eating Thanksgiving Dinner with a Book in Your Lap

Like I said before, I have no clue why professors schedule tests right after the break. That’s almost like saying “enjoy your Thanksgiving ‘Extended Studying’ Break” because they have to know that you will be using your so called “break” to study for a test. So while everyone’s around the table sharing laughs and memories, you’ll be stuffing your face and reading chapters 4-11 because you had no time to do it before now. There’s nothing like enjoying mac and cheese and a good read!

4. Attempting to Catch Up on Sleep

Between homework, work and extracurricular activities, being a college student is almost like being a superhero. We are always on the go and never in bed on time. So between studying, trying to hang out with the friends and family you never have time for during the semester, and stuffing your face, one thing we must be sure to do is to catch up on that thing that hasn’t happened in a while, …

5. Doing what we do best: Procrastinating!

This break is seven days to get your school-life back together, which seems pretty hectic around this time of year. With that fact in mind just like every other student, we will probably wait until Saturday to actually study for that test on Monday, finish up old assignments and start that project you’ve known about since August. But at the end of the day, we always get the work done. And this break, be sure to enjoy family and friends, get some sleep and finish up the work you need. Luckily for us, the semester is almost over after this break, so finish strong and have a happy Thanksgiving!

How to Keep Learning When You Have Low Motivation

We’ve all been there. You need to study, but the motivation just isn’t there. Most people would say you need to cheer up and find the reasons to study. You have to think about long term goals, and envision them. You have to understand how hard work today converts to your happiness tomorrow.

But if you tried to do this, you know it barely works. You may get the motivation you need for a couple of weeks, but once studying becomes routine again, the motivation is gone.

That’s not the only way you can go about learning, however. Here’s how you can learn with low motivation.

Sleep well

Often, students ignore sleep to study more. If you ever tried to get an A, the odds are you were cramming the whole night before an exam at least once. But that is not the best way to learn.

In fact, sleeping well increases your memory. But that’s not the main thing you should be looking for in sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep decreases your focus. Creativity and ability to form new neurological links suffers as well.

Since you study best when you are able to associate new information with the information you already know, having a good night’s sleep is crucial.

Diet

No, this doesn’t mean you have to try intermitted fasting again. Besides, it doesn’t even work. What this means is there are specific foods you can eat to boost your ability to study.

Omega-3 fatty acids are not the superfood many journalists want them to be. Despite this, they’re really good for you. Take foods rich with omega-3, and you will fight anxiety and improve your eye health. Salmon or sardines are a great choice for such foods.

Another food you want to eat is chocolate. There’s evidence that dark chocolate is good for cognition. Have a piece of chocolate, and you will focus more.

Have a coffee

It’s no secret that drinking coffee makes you more alert. There’s plenty of scientific evidence for it as well.

This beverage is what drives the world forward, so you should join the club if you want to study better. Make sure you don’t indulge in caffeine for too long, or you may be getting the negative side effects instead of positive ones.

Squat

You probably have seen a weirdo who leaves his chair to exercise at least once. Bad news, you have to become that weirdo.

It’s becoming a standard practice for businesses, and even HR software nowadays may include exercise breaks for employees.

The Guardian says, the benefits of exercising include better memory, and better alertness. So, if you’re not feeling like studying, all you need is just a dozen squats.

Focus on the process

The problem with long-term motivation is that you will reap what you saw in four years. You have to do the boring groundwork now. This runs contrary to the way our brains work.

There are two options for how to break this vicious cycle. You can either boost your willpower to deal with the problem or fall in love with the boring groundwork.

Learn to enjoy the process of studying, and you’ll have fewer problems with concentration.

Join a community

The easiest way to love what you study is to talk about it with someone except your teacher. Find a community of people who study the same thing, and you are half way to success.

Talk about what fascinates you about the things you learn and how you can apply them. Once the discussion starts, you’ll be very much interested in continuing the study.

If your motivation is to have fun studying, you don’t need to try and follow your long-term goals.

You don’t need long-term motivation

Long-term motivation is a rational thing. We, humans, don’t always act in a rational way. If you want to get to your long-term goals, find irrational ways to reach rational ends. These 6 are a great start.

Exploring Creativity in Graduate School

Research is a creative endeavor; oftentimes graduate students are looking at something that has never been looked at before, or approaching something from a completely different perspective.  The products of our degrees—theses, dissertations and publications—are entirely new works. But how do you create something from nothing?

Several graduate students have already written about how their hobbies and creative pursuits have helped their research, whether it’s singing, baking, or doing something else.

For any grad students who want to learn more about the science of creativity and how we can train ourselves to become more creative (and if you’re looking to take a break this summer with a good book), I would highly recommend Nancy Andreasen’s The Creating Brain.

Andreasen approaches creativity from both a scientific and an artistic perspective. The author is the perfect person to do this, since she is both a scientist and an artist. Graduate students will be interested to find out that she started her career with a PhD in English literature, then decided to go to medical school five years later. She writes that she does not regret her first PhD, but embraces it as another layer to her being and another aspect to her life. To her, it was much more than a hobby; it was a passion that she hasn’t given up and will never give up.

As a neurologist, Andreasen discusses the science of brain development, which begins in the womb and continues through early adulthood. As a child grows, the brain creates synapses or connections between neurons, basically wiring itself. The brain actually makes more synapses and connections than are needed during childhood and early adolescence. Then, during late adolescence and early adulthood, the extra connections are “pruned” back to the ones that are used the most and are the most important to daily life.

But it doesn’t just stop there. The brain is “plastic” in that it has a flexible response to the environment. In other words, your brain changes continuously throughout life, and the parts of the brain you use the most can increase in size. Andreasen cites a study about the hippocampus, which is thought to be the part of the brain that deals with spatial memory and is important to navigation. The study found that the hippocampus was larger in taxi drivers than in people with other professions, and the proportion of size increase was directly related to how many years the drivers had spent driving a taxi.

Just as driving a taxi can lead to changes in hippocampus size, it is possible for people to train themselves to be more creative, finding new solutions to problems and leading the way to new discoveries. The author claims that we all have the capacity for creativity, and that we can teach ourselves to be more creative by taking the following steps:

– Seek out mental challenges
– Explore other fields and interests, and study them in depth
– Meditate every day, and give yourself free time to think
– Observe the world around you and describe it
– “Practice imagination”––instead of trying to control or quiet your thoughts, let them wander and open yourself to the places they lead.

The book is a more than worthwhile read for anyone who wants to learn more about brain development, creativity, and how they can take steps to foster creativity in themselves and others. The author is intellectual and well-read, drawing upon her knowledge of neuroscience as well as her interest in the lives of great figures such as Mozart and Michelangelo, and discussing them in a way that is easily understood and expresses her passion and appreciation of both.

The last few pages of the book are a call to action to continue learning, and to treat the arts and sciences as connected subjects rather than separate and isolated things. Discoveries are often made as a result of different fields coming together, and we all have much to gain from it.

8 Networking Tips For College Students

Networking is the process of building relationships, so it’s not just collecting business cards or connecting on LinkedIn. It is a process of meeting new people, letting them know who you are, and what future opportunities you seek. According to LinkedIn, 85% of American jobs are filled through networking.

There are all kinds of networking opportunities at universities or colleges, including networking nights or recruiters visiting your campus. Use these opportunities well, and you may land your dream job.

Here are 8 important networking tips that college students need to know.

1. How do I network?

Networking is all about communication. It is an opportunity to engage in conversations, ranging from your interests to professional goals, with recruiters, professionals, and faculty. While networking, you do not want to be aggressive or artificial. It is best to be genuine and relaxed. Building a genuine relationship with a recruiter, faculty, or professional can lead to their connecting you to a job/internship opportunity or with a contact who can lead you to a job/internship opportunity.

2. When should I network?

It is never too early to begin networking. You can follow your college’s career center, subscribe to department emails, or join clubs related to your career interests. As a freshman, you can use networking to help guide your future career path. Networking early in your college career allows you to connect with professionals who may be helpful later when you’re looking for internships or jobs. During your sophomore or junior year, networking can help you land a summer internship. It is better to network early in the fall semester and line up an internship before spring semester. During your senior year, networking is crucial to land a full-time job.

3. What should I wear to a networking event?

Different networking events have different dress codes. Be sure to look at the flier or posting about the networking event. If the event is business casual, men should wear dress pants and a button-down shirt with dress shoes. While ties are not required for business casual, it may help you look more put together. For women, business casual can be a pair of chino pants or dress pants paired with a button-up shirt or blouse. Flats or heels may be worn, but aim for comfort so you are not distracted during the event. Be sure to look put together and well-groomed before you enter a networking environment.

4. What do I do before a networking event?

Before a networking event, be sure to master your elevator pitch and do your research. An elevator pitch is a 30-second speech that summarizes who you are, what you do, and why you would be a perfect candidate. This is a speech that will help recruiters and professionals see how you can present yourself positively in a brief period of time. Many networking events and opportunities are scheduled events, so you have time to do your research. Find out which professionals will be in attendance, which companies are represented, and research the roles of the companies.

5. What should I do at a networking event?

You should talk to professionals, recruiters, and faculty. Seek to engage in quality conversations. You should aim to talk to more than one professional during an entire networking event. The purpose of networking events is to expand your network, so be sure to talk to a handful of people and really try to put yourself out there.

Always introduce yourself and try to make a positive impression. If you’ve done your research, you can discuss recent company news with company representatives. Did a company just engage in a large merger or gain a new client? Be sure to bring up key points about recent company news and ask questions about the company at networking events to demonstrate your knowledge and interest in the company.

Also, listen to the people you meet. Active listening can go a long way at a networking event. You want to remember some key points that you can bring up after the networking event, so the professional or recruiter can remember who you are. At the end of a conversation with a professional or recruiter, ask for their business card so you can thank them for their time. You can also ask if you can connect with them on LinkedIn where your resume can be made available.

6. What shouldn’t I do at a networking event?

You want to make a good impression at networking events, so you should stay away from certain actions. The most important is, don’t be rude. While you are at a networking event to find an internship or a job, you shouldn’t shove your resume into a recruiter’s hand. Instead, make a connection first, so the recruiter is more likely to pass on your resume to the next stage. Also, you should not stick to the people you know already. The whole point of networking is to meet new people, so be sure to leave your comfort zone and engage with people you don’t know.

7. How do I make a good impression?

Networking can be intimidating for college students, as they often view networking as a leap into the professional world. In reality, networking is preparing students for the professional world. To make a good impression while networking, be sure to look neat and well-groomed, demonstrate professionalism, have a great attitude, and express a genuine interest in the conversation.

8. What do I do after a networking event?

After a networking event, be sure to email the people you connected with to thank them for their time. In your email, include details of your discussion to help the recruiters remember you. If possible, connect through LinkedIn, which is the social network for young professionals to join as soon as they enter college as they can expand their professional network much quicker and easier. Be sure to stay in contact with your recruiter, but never harass a recruiter for a position.

GRAD 101: How to Attain an “I Ain’t Never Scared” Attitude

Are you an OG (original gangster) in the grad school game or are you a newbie—just beginning to cut your teeth? Regardless of what stage you are in your doc program, you gotta be fierce. You must attain an “I Ain’t Never Scared” attitude in order to survive and thrive the graduate school hustle.

I am grateful to God that I completed my doctorate in May 2016. The process was a beast, to say the least. I prayed, developed defense strategies to stay on-track, and battled—I battled boredom, burnout, depression, fatigue, and perfectionism—and I have the scars to prove it. I waged what seemed like a never-ending war and I won.

I did not win because I had inside intelligence, superior weaponry, or a special forces team. I won because I discovered that my “greatest enemy was my inner me.” That’s right…only I could sabotage myself and my success. On top of that, I discovered that I was operating out of fear. I was afraid (like some of my GradHacker colleagues have expressed) that I did not belong in my program…that I was not good enough…simply an imposter. I was afraid of criticism and did not recognize that “constructive” criticism was essential to my growth and formation as a scholar. Airing an unpopular opinion sent shivers down my spine, and I squelched at the prospect of being labeled a statistic (another first-generation college/graduate student who somehow missed being swept down the gutter) or a charity case.

It was only after I was nearing the finish line that I had an epiphany: I was scared.

It’s almost Halloween, but, no, I am not talking about having nightmares from watching too many horror flicks, ghosts and goblins, or dodging black cats out of superstition. I was afraid of upsetting high-profile people, voicing unconventional views, and of failure. I was so afraid of failing that I kept it hush-hush that I was even pursuing a Ph.D. I only told my immediate family, because I thought that somehow…someway…I might not finish. It might sound foolish, but the fear was real and the stakes were very high—especially for a first-generation Black girl from the rural South where everybody and their mama knows all your business.

 

I finally faced my fears. Have you? Do you have what it takes to stay sane, keep it 100, slay your diss., and Nae Nae across the stage (if you really want to) when you get your Ph.D.? I bet you do but may not even know it. In order to do any of the above, you simply can’t be scared…ever. So, how can you face your fears and effectively deal with them? I’m so glad you asked…I did so by developing an “I Ain’t Never Scared” attitude.

Top 10 Way to Attain an “I Ain’t Never Scared” Attitude

1.     Ask for the four letter word: H-E-L-P. The moment you don’t understand something, make it your business to find the answer(s) by any (legal and ethical) means necessary. Just because you are in a doctoral program does not mean that you (or your peers) do or are expected to know everything. Remember: You know what you know, and you don’t know what you don’t know.

2.     Apply for teaching, research, or any other type of position even if you do not think you meet ALL of the qualifications. I am not saying that you should blindly apply for anything and everything (although funding feels and looks good). However, I am saying that you will never know if you could have (or should have) gotten that position unless you apply for it. Let the hiring manager tell you “no.” Don’t disqualify yourself. One more thing…who knows…maybe the folks hiring are willing to work with and train you so that you can gain new skills.

3.     Dare to disagree respectfully with whomever (e.g. friend, peer, colleague, supervisor, and, yes, even your advisor), but do your homework. Know the facts, back up what you say with statistics, scholarship, personal experience, etc. In sum, know what you are talking about, why, and then say something even if it will ruffle a few feathers—which probably need plucking anyway.

4.     Be honest. I struggle with this one daily, because the truth may hurt. Many times I have tried to butter up, sweeten, or soften my approach just to appease and please. I would have avoided plenty of headaches and heartaches by simply speaking the truth in love. It may hurt but people will come to know and respect your candid yet thoughtful commentary.

5.     Vanquish fear. Remember: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” –Marianne Williamson

6.     Develop solid standards and abide by them. Know what you will and will not do, then stick to it.

7.     You are behind the wheel, so drive! Yes, you have a committee and dissertation chair/advisor. However, ultimately, you determine how quickly or slowly you progress through your program. So drive your degree like your very life depends on it…because it does.

8.     Do you. Do not try to mimic or be like anyone else because that is impossible. I get so sick and tired of hearing people say they want to be the next _____ [insert name of academic superstar of your choice.] You are not and will never be(come) them so do you!

9.     Always believe in yourself, your talents, your abilities, and your dreams. Encourage yourself.

10.  “Go BIG or go home.” Throughout my life, people have always cautioned me to have a Plan B. Since I was young, naïve, and did not like being broke or unemployed, I listened. Seriously, having a Plan B sounds pretty good especially if Plan A does not work out. At least it looks like you landed on your feet. (Appearances are deceiving.) Moreover, when you have a backup plan, you appear SMART. I get it. However, I have also discovered (and I read this somewhere too but I cannot remember where) having a backup plan can backfire. Develop a Plan B but don’t plan on using it because Plan A just…might…workJ

To all my peeps in grad programs, when you have applied all of the above criteria, you will have attained an “I ain’t never scared” attitude. From this moment onward your life will never be the same…

The Professional Student

Just about anyone pursuing graduate school has had to answer that awkward “what do you do?” question about your studies. This can be difficult to answer, as grad school is a sort of transitory zone between being a student (undergrad) and being a professional (work). Are you a student, professional, or some sort of professional student?

There are two camps when it comes to graduate school: those who see it as an extension of undergraduate studies and student life, and those who see it as pre-professional position. During my PhD I struggled to find what constituted “professional” behavior for a graduate student and what exactly I needed to do for “professional development.”

Working conditions for graduate students don’t help with this dilemma, as many of us don’t work a traditional 9-5 shift. Instead, many grad students cobble together erratic schedules that consist of teaching, research, and writing that often bleed over into our personal lives, further confusing the definition of our work. Sometimes it can be really hard to feel like a professional and not a student when you’re coming into the lab at 10 p.m. on a Friday night in your sweatpants to harvest cells, knowing that you’ll be back Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to look at the very same cells in the very same sweatpants.

However, despite the individual confusion we can feel about our professional status, as a whole, graduate students are very much in professional roles. A recent court ruling decided that, in cases where grad students teach or conduct research for the university, they are indeed university employees and entitled to the same protections as employees, even if they do wear sweats into the lab on Saturdays.

Treating graduate school as the professional experience it is requires development of your sense of professionalism. Professionalism matters for graduate students because it gives us a way to prioritize and organize our working lives and take pride in the work that we do. This will help you get the most out of your graduate experience so that you’re ready for whatever comes after graduate school, where you most definitely will be in a professional role. Having recently completed my PhD, I can clearly see in retrospect how cultivating professionalism was a key part of graduate school and was a major asset in transitioning into a non-academic position after graduation.

Three Key Areas to Master for Professional Grad Students

Time Management and Prioritization: You may not be getting paid much, but your time is incredibly valuable as a grad student and even more so an employee. As grad students we can get used to long hours watching cat videos on YouTube while the centrifuge completes a run, or taking frequent coffee breaks to get away from the lab during our 50+ hour workweeks. There’s nothing really wrong with this, as the flexibility of many students’ schedules allows for it, but it can make for a very difficult transition into work if you’re not used to hard deadlines and limited hours of operation. While in grad school, if I didn’t manage my time well and an experiment went too long or if I wasn’t done with writing I could stay as late as I needed to complete the work or come in on the weekend to catch up with plating cells. This is not the case as an employee, as now I have to contend with standard hours of operation, fixed deadlines, and collaborative projects that require me to finish my part on time or the whole project stalls. Thankfully, as a grad student I was ruthless about maintaining strict deadlines for myself and limiting my hours to 8-5 so the transition was not too difficult. Start building the habit of treating your time as precious and not something to waste and you’ll be well prepared for the professional transition.

Setting Your Standards for Independent Work: One of the great transitions graduate students undergo is becoming an independent professional and not a passive consumer of information. Part of that will be learning how you generate original work and how to set standards for yourself along the way. It can be a difficult adjustment after years of studying for the test in undergrad or just writing enough to get an “A” on an assignment. Suddenly being faced with the open-ended concept of what is “good enough” can be unnerving and lead to perfectionism or sloppy work if you’re not used to setting independent standards for yourself. Ask yourself  “What does good work in my field look like?” and work toward that. Set high but realistic standards for yourself so that when you do become more independent (either as an employee or postdoc) you know how to complete professional work with little to no input from those around you. Intellectual independence is the whole point of graduate school, so embrace the transition early on and learn to take control of and pride in the quality of work that you produce.

Embracing Professional Criticism: Learning to stand up for your research or scholarship can be difficult when first starting out. Mastering the art of presenting and defending your ideas in a rational, reasoned matter is a useful skill wherever you go, so make the most of your committee members for this reason. They are excellent trainers for learning to take an independent stance on your work and learning how to deal with conflicting opinions in a professional setting. On the interpersonal side of things, remember that while professional criticism of your work is to be expected, you are entitled to all of the professional respect due to anyone working in a more traditional 9-to-5 setting. Report abuse and harassment, whether from peers, students, co-workers, or professors. If it shouldn’t happen in an office setting it should not be happening in your lab, classroom, or field site. Don’t fall the trap of thinking “I’m just a student, so this behavior is acceptable.”

This student attitude is, in fact, my greatest regret of graduate school; I wish that I had learned to stand up for and demand the professional respect that myself and others deserved earlier. I eventually learned how to do this after having to deal with some seriously disrespectful behavior, but it is clear that I would have benefited from getting over the “but I’m a student” mindset the minute I set foot on campus as a graduate student.

Closing Thoughts

Professional development is not just the sum of the skills that you have or your number of published papers. It includes how you approach your work, structure your time, and interact with your colleagues. Make the most of your graduate education by learning to approach your studies not just as an extension of school where you are a passive student, but as a professional student actively participating in your profession.

What professional skills do you think benefit graduate students the most as students and in the workplace? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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