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Tackling Revisions

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It’s no secret that we here at GradHacker headquarters love to talk about the writing process. In the past month or so alone we’ve offered tips for getting started on a big writing project and increasing productivityand took a deep dive into the writing routines of five grad students across disciplines. We’ve seemingly covered it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly (special shoutout to Megan for her recent and very thorough series on dissertation writing!).

Our attention to the writing process is perhaps not surprising: it’s a cornerstone of every graduate student’s experience. But while our coverage about the writing process has been more than extensive, fewer of our “hacks” have been devoted to the nerve-wracking and often time-consuming process of revision.

I’ve been thinking a lot about revision lately. For one thing, the expository writing classes I teach require an extensive revision component that asks students to respond to feedback I provide both in written commentsand individual conferences. In class, we discuss the difference between superficial editing or proofreading and in-depth revising. Revision has also been top of mind when it comes to my own work. With my dissertation now firmly signed, sealed, delivered (and embargoed!) and my post-defense slump (somewhat less firmly) behind me, I’ve found myself facing down the daunting process of starting to revise parts of my dissertation for my first book project.

I’m no expert on revising a dissertation into a book, though the internet and other resources have been illuminating about what that process entails. (Got tips? Send ‘em my way!) And while not all revision processes are the same, I have, to date, tackled a fair number of “revise and resubmits” for journal articles as well as extensive revisions for my own dissertation chapters. Along the way, I’ve honed the following “tried and true” revision strategies  ― ones that I often pass along to my students and want to share here, too!

Cut The Intro
A common piece of advice, especially within the creative writing realms, is something like “cut the first paragraph” or cut the first line. I’ve adapted this idea almost as dogma when I’ve been faced with a “revise and resubmit” and now that I’m going all Edward Scissorhands on my dissertation (don’t worry, it’s glorious). Invariably, the introduction in my first draft is too long and rambling and either doesn’t clearly articulate my claim or fails to offer any coherent sense of thesis or stakes at all (second shout-out to all the extremely patient reviewers of my article drafts! Yes, even the Reviewer 2s.)

I’m a writer who needs to do the intro first; I have a hard time writing out of order, though I know I would likely be wise to write the intro last. In doing so, I tend to favor story over argument. I admit, a bit shamefully, that I’m a fan of the anecdote; I find it to be a useful way in. It’s fun, it gets me excited, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s a start. It doesn’t, however, always make for the most useful introduction and often leads me to bury the point. Indeed, the most significant and successful revisions I’ve done have involved completely reworking or rewriting the intro to be more focused and to better reflect the paper’s argument. Of course, it’s much easier to rework the second (or third or eighth) time around, once you know not only where the argument is going but where it ends up. Revising the intro is also one of the biggest pieces of advice I give my students, who often write excellent thesis statements that wind up in the conclusion or buried elsewhere in the body paragraphs. And what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t always take my own advice?

Game Plan
While cutting the intro is often my first go-to revision and typically affords me a stronger sense of direction for the rest of the essay or chapter, I find the mammoth task of revising body paragraphs and arguments more unnerving. In my experience, significant argument revision is daunting at best and paralyzing at worst. I open a document and absolute dread ensues: “Where do I even start?” This is especially true if I’m trying to respond not just to my own sense of the project but to another reviewer’s or professor’s comments.

Over at Chronicle Vitae, Teresa McPhil has a great series on revising and resubmitting. More recently, Cathy Davidson wrote about her own tips for addressing R & Rs on Inside Higher Ed. Advice abounds on how torespond to peer reviews. And while Davidson and McPhil disagree on some small points, both offer advice that I want to echo here: game plan.

Before you do anything, make a list/flow chart and timetable for your revision. Figure out which revisions you want to tackle first; number them. I typically prefer to do the “small-scale” revisions first, delving into things like proofreading and sentence-level style before moving on to larger scale/big-picture revisions, if only because the small-scale stuff tends to feel less intimidating and, again, offers a way in. I circle back to it later, of course, but there’s something about just getting into the revision weeds that I find both comforting and encouraging. I can do this, one small step at a time. Most important, however, is to make a definitive revision plan and stick to it. If you go in aimless, you might never find your way out. If you veer off course, you might end up doing more harm than good or forget what it is you need to address. Worse yet, you might neglect the work altogether (procrastination: it’s fun and easy!).

Keep the Scraps
There’s always that one dissertation chapter. You know the one: the outlier that, try as you might, just won’t sit right. If you haven’t begun the dissertation process, then trust me when I say, you’ll have that one chapter ― I can almost guarantee it. For me, it was Chapter 3. From the prospectus on, I knew it was going to be ‘that chapter’ and the drafting process proved me right. While I had a fairly good handle on the rest of my chapters and their contributions to my overall argument, I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to make the third chapter work. My advisor agreed.

I ended up deciding to move on and write the next chapter. I’m glad I did. Not only did the time away from Chapter 3 afford me the necessary perspective to figure out what was going wrong (more on that in a minute) but it helped me crystallize what I was trying to argue in the larger “story arc” of my dissertation. It led to an eventual breakthrough, but one that meant I had, in essence, to scrap almost the entirety of the third chapter and start again with the exception of a few paragraphs. It was a crushing but ultimately worthwhile decision.

When I conferred with my advisor about the new and better direction for the chapter, she gave me an excellent piece of revision advice: “There’s no such thing as wasted writing.” She was right for several reasons. First, drafting is an important and necessary step in clarifying your thinking. Second, as she pointed out, you never know when that early writing might come in handy. Is it the seed of another article, essay, or project? A self-contained conference paper? Will you want to return to it later? Does it actually fit a different section of the project? Following my advisor’s recommendation, I’ve made a habit of starting “dummy” documents when I revise. Any piece of the argument that’s not working or that I need to cut, I copy and paste to a different document and put it in its own folder. I don’t delete it. DO NOT DELETE YOUR EARLY WORK. Save it for a rainy day. I now have scores of half-baked thoughts and/or discarded ideas that I can develop or return later, if I want ― ideas I like but that either need more work or don’t suit a particular project. If nothing else, I sometimes think it would be hilarious, enjoyable, and really illuminating to start a blog full of my and others’ decontextualized “scrap” writings from intros to body paragraphs. Who wants in?

Defamiliarize Your Work
The last and best strategy I can offer for revision is likely not new, but it’s this: find a way to defamiliarize your work, whether it’s writing and revising in different fonts or simply walking away for a little bit or starting a new project and coming back with fresh eyes. I speak from experience: you cannot start revising immediately after you have finished writing; you’re too close to the project. You won’t catch mistakes and you won’t always be able to discern what’s working well and not. No meaningful revisions come immediately.

There are many ways to “defamiliarize” your own work (and I hope others will weigh in below), but here are ones that have either worked well for me or that have landed with my students:

1) Use the “Read Aloud” Feature: I may be incredibly late to the party on this one (revision parties are a thing, yes?), but I recently discovered Word’s “Read Aloud” feature and it has been a game-changer. I’ve long been in the habit of reading my own work aloud and suggesting to my students that they do so, but it’s never been especially effective for catching typos or weird-sounding sentences because my eyes inevitably see what they want to see. Hearing the work in someone else’s voice, though, has really helped me catch things that I couldn’t even after multiple rounds of proofreading and revision. It can be a bit slow, especially for a long project, so perhaps making a habit of it as you go along is a smart approach.

2) Reverse Outline​: This was a go-to strategy that I employed in my tutoring days and one I always teach my classes, but outlining the main points of the body paragraphs in revision and then visually being able to see the progression of the argument can be incredibly useful for addressing big-picture issues like structure and organization as well as fine-tuning topic sentences and transitions.

3) Cut-Ups: ​One of the most successful revision meetings I’ve ever had with a student involved us tearing her paper into paragraphs and playing around with them until we figured out the most effective order. I’ve now made it a practice of doing in-class “cut-up” activities for things like paragraph and sentence organization; it’s an instant, hands-on act of writing and revision. It’s useful because it literally forces you to decontextualize the work and see each piece of the argument on its own in order to figure out where it would be most effective.

And remember, if all else fails: steel yourself for revision with an exceedingly generous amount of coffee or something harder. It hasn’t let me down yet.

What are your best revision strategies? Tell us in the comments below!

Hate Graduate School? Avoid These Common Mistakes Students Make

Do you often find yourself saying “I hate grad school” or simply frustrated with the increased workload that comes with it? Given the competitive nature of graduate school admissions, grad students tend to be excellent students, but hours of study over complex subject matter and good grades don’t guarantee success in graduate school. In order to fully value and understand the education, you’re receiving you need to avoid these eight common pitfalls of graduate students that wind up making them hate the program.

Thinking Like an Undergraduate

Undergraduates take classes while graduate students immerse themselves in a discipline. Undergrads’ work ends when class ends, they turn in papers and leave campus. A graduate students’ work, on the other hand, is never completed. After class they do research, meet with faculty, in a lab, and interact with other students and faculty. Successful graduate students understand the difference between college and graduate school and treat their education like a job.

It would be easy to get bogged down in the ho-hum of yet another four years of “studying” if you forget this little detail: you are in graduate medical school because you love medicine and want to pursue a career in it. Treat graduate school, instead of another 1,000 hours of studying, as your first days of being in your chosen profession. Hopefully, that will bring the joy and passion back to your work and studies.

Focusing on Grades

Undergraduates worry about grades and as a result, often approach their professors to ask for a higher grade through either extra work or a redo on previous assignments. In grad school grades are not that important. Funding is usually linked with grades but poor grades are very uncommon. C’s generally are uncommon. In graduate school, the emphasis is not on the grade but on the learning.

This frees up students to actually be able to delve into their chosen fields of medicine instead of focusing on instant recall of data or studying for tests. As a doctor, a graduate of medical school will need to have long-term retention of the information garnered during the program. By focusing on the application of information and repeatedly doing so, students in grad school truly learn their craft and instead of getting bogged down on whether or not they’re passing, begin to enjoy the concept of working professionally.

Failllg to Plan Ahead

Effective graduate students are detail oriented and juggle many tasks. They must prepare for multiple classes, write papers, take exams, conduct research and perhaps even teach classes. It’s no surprise that good graduate students are good at identifying what needs to be done and prioritizing. However, the best graduate students keep an eye on the future. Focusing on the here and now is important but good students think ahead, beyond the semester and even year. Failing to plan ahead can make your graduate school experience much harder and worse yet could even adversely affect your career.

As a graduate student, you should begin thinking about comprehensive exams well before it’s time to study and tossing around dissertation ideas early in graduate school so you can seek feedback and develop your thesis well in advance. Considering career alternatives and determining what experiences you need to get the jobs you desire is imperative to your success as a doctor. For example, those who want jobs as professors will need to obtain research experience, learn how to write grants and publish their research in the best journals that they can. Graduate students who think only about the present may miss out on the experiences that they need and may be ill-prepared for the future they envisioned. Don’t wind up hating graduate school because you didn’t prepare ahead of time.

Being Unaware of Department Politics

Undergraduate students are often shielded from academic politics and are unaware of the power dynamics within a department or university. Success in graduate school requires that students become aware of departmental politics, especially because professors and students alike oftentimes continue to work together professionally after graduation.

In every university department, there are some faculty members with more power than others. Power can take many forms: grant money, coveted classes, administrative positions and more. Moreover, interpersonal dynamics influence departmental decisions and student’s lives. Faculty who dislike each other, for example, may refuse to sit on the same committee. Even worse, they may refuse to agree on suggestions for revising a students’ dissertation. Successful graduate students are aware that part of their success relies on navigating nonacademic interpersonal issues.

Not Fostering Relationships With Faculty

Many graduate students mistakenly think that graduate school is only about classes, research, and academic experiences. Unfortunately, this is incorrect as it is also about relationships. The connections students make with faculty and other students form the base for a lifetime of professional relationships. Most students recognize the importance of professors in shaping their careers. Graduate students will look to professors for recommendation letters, advice and job leads throughout their careers. Every job that a graduate degree holder might seek requires several letters of recommendation and/or references.

In order to have a better graduate school experience and in turn a more rewarding professional career, it is imperative that graduate students seek the advice and camaraderie of their professors. After all, these same professors are soon to be their contemporaries in the field.

Ignoring Peers

It’s not just faculty who matter. Successful graduate students also foster relationships with other students. Students help each other by providing advice, tips and acting as a sounding board for one another’s dissertation ideas. Graduate student friends, of course, are also sources of support and camaraderie. After graduation, student friends become sources of job leads and other valuable resources. The more time that passes after graduation the more valuable those friendships become.

Not only that but making friends in school is one of the biggest benefits of joining a program. This is especially true of medical school where, at the very least, you all share one common interest: a love of medicine. It’s easy to hate school when you have no friends to commiserate with over the trials and tribulations of becoming a doctor. Making friends will help ease the stress during your schooling and go on to be greatly beneficial when you start your residency program afterward.

Not Putting in Face Time

Completing class work and research is a big contributor to success in graduate school, but the intangible elements of your education also matter. Successful graduate students put in face time. They are around and visible in their department. The don’t leave when classes and other obligations are over. They spend time in the department. They are seen.

This is imperative to garnering those all-important letters of recommendation as well as receiving notoriety by not only your professors but your peers. Oftentimes graduates who do not spend enough time making these appearances find themselves lacking in the feeling of accomplishments those who do spend enough time within the department do. This is because those students don’t receive as much recognition for their work and dedication. If you’re having a bad time at graduate school and don’t feel that your professors are respecting your effort, perhaps making more face time with your peers will remedy this common problem.

Forgetting to Have Fun

Graduate school is a lengthy endeavor, filled with stress and countless hours spent studying, researching and cultivating professional skills. Although as a student you will have a great many responsibilities it is important to take the time to have fun. You don’t want to graduate and later realized that you have missed out on some of the coolest opportunities to enjoy yourself. The most successful graduate students are healthy and well-rounded because they make time for and cultivate a life.

If you find yourself midway through graduate school and hating every minute of it, maybe the perfect solution is to step away from it all for an evening (or a weekend) and remind yourself of your youth and excitement by going out with your colleagues, exploring some of the school’s organized activities or simply taking in the city where you’re studying. A few hours or days away from work could be just the refresher you need to remind yourself why you chose the medical field in the first place. That way, you can get back to learning and enjoying your field of study.

Public speaking and graduate school

Many of us have heard that public speaking ranks among the most feared situations. It is even said that many people fear public speaking more than death. If this is something that rings true for you, you are not alone. Unfortunately, graduate school often requires a fair amount of public speaking and presentations — especially for those of us interested in pursuing careers in academia. Public speaking can come in many forms: class presentations, colloquia, conference presentations, teaching, research proposals and defenses, and so forth.

The Good News

Although most of us may not possess the natural ability to comfortably and eloquently speak to an audience, like many other skills, public speaking can be practiced and improved. In fact, many talented public speakers readily admit that they were not experts in the beginning, but that they worked hard to hone their skill over time (e.g., Johnny Carson, Winston Churchill).

Here are some tips for coping with and conquering your public speaking angst.

Before Your Presentation
  • Practice, practice, practice. Practicing can be done in different ways. Personally, I have found the most effective method of practice is to stand up and speak out loud. This works much better than practicing while sitting down and just mentally rehearsing the words. Often, words that look good in writing can sound awkward when spoken. Hearing yourself talk through a presentation may help you identify awkward areas or areas where your audience may have difficulty following your ideas. It can also be helpful to record yourself (preferably on video) and give yourself constructive feedback. Note areas where you fumble or give too much (or too little) information and focus your energy on improving those points. After a few rounds of practice with your note cards, try putting them down; this can give you an opportunity to find areas of your talk that need more practice. Finally, if at all possible, it can be helpful to practice in the same room in which you will be presenting. If this is not possible, try to see the room so you may visualize what it will be like.
  • Get constructive feedback. Find supportive people — partners, friends, lab mates, advisers — to lend an ear. Although practicing in front of familiar people can be more anxiety-inducing than speaking in front of strangers, doing so can elicit extremely helpful feedback. Additionally, these practice opportunities can help to reduce your anxiety by exposing you to your feared situation. When practicing in front of others, it can be tempting to allow yourself a few “do-overs” or “restarts,” but it is most helpful to treat the experience as if it was your actual presentation, with no option to start over if you make a mistake.
  • Don’t overlook transitions. Transitions from one point to the next or from one slide to the next are often overlooked and un-practiced. As a result, transitions can come across as awkward or distract your audience. After the content of your slides is set, spend time and energy practicing how you will transition from one topic or slide to the next.
  • Pay attention to other speakers and presenters. Attend research talks, dissertation proposals, listen to class presentations or watch TED talks. Notice things that presenters do that you like (or do not like) and implement these elements into your own presentation style. Also, pay attention to the audience. When a presenter stumbles over a word, notice how the audience reacts. Do they seem to notice or care? Probably not. Remember this applies when you are presenting, too.
  • Timing. Presentations and talks almost always have time limits. When practicing, be sure to pay attention to timing and make sure you can keep your talk within the allotted time (without speaking too quickly). Before presenting, you should have a pretty good sense how long your talk will take and feel confident that you will not go over time. One thing you may find helpful is using the “record timings” function in PowerPoint. This function lets you know how much time was spent on each slide during your practice. If you notice that you spent significantly more time on a particular slide, this may be an area of your talk to fine-tune. To stay within your time limit, you may also need to reduce the amount of content of your talk, keeping only the essential information.
  • Think simple — particularly when preparing your visual aids. Visual aids should be just that — aids. Your slides should not have everything you want to say on them and should not be read verbatim to your audience. Some ways to help accomplish these goals would be to keep your text large and written in colors that are easily seen (e.g., dark text on a light background) and to use bullet points instead of full sentences. For more advice on building strong visual presentations, see “Presenting your research effectively”from last month’s Psychological Science Agenda.
  • Remember a few helpful things. There are a number of reassuring thoughts that you can remind yourself of to help you cope with the anxiety of an upcoming presentation. For example, you can remember that “this too shall pass” or that “it will be over in X minutes.” You might also remind yourself that most people will not be able to tell how anxious or nervous you are — it is going to be most apparent to you. It can also be helpful to remember that, in many cases, you likely know more about the topic than most members of your audience. More often than not, your audience wants to hear what you have to say and learn about your topic. Many speakers have at least one or two things they try to focus on before their presentations. Find something that works for you and make it a point to say it to yourself whenever you start feeling a little anxious.
  • Let go of unrealistic expectations. We are all human and we all make mistakes. If you mess up, it is OK. Striving for absolute perfection will often lead to higher levels of anxiety and increase your chances of feeling disappointment.
During Your Presentation
  • Channel a speaker you like or admire. In other words, try to emulate a speaker whose style you like by speaking “as if” you were that person.
  • Look for at least one person in the audience who is nodding his or her head. This can be your nod of reassurance.
  • Remember to breathe. Breathing not only helps you slow down, but also helps calm those physical aspects of anxiety (e.g., heart rate). It may even be helpful to add the word “breathe!” into your speech notes.
  • Never underestimate the power of a smile.
After Your Presentation
  • If the question and answer segment of your presentation is what you are most worried about, remember that most questions are not meant to trick or stump you. Rather, questions often stem from curiosity and are an indication that your audience is engaged with your presentation. Questions can also be helpful in leading to collaborations and future research ideas. However, for the instances in which you may face a tough audience, you may find this gradPSYCH article helpful:”How to handle a tough audience.”

In addition to these tips, there are many resources for dealing with fears of public speaking and information on how to hone your public speaking skills. For example, Feldman and Silvia recently published “Public Speaking for Psychologists: A Lighthearted Guide to Research Presentations, Job Talks, and Other Opportunities to Embarrass Yourself.” This book may be particularly helpful for graduate students and early career psychologists.

Remember that effective public speaking is a skill that anyone can work to develop. We hope that you find some of these tips helpful as you work toward honing your public speaking skills.

Get Your Graduate Student Groove Back

Spring Break is over and gone. There’s a pile of papers to grade. Article revisions are due to your advisor next week, and a fellowship application is due to the college the week after that. You’ve got ten students who want to meet with you this week to talk about what they can do to improve their grades, and your inbox is overwhelmingly full.

If you’re facing any or all of these things, you’re not alone. The doldrums of the semester or the spring slump are very common, especially when the weather is grey and summer break seems eons away. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to help reenergize and refocus your graduate work if you find yourself becalmed at mid-semester.

Research

  1. (Re)Read to Inspire: While reading really great pieces of scholarship in your field can be a great way to re-energize your research and scholarly work, I’ve also found it really helpful to read up on productivity research and strategies (Cal Newport’s Deep Work and Helen Sword’s Air & Light & Time & Space are two of my favorites). While it may seem counterintuitive to take time away from my work to read about effectively spending my time, I’ve found that reminding myself that other people face similar struggles and that there are effective strategies for tackling them helps to reenergize me, even if it’s just a chapter or two on my morning bus ride.
  2. Write to Inspire: In the midst of all the obligations that you’re currently juggling, it can be easy to lose sight of forest for the trees (especially when the trees seem to be falling on you). If it feels like you’re digging your way through piles of work that do nothing to inspire you, stop and take 15-20 minutes to just write about why you’re in grad school. What inspired you to come to grad school? What are you ultimately going to do with your degree? Taking a few minutes out of your day to refocus on the big picture of your graduate education can do wonders for your motivation and really help you to feel like the work that you’re doing is valuable.
  3. Get a Second Opinion: With everything piling up around you, it’s all too easy to find yourself mired in writing or research problems that seem insurmountable. If you feel like you’re grinding your way through problem after problem, throw yourself a life preserver and find an outside pair of eyes to examine an issue for you. This could involve meeting with a research librarian, visiting the writing center, or chatting with your advisor or another graduate student. Often, getting an outside perspective can clear up seemingly major issues fairly quickly. Just last week, I had a 15-minute meeting with a professor in another department who suggested a different strategy for developing a taxonomy that I had been grappling with for weeks.

Teaching

  1. Get Active: If it feels like your students are dragging, implementing a few active learning activities can be a great way to recapture their attention and help renew their focus. These do not need to be elaborate or time consuming – often implementing even simple activities (the jigsaw is easy to plan for) can really change the tone and energy level of a classroom. Bonus: these activities tend to be a lot of fun to teach as well.
  2. ​​Check In: It’s hard to gauge how students are feeling about the class and how best to help them unless you ask them. I like to send out a mid-semester evaluation that asks questions about what students feel is working in class and what we, as a class, can do to help make the class work better during the second half of the semester. Some of the questions are my own and some come from my department’s end-of-semester teaching evaluation survey. However you structure it, getting and responding to feedback from your students  shows that you care about their learning and  gives you the chance to incorporate their suggestions into the class. Their feedback will also likely help to improve your course evaluations.

Professional Development

  1. Look Forward: When grad school gets stressful, it can be helpful to think about your long term goals. While the current job market for academics doesn’t necessarily lend itself to tranquil day dreams, doing a little career prep work can be a great way to help connect all the things you’re currently doing with your bigger career goals. I find the websites Imagine PhD and Versatile PhD to be really useful for this. Together they offer great resources, clear, concrete action steps, and success stories about real people who found real jobs. Spending fifteen or twenty minutes on one or both of these sites once a week can help to reassure you that you’re on the right and that there’s a bigger goal behind the seminar paper or lab reports that you’re working on.
  2. Celebrate with your CV: If you haven’t updated your CV (or your teaching portfolio) in a while (or even if you have), setting aside half an hour once or twice a week can be a great way to boost your sense of accomplishment. Since it’s fairly rare for academics to leave the office with a tangible product, it can be easy to lose sight of all the things that you’re actually accomplishing. Taking time to update your CV not only reminds you of all of the things that you’ve accomplished since the last time that you looked it, it also contributes to something far more permanent than the slew of emails you have to send.

Do you have any strategies for recharging your batteries at mid-semester?

Spring Into a New Habit

Spring break looms and whether we’re fretting about baring a little skin after the long winter months or preparing to hunker down to get some work done, this time of year often prompts the desire to develop better habits.  For some, the longer days and (slightly) warmer weather may motivate us to kickstart our exercise routine. Others may have decided to eat healthier, spend money more wisely, arrive to appointments on time, or become more disciplined writers. Whatever the case may be, spring break provides a perfect opportunity to dedicate time to the habit we value the most or the one that we most want to improve.

How do we establish good habits that we’ll stick with?  Here are several keys:

Focus: Building habits requires focused energy and attention. Therefore, focus on only one habit per month. Once you’ve developed that practice, then you can layer another habit into your routine.

Motivation: Write out why you want to [eat healthier, exercise, create and follow a writing schedule, etc.] and what you consider the rewards of doing so. Then record both instant and deferred rewards as you experience them to generate positive associations with that habit and to motivate yourself to stick with it.  For instance, those who are beginning an exercise routine may experience increased happiness or energy after working out, or those adhering to writing goals may track the feeling of accomplishment in meeting their word count target or explaining a difficult concept.

Willpower: Researchers have discovered recently that willpower is much like a muscle that can be developed and strengthened over time.  By working on one habit (any habit) people developed better habits in numerous areas of their lives. [1]

Consistency: This one seems obvious, but for something to become a habit, one has to practice it consistently over a period of time – usually at least 30-40 days.

Support: It’s one thing to start a new project, learn a new skill, or begin a routine, but to maintain it, we need the support and encouragement of others. It’s even more helpful if we can find people who are working on the same thing.  If your goal is to develop a running habit, join a local running club. If your goal is to finish your dissertation by writing 500 publishable words a day, find a writing group. You get the idea. Also follow Twitter feeds, such as #phdchat and #GradHacker for encouragement and helpful tips and tools!

Don’t forget – just pick one to focus on for the next month. After that, you can add in another habit to focus on after you’ve gotten the first one down.

What would you like to work on during the month of March? How are you going to do so? What has worked for you in the past?

Finding Myself in Research

I’m a black, first-generation college graduate from a low-income Appalachian community in Pennsylvania. It was statistically unlikely that I would complete a four-year bachelor’s degree. It was even less likely that I would further my education beyond that.

Now, as a graduate student in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, I spend my time studying health disparities, the variation in rates of disease between socioeconomic and racial groups. Probability — as well as my lived experience — says I’m an anomaly. People with Ph.D.’s do not look like me, and do not come from where I come from.

I was drawn to study cancer because of the unknown. It is not like diabetes, a disease about which much is known on treatment and prevention. I also wanted to make the United States a healthier place for groups like black women, who suffer disproportionately from diseases like breast cancer.

As a child, I witnessed the reality of health disparities in my own family. My maternal white grandmother received dialysis for diabetes that extended her life, so she could witness the birth of my niece, her great-granddaughter. My paternal black grandmother had a leg amputated because of diabetes and ultimately died of it, when I was just a young girl. Both of my grandmothers lived in cities in Florida, yet had vastly different outcomes for the same disease.

Last fall, I flew to Atlanta to present my work at a conference called the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held by the American Association for Cancer Research. This conference is a big deal in my field. Once a year, the most notable names in this research are in attendance. This was my first conference as a graduate student. Needless to say, I was nervous.

As I stood next to the poster detailing my work down to the level of molecular characteristics of breast cancer, researchers from all over the country stopped to question me. I took copious notes, eager to capture a fraction of the ideas and inspiration in the room. I even met some of my academic idols. I felt like a real scientist, engaged in the process of scientific inquiry.

Later in the session, a black woman with silver hair and no institutional affiliation listed on her name tag approached me. Before I could begin my standard elevator pitch, she said she’d prefer to read my entire poster first. I studied her face as she read. A few minutes passed. The concentration in her face gradually shifted to raw emotion.

After she finished reading, she introduced herself as a survivor advocate, someone who is not a scientist but interacts with them to give the patient and survivor perspective. She shared her medical history — her diagnosis of severe endometriosis in her early 30s, the removal of her ovaries and uterus in an attempt to allay the symptoms, and her more recent diagnosis of breast cancer, which led to her advocacy in the cancer research community.

Then, she reached out and touched my poster and said, “I see myself in this research. This was a study meant for women like me.”

Her personal revelations stood in stark contrast to my previous interactions with fellow scientists, which were mechanical and formulaic. This was different. It was two black women talking about our resilience.

Graduate school is a notoriously isolating experience. Ph.D. candidates at American research institutions have six times as much anxiety and depression as the general population, according to a study published earlier this year. For people like me, the already stressful experience takes a different shape. When you don’t fit the mold of a traditional graduate student, there exists an intricate interplay between impostor syndrome, social support, sense of purpose and mental health. Out of self-preservation, I immersed myself in the scientific process in an earnest attempt to avoid the isolation that too often accompanies graduate school.

Instead, I spent my first year of graduate school in front of a computer screen with de-identified subject identification numbers. A screen full of numbers indicated whether a woman smoked or not, had children or not, had a family history of breast cancer or not, and whether she had succumbed to breast cancer or not. Women’s entire lives were distilled into data; their health care life cycles and eventual deaths now were 0s and 1s on my screen. Despite my deep sense of purpose, emotionally, I felt removed from the work.

This made my experience with that woman at the poster session all the more meaningful. Now, when I present my analyses of the binary numbers representing women who gave part of themselves for the advancement of cancer research, I include her story. To me, her interaction with the humanity of science is just as important as the output of my statistical models.

In graduate school, we are urged to publish in the most prominent journals and pursue prestigious fellowships. The number of peer citations or research dollars measures success. What is often absent is the consideration of how research affects everyday individuals. My experience with the woman at the poster session reminded me that I am not just doing research to become a known scholar in my field. I research for the sake of humanity. All researchers could use that reminder.

Stop Procrastinating to Complete Your Dissertation

Are you an ABD (All-But-Dissertation) student? Doctoral dissertation looming over your head like an ominous black cloud? The dissertation is the most difficult and time-consuming academic requirement a doctoral student faces. It’s way too easy to procrastinate and put off writing your dissertation under the guise, “I need to read more before I can write.” Don’t fall into that trap!

Don’t let your dissertation drag you down. Stop your procrastination. Why do we procrastinate? Research suggests that students often procrastinate when they perceive the dissertation as an overwhelming task. Big surprise, huh? Motivation is the biggest problem that grad students face in writing the dissertation.

A Lonely Time

The dissertation is a time consuming and lonely process that usually takes about two years (and often longer). The dissertation often is a major blow to a graduate student’s self-esteem. It is not uncommon to feel as if it’s an insurmountable task that will never be completed.

Organization and Time Management are Key

The keys to completing the dissertation promptly are organization and time management. The lack of structure is the difficult part of the dissertation because the student’s role is to plan, carry out, and write up a research project (sometimes several). A structure must be applied in order to complete this task.

One way of providing structure is to view the dissertation as a series of steps, rather than as one mammoth task. Motivation may be maintained and even enhanced as each small step is completed. Organization provides a sense of control, holds procrastination at minimal levels, and is key to completing the dissertation. How do you get organized?

Outline the small steps needed to complete this large project.
All too often, students may feel that their only goal is to finish the thesis. A goal this large may feel indomitable; break it down into the component tasks. For example, at the proposal stage, the tasks may be organized as follows: thesis statement, literature review, method, plan for analyses.

Each of these tasks entails many smaller tasks. The list for the literature review may consist of an outline of the topics you wish to discuss, with each outlined as detailed as possible. You may even wish to list relevant articles in the appropriate places within the outline. The method will consist of the participants, including items on locating them, rewards, drafting informed consent forms, locating measures, describing psychometric properties of the measures, piloting measures, drafting the procedure, etc.

The hardest parts of writing your dissertation is starting and staying on track. So how do you write your dissertation? Read on for tips on how to write your dissertation and successfully complete your graduate program.

Start Anywhere

In terms of completing your list of dissertation tasks, it is not necessary to start at the beginning. In fact, believing that one starts the dissertation proposal by writing his or her introduction and thesis and ends with the plan for analyses will detain progress. Begin where you feel comfortable and fill in the gaps. You will find that you gain momentum with the completion of each small task. Feeling overwhelmed by any particular task is a sign that you have not broken it down into small enough pieces.

Make Consistent Progress Writing Every Day, Even if Only for a Short Period.

Set aside periods of time to write on a regular basis. Establish a firm schedule. Train yourself to write in short blocks, for at least an hour a day. All too often we insist that we need large blocks of time to write. Blocks of time certainly help the writing process, but the ABD often lacks such resources.

For example, when we were writing the dissertation, we taught 5 classes as an adjunctat 4 different schools; blocks of time were difficult to find, other than over the weekend. Aside from pragmatics, writing at least a little every day keeps the thesis topic fresh in your mind, leaving you open to new ideas and interpretations. You may even find yourself thinking about it and making conceptual progress as you complete mundane tasks such as driving to and from school and work.

Use Incentives to Assist You in Overcoming Procrastination.

Writing requires consistent, well-organized effort and a system of self-imposed incentives to overcome procrastination. What kind of incentives work? Although it depends on the individual, a safe bet is taking time off from work. We found vegetation time such as time spent playing computer games to be helpful as an incentive to reinforce progress.

Methodically Break Through Writer’s Block.

When it is difficult to write, talk through your ideas to anyone who will listen, or just talk out loud to yourself. Write out your thoughts without criticizing them. Take time to warm up, by writing to clear your thoughts. Get the ideas out without scrutinizing each sentence; it is often easier to edit than it is to write.

Work through your ideas by writing, THEN edit extensively. You will write many drafts of each section of the dissertation; a first (second, or even third) draft need not approach perfection. In addition, it is acceptable to use dashes to mark when you cannot find the appropriate word to express your idea, but want to go on; just remember to fill in the dashes later. The important thing is that you develop a pattern of producing some output regularly that output can be edited or even thrown out, but it is important to produce something.

Recognize and Accept the Fact That Writing Is a Time-consuming Process. Don’t Rush Yourself.

No draft will be perfect that first time around. Expect to go through several drafts of each section of your dissertation. Once you feel comfortable with a particular section, take time away from it. Ask others to read your writing and consider their comments and criticisms with an open mind. After a few days or a week, reread the section and edit again; you may be quite surprised by the impact of a fresh perspective.

Writing the dissertation is much like running a marathon. The seemingly insurmountable may be attained through a series of small goals and deadlines. Accomplishing each small goal may provide additional momentum. Make consistent progress each day, use incentives to assist you in attaining your goals, and acknowledge that the dissertation will require time, hard work, and patience. Finally, consider the words of Dag Hammarskjold: “Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.”

4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Graduate School Experience

An advanced degree can bring so many benefits to your career that it’s hard to list them all!

That’s why it’s important to take your education seriously and make the most out of this opportunity. Doing so can better improve your skill sets and lead to positive career outcomes. Here are four tips for using your time in grad school in the best way possible.

1. Have a Plan

A graduate degree itself is a nice asset to have. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that this credential can increase salaries by $12,000 on average. It’s best to have a specific plan in mind before enrolling in an advanced degree program. Say it to yourself like an affirmation, write it down in a bullet journal, create a vision board—do whatever you need to keep your goal top of mind.

Do you want to switch career paths? Advance in your current position? The answers to these questions will help determine the concentrations you should participate in and networking events to attend.

Remember, graduate school programs are generally designed to give you a professional edge, which is why it’s important to choose a program relevant to your career goals. According to the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey, which collected responses from more than 86,000 U.S. adults attending over 3,000 institutions, students who take courses that reflect their daily life are more likely to say that their education was worth the investment.

2. Take Advantage of Campus Resources

Advisors, mentors, program directors and other resources are valuable help, and many grad students don’t rely on them enough. Having a mentor or advisor can be a great benefit toward your educational experience for a multitude of reasons:

They can help you achieve your goals

Grad school mentors, program directors and advisors are experienced in how educational institutions operate. If you followed the advice above, a mentor can help you stick to your plan and graduate in a timely manner. They might recommend electives that best support your career goals or direct you toward faculty who have experience in your field.

They can make grad school more accessible

Directors, mentors and advisors can also give you an insider’s perspective on the graduate school experience and help you balance your education with other responsibilities. They can offer advice for specific situations you may find yourself in, whether while at school or during your new career. Try asking your director how they made it through graduate school for tips that are practically guaranteed to work!

They can help you through bad days

Let’s face it—grad school won’t always be a walk in the park. You may occasionally find yourself overwhelmed or stressed out, whether because of difficult school assignments or because real life got in the way. Your mentors and advisors are here for you. In addition to providing educational support, they can lend an ear or offer advice when you need to talk.

They help set you up for success

Finally, having a mentor can increase your chances of success after graduation. Per the Strada-Gallup study, people who received career advice during their school years feel most prepared for the workforce.

3. Make Connections Between Your Assignments and Work

It’s easy to think of school and work as two separate entities, but it’s good to keep in mind that the former is designed to support the latter. As you’re learning, think about how specific ideas and strategies apply to both your past and present career objectives. If you’re dealing with a difficult employee, for example, think back to what you learned about management or communication to solve the situation. Doing so can help you better understand how your coursework correlates to the professional world.

In fact, you can even apply this concept to your curriculum. Recognize how the subjects discussed in one class pertain to another—such as statistics and budgeting—even if the two appear unrelated at first.

4. Manage Your Time Effectively

Making the most of your time off

Breaks between school semesters aren’t just the perfect time to catch up on your Netflix queue. You can also make progress on major projects, such as developing your thesis or capstone project. You might also consider taking a professional development course, either through your college or an industry organization, to obtain yet another perspective that you can use on the job.

Of course, don’t forget about using your time off for rest and relaxation, which will help you recharge for next semester. It’s possible to both indulge in self-care and make academic progress if you stick to a schedule. After all, everyone deserves takeout and trashy TV once in a while.

Taking advantage of your day-to-day downtime

Set time on your calendar for studying at a supportive space (such as a desk where people know not to interrupt you) as well as time for relaxation. Use your lunch breaks to study, or listen to recorded lectures during your commute. Taking advantage of small pockets of time can definitely help you internalize everything you learn.

Graduate school can be the step you need to make your next career move. Elmhurst College’s programs, mentors and proximity to Chicago can boost your educational experience.

All Work and No Play Makes for a Dull Grad Student

We’re constantly told to go out and have fun, but never told how or what to do!

In discussions about self-care in graduate school, we’re always told to build in some time for ourselves. It sounds simple, but that proposition is baffling to me. Unwinding and having fun can seem impossible when we wear multiple hats (student, teacher, administrator, family member, partner, etc.) and constantly running from one appointment  to another. Graduate students are trained to be efficient with our time, money, and energy, and to constantly be hitting two — or ten — birds with one stone. If I’m supposed to present my work at a conference, I’m also supposed to meet five famous scholars, and hear about the newest theory in our discipline, and get to the caucus meetings, and catch up with my friends, and take a great Instagram picture. Oh, and also pay for this conference without going into debt. This mentality has transcended to my everyday life too: if I’m going to kick back with a new book, it also has to be fun and teaching me something about new developments in the field. Or, if I’m going to cook a nice meal for myself, I also plan to be reading furiously for seminar while it simmers on the stove.

No doubt about it: doubling up on fun and work is effective, especially when we’re short on time, money, and energy. The downside of all this? We forget that completely stepping away from work is not only restorative, but absolutely necessary. We can get bogged down in trying to get it all done, to the point that completely disconnecting from work seems impossible.

However, disconnecting is constantly associated with luxury: expensive spa days, fancy dinners out, cocktails on some sunny, distant beach. These are great, but they’re not really within the reach of a graduate student budget or schedule. I personally think that disconnecting is less about how much time or money you spend, and more about a state of mind.

Schedule your fun

Scheduling your downtime doesn’t sound relaxing at all, but I find that actually writing it down and securing its place in my schedule makes it more restorative. I also find that if I plan out my downtime and decide exactly what I’m doing, where, and when, I’m much more likely to do something fun instead of lying in bed scrolling through Instagram for hours. (I do that even when I’m swamped with work anyway!). So: if you want to get a little more from your downtime, WRITE IT DOWN. Schedule it and hold on to that time fiercely: prioritize it like you would a meeting or a doctor’s appointment, and don’t put it off!

Decide how much social time matters to you

Spending time with your friends is crucial in graduate school, but I think we have a tendency to conflate social time with relaxation. Going out with your friends can be fun, but don’t forget that hanging out with friends can feel very different from time alone to do what you want. When it comes to budgeting your time, remember to keep those two categories of downtime separate, especially if you’re an introvert who absolutely needs alone time to recharge.

But what am I supposed to do for fun?

Lots! I used to be terrified of the “What do you do in your spare time?” question, simply because I didn’t feel like I had well-defined hobbies or interests. I’m still working toward this, but after trying different things out, I’ve found a few options that help me unplug from work. You can do these activities by yourself or with a group of people

1. Video/computer games

I don’t play video games very often, nor do I follow the culture, but I’ve found a few games out there that I like. Complex moves like aiming and shooting on a controller stress me out, but I enjoy solving puzzles and exploring worlds – it reminds me of being a kid and playing on the computer for hours after school. I have a few games saved on my computer that I play when I’m taking a writing break, and they’ve really helped take my mind off work. (My personal favorite: Tricky Towers, which is a tower-stacking version of Tetris with physics and gravity. You can play in single-player, online multiplayer, or local multiplayer mode!)

2. Indulgent cooking

I do two kinds of cooking: functional, quick, everyday cooking and indulgent, slow, slightly more complicated cooking. Functional cooking is something I can do in a rush: it mostly involves quick sautés or popping something in the oven. When I do this kind of cooking, I’m usually not following a recipe and I’m often catching up on my texts or scrolling through Twitter at the same time. Indulgent cooking, however, is more rare and is what I consider a break from my routine. It usually involvesfinding a recipe, getting ingredients, putting on music or a podcast, and enjoying the sights and smells of a warm, bustling kitchen. It doesn’t have to be an expensive recipe either – I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with recipes from BudgetBytes.com. And when I don’t feel like following a complicated recipe, I’ve had great success buying a single steak (which can range anywhere from $7 for standard freezer aisle steak to $20 for a prime grass-fed cuts) and throwing it into a sizzling hot skillet.

3. Walks

Similar to cooking, there’s functional, quick walks (e.g. from your parking lot to your main building or to the store to get more milk) and then there are more deliberate, planned walks. When I do walks like the latter, I like to leave my headphones at home and really take in my surroundings. It’s a great way for me to sort through my thoughts, and to get moving after a long day (or week) of sitting and reading. A walk is also a great way to catch up with a friend, especially if you don’t want to center hanging out around food or drinks, or if you’re both trying to introduce more physical activity into your schedule. Check out hiking trails, bike paths, and bustling sidewalks near you, and see which fit your mood.

4. Board games

If you’re the social type, board games are a great way to kick back and unplug from work. When grad students get together, it’s easy for conversation to shift from catching up to teaching, classes we’re taking, departmental gossip, the next conference, and other professional topics. Board games are the perfect antidote for this tendency because they offer the group something to do together rather than leaving a huge chunk of time open for conversation. I really enjoy cooperative games where all players are working together to win – think of it as low-stakes practice for collaboration and communication in the professional world. My personal favorite is Betrayal at House on the Hill — the constantly changing configuration of the board makes it so that this game never gets old. The spooky theme is a bonus!

5. A quick at-home spa experience

There’s something profoundly soothing about very visible and ostentatious-looking grooming and maintenance methods. Rituals like beard grooming, mud masks, DIY manicures and pedicures, or even teeth-whitening(!) are great reminders to step back and take care of ourselves., When I’m having a bad day, I like to put on my thickest, goopiest mask and wander around my apartment in my pajamas. It doesn’t take a lot of time (about 30 minutes to put the mask on, leave it, and wash it off), and I can pair it with other small indulgences, like a longform non-fiction piece I’ve saved on my browser and a cup of tea.  Whether it actually does anything for my skin is debatable, but I do love catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror and giggling at how ridiculous I look.

11 Tips for People Looking Into Getting a Master’s Degree Online

Making the choice to go back to school for a master’s degree is a big decision. With so many programs to choose from and so many online masters degree options gaining popularity, it never hurts to get a little extra advice.

We asked students currently getting their master’s degrees online for some advice. Here are their eleven tips for successfully getting your masters degree online:ay not have considered previously.

1. When each class starts, take a broad look at the course

Having a broad understanding of the course will help you to complete your work in the way that the professor expects. Making sure that you have a good idea of the layout of assignment deadlines, types of assignments, and any extra expectations (like attending a poetry reading or show) is a great way to ensure that you are prepared for the entire course and to avoid surprises.

2. Understand what is expected of you and don’t be afraid to ask questions’

Take a hard look at the syllabus and any assignments you have access to right away. If there is something you don’t understand, it is better to ask questions right away than to wait until the last minute.

3. Pace yourself and don’t try and get too far ahead. You’ll learn as you go

Getting ahead may sound like the best way to stay on top of things with your classes, but being too far ahead can actually hurt you, especially if you rush to complete assignments. Pacing yourself will help you to stay engaged in the material and do your best work.

4. Use your peers in your course for support and feedback

Just because the course is online, doesn’t mean that you have to go it alone. Swap emails with a couple of your classmates. That way, if you have questions or just want to commiserate about a tough assignment, you have someone who understands what you’re going through.

5. Try to join a cohort with someone you talk to daily or who is close to you so that you have the support and can bounce ideas about assignments off of them

One of the best things that you can do as you complete assignments is to talk about them with other students. They help you to get your ideas straight and improve your work.

6. Don’t forget to take a break at least once a week from the course to keep you on track, and keep you from getting burnt out

Online classes can be intense, so taking a break once a week from your classes will help you to stay focused and relaxed throughout the course.

7. Ask colleagues or anyone in your profession for help when you need it

Don’t be afraid to ask! If you are getting your degree to move up in your work world or change careers, some of your best assets may be your colleagues or someone in the profession. Don’t be afraid to tap those resources when you need them. They may provide you with a fresh perspective that you may not have considered previously.

8. Seek individual support from your professor when you need it

They are there for you just like in a face-to-face class and love to support students. It can be easy to feel like your professor doesn’t care about you when you don’t see their face on a daily or weekly basis, but they do! Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you have them or even just drop them a note to introduce yourself. Professors are a lot more likely to help you out in a pinch if they know who you are.

9. Make sure you schedule time for your course and understand the time expectations before starting

Online classes can take just as much–or even more time–than traditional classes. So scheduling a time each day to work on your reading and assignments will help you to stay up to date on your work. It can be overwhelming at first, but as you move through your courses you learn the pattern that works for you and it takes less time overall to complete the work.

10. Make sure you are ready for the commitment before starting and are serious about embarking on the degree

Committing to a new program is a big step. So do your research before making a commitment. Take a look at our 5 things to consider before going back to school post as a starting point.

11. Do the reading!

This is the most important piece of advice for any class, but especially for one that is an online masters degree. Without a scheduled class time, it is too easy to let things pile up and get behind. Readings are where you will et most of your information so keep up with the readings and ask questions if something is unclear.

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