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GRE Information and Study Tips

Most graduate programs require taking the GRE (Graduate Record Exam).

Every year, more than 700,000 people take the Graduate Record Exam, commonly known as the GRE. While the test is similar in many ways to its college-entrance cousin, the SAT, there are some important differences.

Unlike the SAT, the GRE is most commonly taken as a computer-adaptive test

This means there’s no need for a No. 2 pencil and those all-too-familiar bubble sheets. On the computer-based test, the difficulty of the questions is based on the accuracy of your answers to previous questions. The better you perform on the first sets of 20 verbal and quantitative reasoning questions, the harder the next sets of 20 questions will be.

The GRE is broken down into three primary components: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing

For the verbal reasoning section, test takers have two 30-minute periods to answer two sets of 20 questions. Test-takers answer two sets of 20 quantitative reasoning questions, with 35 minutes to answer each set. The analytical writing section consists of two essays, for which test takers get 30 minutes to write each. The verbal and quantitative reasoning sections are graded on a 130- to 170-point scale in 1-point increments, and the analytical writing section is scored on a 0-6 scale in half-point increments.

Having a good SAT/ACT score and GPA don’t ensure that tackling the GRE will be a simple task

The GRE doesn’t necessarily test on a student’s knowledge or aptitude. Rather, it tests students on how well they can take the GRE. Therefore, there are specific things that students need to focus on in order to do well on the test.

 

Below are six surefire studying tips for the GRE:

1. Go back to high school

Having trouble differentiating your X-axis from your Y? Have too many late nights in college wiped away the important teachings of Pythagoras? You’re not alone. Many GRE test takers are many years removed from the basic tenets of high school math, which play an important part in the quantitative section of the test. If you’re rusty, it’s important to revisit the concepts of algebra and geometry that you learned in high school.

“Algebra and geometry are assumed background knowledge in college courses, and you will be hard-pressed to find a class to take at that level [that] will prepare you directly for questions of this type,” says Eric Reiman, a GRE tutor with Creative Tutors. “If you’re preparing for the GRE alone, a text like Algebra for Dummies or Geometry for Dummies could be a great help, and both come with example problems to work.”

2. Sleep with your dictionary

While the GRE’s quantitative section is not much more advanced than the math found in the SAT—and familiarity with concepts learned in high school should be enough to post a decent score—the verbal section went to college and graduated with honors in English. Test takers who slept through their English classes or turned to SparkNotes may be in trouble.

During your time in school, be sure to read as much as possible to expand your vocabulary so that you can decipher unfamiliar words, testing experts say. You can assimilate far more diverse vocabulary over four years of college than you could ever hope to by cramming for a few weeks or months prior to the GRE.

“As a successor to the SAT, the GRE uses adult words that aren’t found on the SAT,” says Reiman. “It is extremely important for success on the qualitative sections of the GRE to be well read.”

3. Take a GRE prep course (if you can afford it)

According to Andrew Mitchell, director of pre-business programs at Kaplan Test Prep, the GRE is designed specifically to differ from areas of study in college and is supposed to be a measure of a college graduates’ critical thinking skills, not necessarily what they learned in school.

No matter how much cramming you might’ve done in college or how stellar your grades were, thinking critically might not come naturally. The tutoring classes tend to pay off, but are a sizable investment. Kaplan’s instructor-led classes cost more than $1,000 for about eight on-site sessions. Twenty-five hours of private GRE tutoring with Kaplan can cost roughly $3,000.

“It’s worth investing some time and money in preparing for the GRE,” says Mitchell. “Critical thinking is something that’s hard to change overnight because it’s such a lifelong skill. We try to help people unlock their critical thinking skills by getting more familiar with the test and more familiar with proven methods.” Another option for building critical thinking that’s a little easier on the checkbook is using the free resources on the Educational Testing Services (ETS) website. Sample questions and essay responses, advice, and scoring guides are available online from the folks who created the GRE.

4. Take a practice test

While your vocabulary may be impeccable, your writing skills polished, and your quantitative abilities sharpened to a razor’s edge, none of that matters if you’re unaccustomed to the test’s unconventional format.

“To walk into this test unprepared, to sit down [and take it] having never done it before is suicide,” notes Neill Seltzer, national GRE content director for the Princeton Review. Educational Testing Service, the Princeton Review, and Kaplan all have free computer adaptive tests online that help simulate what is a foreign experience to many.

“It’s different from the SAT, and that really threw me off the first time,” says Amy Trongnetrpunya, who earned a perfect score on the quantitative section of the GRE after scoring poorly on her first try. “The computer-adaptive practice exam really helped.”

5. Don’t like your score? Take it again

Schools have access to any GRE scores for tests you’ve taken in the last five years, but experts claim that many universities only care about the best one. While this isn’t true for all schools and all programs, many universities pull the highest scores from the GRE ticket they receive from ETS. The admissions officials (and sometimes work-study students) who receive the tickets are the first line of defense, and oftentimes, they record only the top score when they’re compiling your file before sending it up the admissions food chain. “Even though ETS will report every score, the person reading that file and making the admissions decision may only see the highest math and highest verbal,” says Seltzer.

6. Take a tough English course

Even if you aren’t an English major and don’t plan on writing the next great American novel, honing your writing skills is integral to overall success on the GRE. The two essays in the analytical section take up roughly one third of the time test takers are allotted. Some testing experts argue that near the end of college you should take a high-level English or writing course. While enduring a high-level writing course might put a small dent in the GPA (and ego) of non-English majors, it is an immense help when it’s time to crank out two timed essays on the pressure-packed GRE.

“I would emphasize taking a few rigorous English and writing college courses, in addition to test prep, to best prepare yourself for the caliber of questions you’ll find on the GRE,” says Alexis Avila, founder and president of Prepped & Polished, a Boston area-based college counseling and tutoring firm.

 

4 Ways Your Summer Job Can Jumpstart Your Career

Are you making the most of your summer job? Perhaps you’re “just waitressing” or working at the mall or a grocery store. But, did you know that a temporary summer job can help boost your future career?

In fact, did you know that New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg was once a parking lot attendant? Or that Howie Mandel started out as an amusement park attendant? There are lots of great stories about first jobs of many famous and successful people in this MSN Money story – but my point is this: just because you’re not in your dream job now, doesn’t mean you can’t be working like you’re in your dream job.

So, how can you make the most of your summer job?

1) Don’t treat it like “just a summer job.”

Whether you’re working at a fast food restaurant, in retail or even babysitting, this is your chance to build a foundation of experience! Look closely at your job responsibilities. What skills do you use every day at work that can be applied to your future career?

Likely, you’re building organizational skills and you’re learning to be accountable for yourself, and you’re undoubtedly gaining customer service experience. All of these things are called transferable skills – a versatile set of skills that you can apply to more than one job.

So, while you may not even be working in your major field this summer, you are gaining experience that can be applied to your future career. Take your job seriously this summer!

2) Be Proactive

Use your summer job as an opportunity to try new things, experiment with your abilities and gain new skills. To do this, you need to set some realistic goals and establish clear communication with your supervisor.

Perhaps you can request to work on a special project or shadow another employee who has greater responsibilities than you; or you can ask for some responsibilities beyond your day-to-day tasks.

Want to gain some financial acumen? Ask to shadow someone in the accounting department. Want to improve your organizational skills? Ask to lead a project or take on responsibilities in the stock room. If you think about all of the departments that make the business run where you’re working this summer, you’ll likely see opportunities in many areas.

3) Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses

As you gain experience this summer, make a list of your accomplishments – and your failures. What were you good at? What didn’t go so well? What did you love to do? What did you decide that you never want to do again?

Once you have a list that summarizes your summer work experience, you can use this information to help build your resume and a list of skills that you want to either acquire or improve on in the coming months. This process can help you choose classes for the fall – for example, if you learn that speaking in front of others is a weakness, you can take a public speaking class. Creating this list can also help you in selecting internships and finding future jobs that will help advance your skill set as you prepare for your future career.

4) Find a Mentor

Perhaps more important than any other aspect of your summer job, you are provided an opportunity to develop relationships with others who could become a mentor to you. Having a mentor to guide you in your career development, to help you network with others and to provide honest feedback and suggestions about your work, your skills and your potential … is priceless.

Some of the most successful people have sought a mentor at a various times in their career. In fact, many executives continue to seek mentors long into their well-established careers. Some even have more than one mentor at a time! Once established, though, these relationships will encourage you to stretch and reach for your potential, to truly build your legacy and your career.

So, while you might think of your summer job as “just a summer job,” think again. As Steve Martin once said, “I just believe that the interesting time in a career is pre-success, what shaped things, how did you get to this point.” Now is your time to write your story, to build your success, before you have a career.

Maximize your Productivity this Summer

Image result for Summer college

Is it summer yet?

I am sure I am not alone in daydreaming about summer on those overwhelmingly busy days during the spring semester. 

But I have learned that summer break must be used wisely to avoid feeling as though I have wasted this time. Since this is a generally unstructured time, it is important to fight the temptation to put off all of our work until late August. For graduate students marching toward an increasingly competitive (and generally depressing) job market, it is particularly important to use the summer months to at least continue, and hopefully broaden and extend, their training between academic years.

Make a plan.

Before summer arrives, I suggest taking some time to assess what you need to do before the next academic year begins. Are you behind on any tasks or milestones in your training? Where could you gain the most by getting ahead? Where do you feel your training is lacking, especially relative to your ultimate goal?  If you plan to participate in some sort of summer program or coursework, the deadlines to do so are quickly approaching or may have even passed by now.

Prioritize self-care.

I agree with advice to view graduate school as a yearlong job. In other words, some vacation time is good, but it may not be ideal in the long run to put off work the entire summer. But it’s important to assess your personal needs first. Many of us neglect our health, relationships, and other aspects of our personal life during the hectic academic year. While getting ahead would be great, the other side of wasted summer is returning in the fall still exhausted.

Be honest with yourself. Do you need to work to save up money? Do you need to take a substantial amount of time off to, first, address any health issues you have ignored, and, second, to effectively relax and recover? Do you need to put in more time into attending to your partner, kids, and other important relationships? The summer is a decent time to escape or disappear for a short time. Remember, this job (whether grad school or beyond) will not take care of you.

Get ahead in coursework.

If your graduate program offers courses, or will accept credit from other departments or universities, the summer may be an ideal time to get ahead in coursework. In my second summer of my doctoral program at Indiana University, I attended the summer program at Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at University of Michigan. These outside courses counted toward my graduate minor in research methods at my home program. Courses are useful, but there is no harm in completing this part of your training so that you can start working on independent research and the dissertation. 

Aside from formal coursework, I also recommend making progress on theses, qualifying/comprehensive exams, and other important milestones. I devoted much of my first summer to making progress on my master’s thesis, and studied for my qualifying exam over my third summer. For these more unstructured tasks, it is important to find out in advance whether your advisers will be available over the summer to provide feedback. This would also be a good way to stay visible over the summer months.

Broaden your research training.

Besides getting ahead, I found that the most important use of my summers was to broaden my training. In my first summer, I attended the summer institute of the Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality, a program at San Francisco State University.In my fourth summer, I attended the summer institute in LGBT Population Health at the Fenway Institute. Both of these summer programs provided a great deal of training on sexualities that was not available in my home department. Also, it was nice to spend an entire month in San Francisco and Boston (respectively)!

Whether within one’s department or outside of it, grad students could use the summer to serve as a research assistant. This (hopefully) means a source of income. And, it provides an opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor. I served on a small team of research assistants for one professor in my department in my fourth summer. I found it refreshing to see that professor, who was my #2 adviser, working as a researcher. We were able to see how she made decisions along the way, how she dealt with obstacles and frustrations, and how excited she became as we made progress on a rather large interview project. In other words, we saw her as a human, rather than a professor who was always polished and organized.

Broaden your teaching experience.

There are also some opportunities to teach at other institutions. In my third summer, I taught at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee as a diversity fellow. I taught sociology of sexualities – a course I had already taught; however, I was challenged to make course material accessible and relevant to a different student body.  My students at UWM were more likely to be black or Latina/o, working-class, first generation, parents, and working part- or full-time than the mostly white middle-class students I had at my home institution (Indiana University). This experience was useful to broaden my pedagogical focus and toolkit. 

The summer might also be a useful time to teach at different types of institutions – private vs. public; liberal arts vs. research-intensive; community college vs. four-year college – to gain more experience, and also begin to get a feel of where you would like to end up if you pursue faculty positions.

Broaden your network.

Through the above suggestions, grad students can also focus on broadening their professional networks. Through each summer program I attended, I made connections with both faculty and fellow student participants that I maintain today. These connections sometimes become friendships, lead to other professional connections, and possibly collaborations. Your committee and other members of your department are important. But, so, too, are the connections you make with others at other departments and universities. It is who you know, right? 

I cannot say whether these summer-became-lifelong connections led to a job offer or some other opportunity. But I do know that I have benefited from advice and support from these contacts. In general, I think it is useful to avoid falling into the trap of thinking exclusively of other members of your department as your colleagues. 

Happy summer! Enjoy it, but also make the most of it.

Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/03/31/essay-how-grad-students-can-get-most-summer

9 Things all Graduating Students Should Know

It’s hard when you want to know everything.

That’s the mindset that traps a lot of people beginning their careers. If you’ve recently graduated from college, spent your last year grunting through entry-level work, and feel you’re entitled to some recognition, remember these 9 principles and you’ll be on your way.

1. People matter

Treat people well, not because they’ll always treat you well, but because it’s the right thing to do. This includes never stepping on anyone to step up. If you do, you’ll probably hit them again on your way down.

2. There are very few rules

You don’t have to go to college to be successful. You can live virtually anywhere. You don’t have to get a desk job at a big company. The longer I live, the more I realize that most of the rules we consider to be written in stone aren’t even written down. Make your own rules about your own life.

3. Be completely transparent

People don’t like what they don’t understand. Conversely, people accept what is clear. Don’t hide from reality. Speak truth into peoples’ lives. You may catch some backlash occasionally, but the people who matter will respect and cherish you for it.

4. Always learn

Learning creates knowledge. Knowledge creates expertise. Expertise creates value. You don’t need a teacher. Read a ton and ask smart people hard questions. There are two things people love: 1) being asked for their opinions, and 2) surrounding themselves with people who want to grow.

5. Create value

You aren’t entitled to earn anything. Money is one form of stored value, and it’s transferred when value is created. Figure out how to add value to other peoples’ lives, and money will flow.

6. Your network is vital

Who you know is important. Who you matter to is even more important. Create lasting relationships by helping others, who will eventually help you. Organize those connections (I like LinkedIn), and work to maintain the relationships. When you need them, they will be there for you.

7. Study successful people

Successful people figured something out. Work to figure them out. How did they become successful? What steps did they take? You’ll often find those “overnight sensations” worked hard for a very long time. Look for someone whose work or lifestyle you’d like to emulate; don’t spend time trying to replicate success you don’t even want.

8. Never operate from a position of fear

Fear causes strange and terrible things to happen. It will force bad decisions, impair your logic, and drive you to behave irrationally. It also makes things seem far worse than reality. Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?

9. Be humble

Oscar Pistorius made it to the semifinals of the 400-meter sprint in the 2012 Olympics without either of his legs. Mark Zuckerberg is a self-made billionaire at the age of 28. Even if you kill it, you’re still not Overlord of the Universe. Don’t act like it. Cockiness is a career killer.

 

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentbeshore/2012/09/10/9-things-every-graduate-should-know/#1109e6188bad

 

Life After Grad School

The more things change after grad school, the more they stay the same. Or do they?

Nearly five months ago, just hours before my grad school commencement, I sat at the foot of my bed watching a YouTube video on how to properly wear my hood regalia.

For at least 30 minutes, I watched the video repeatedly, squinting, tussling and folding the hood, outfitted with white velvet on the upper side, before tossing it across the room.

I eventually figured out how to wear it — albeit lopsided — and only straightened it when a fellow classmate helped me position it, seconds before lining up for graduation procession.

That experience is much like what life after graduate school has been for me so far — full of questions and moments where I wished someone had offered the practical advice and words of wisdom I needed, as well as tempered my expectations.

There are five things in particular that might be of use to any graduate student preparing to take the leap of graduation:

1. You’ll often forget you have another degree … until someone asks for your updated resume.

This will dawn on you at networking events or if a friend mentions a position you should apply for since you now have a master’s degree. Oops, you did just earn that degree, right?

2. You’ll miss classes, homework and your routine.

For many, working toward something (in this instance graduation) does wonders for morale and focus. The most difficult part for me was recognizing school fed my soul and made me feel like I was actively bettering my life, versus just getting caught up in the working grind.

3. The debt returns with full force.

Weeks after I graduated (and before I had even received the official hard copy of my diploma), thick envelopes full of detailed, line-by-line totals of how much money I owed by financing my education with federal loans poured in. If I could do it all over again, I’d not pay a cent and opt for an assistantship or other means of scholarship funds.

4. Life won’t change immediately after you graduate in the ways you expect …

The moment after you graduate, moments after you leave the hall, auditorium or theater packed with friends, loved ones, fellow classmates and former professors, you’ll wait for things to feel different, but as urgently as waiting for everything to change, life will resume as it always has been.

You might start working a new job if you attended grad school full time or, if you attended grad school in the evenings after work like I did, you’ll resume your job tasks, without the interruption of homework, group projects or looming end-of-semester deadlines. The days will seem longer because work and home will be the only thing constituting your life. You’ll wonder how in the world you managed not having as much free time as you do now, but you won’t know what to do with it.

5. … But life will change immediately after you graduate in unexpected ways.

In the same token, you won’t view life the same because as a grad student, you changed.

Self-awareness and the desire to be intentional about every step forward in your life will consume you. You’ll start to demand more from your friends, family, things you did in your free time, your job — and you may discover that some of those things no longer fit and new ones are needed to complete you.

A journey of discovery becomes the goal and there’s no other decision, no other choice, no other way to exert energy but to pursue life in a new way. Gone is the fear and despair that had grown so familiar. Only courage and the desire to live with unbridled passion, zest and hunger for what can only be a more fulfilling, satisfying and fruitful life remain.

Source: http://college.usatoday.com/2013/05/08/5-things-i-wish-id-known-about-life-after-grad-school/

Student project – Aubree Hill, PhD, Environmental Sciences-Biology

Environmental Sciences-Biology student Aubree Hill is working to develop a treatment for amphibians infected with a deadly fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). She is specifically researching the salamander microbiome—or community of naturally occurring bacteria on the skin—and whether it can inhibit or eliminate growth of the fungus. Aubree and her team captured, swabbed and released more than 350 salamanders this year. They then isolated the bacteria from the swabs and challenged them against Bd to determine their ability to inhibit fungal growth. These so-called candidate probiotic species may then be recommended for therapeutic treatments of infected amphibians.

Aubree also hopes to gain a better understanding of the structure of the amphibian skin microbiome as a whole and whether it varies across taxonomic groups of salamanders, habitat types and seasons. She will use TTU’s new Illumina MiSeq DNA sequencing instrument to help make these comparisons.

Aubree recently presented her research on the salamander microbiome at the Tennessee Herpetological Society annual meeting in Knoxville. Her advisor is Donald Walker.

7 Tips for Surviving Finals

It’s that time of the year again: the dreaded finals time.

I don’t know about y’all, but I am ready to turn in my final term paper, sit on the couch, and veg out for a long winter break. But before any of us can do that, we should prep and work on our finals. Hopefully, it’s no surprise that there are a few studies out there that offer some helpful tips on prepping for the end of the semester, and I thought I’d share my favorite seven from a few different sources.

  1. Create a master to-do list and a schedule for the remaining days in the semester. Break it down by due dates and exam dates and make sure you give yourself enough time to be comfortable, but still get everything done within a manageable schedule.
  2. Triage your study time. Do you think you should spend equal amounts of time preparing for each course? You don’t — proportion your study time; make sure you spend more time on the course where you feel less confident.
  3. Decide if it’s going to be a grand tour or lots of local attractions. Does your professor want a cumulative term paper/final, or are they looking for specific portions of the class? Figure out the answer and respond accordingly with a continuation of the triage method.
  4. Develop summary sheets for each class. Figure out what happened on the important class days and organize or rewrite your notes to help formulate study guides or paper outlines.
  5. Writing and study groups can be helpful if they make sense. My cohort and I have a paper writing group for one of our classes. Though we are all working on different projects, the camaraderie and shared experience are helpful for the writing process.
  6. Pace yourself! I know when finals crunch time comes around, we often turn to marathon study sessions and writing periods, thinking that’s the best way to crank out as much work as possible in as little time as possible; however, this is actually not the most effective strategy. Make the most of the time you have by pacing yourself: focus for shorter periods of time. Take breaks and walk around.
  7. Manage your anxiety. By listening to calming music, stretching or breathing deeply, you can avoid stress and release negative thoughts. Sometimes we avoid anxiety by avoiding the things that are making us anxious (e.g., studying for an exam or writing a paper), which can lead to procrastination and even more anxiety. Listening to music and intentional breathing and stretching can help you manage your energy in a constructive way. I love creating playlists or listening to the same song on repeat the whole time I’m writing. My entire master’s thesis was written to “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed.

I hope you have found some of these tips interesting and/or helpful, and I wish us all luck during this end-of-the-term marathon. Remember the goal is in view

Source: http://gradlife.gmu.edu/seven-tips-for-surviving-finals/

20 Study Strategies for Finals Week

Finals week can be the most stressful time for a student, whether in high school, college or graduate school.

Ensure you’re prepared for your exams with these study tips, which can help you conquer your finals.

Follow this list as finals week approaches (the earlier you prep, the better) so you can ace your exams from start to finish:

1. Create your own study guide.

While many teachers provide a study guide, creating your own can help you understand the material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn can be helpful, both in creation and to refer to during your studies.

2. Ask questions.

Your professors and TA’s are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material and the exam so that you’re prepared when exam time arrives.

3. Attend the review session.

Review sessions offer vital information on exam format, what will be on the exam and key concepts you should be focusing your studies on.

4. Start early.

If you always start ahead of schedule, you’ll never be cramming the night before an exam. You’ll almost always perform better in doing so!

5. Organize a group study session.

It can be helpful to study in groups – sometimes. Evaluate whether or not studying with others will be beneficial to the subject as well at your learning process.

6. Study things not on the study guide.

Study guides aren’t always comprehensive – they’re just suggestions of the main concepts to learn. Use your study guide for its intended purpose: a guide. Be sure to fill in the blanks with related information.

7. Take breaks.

You won’t be able to memorize or comprehend all the material at once. Balance is key – ensure that you reward learning with break times to recharge and relax.

8. Stay well-rested.

There’s a lot to be said about a good night’s sleep. Make sure you’re well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams.

9. Create a study schedule – and follow it.

Splitting the material into chucks you can actually achieve can be very beneficial. That way, you can keep track of what you’ve accomplished instead of looking at the big picture and getting overwhelmed.

10. Prioritize your study time.

Some exams will be more difficult than others, some you may find easier to study for. Some may be worth more of your grade than others. Make sure to evaluate all of your exams to consider and determine all of the involved factors so you can study accordingly.

11. Study for the style of exam.

If it’s multiple choice, you’ll need to know definitions and concepts. For essay exams, focus on your understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind.

12. Quiz yourself.

If you think about and create actual exam questions, you will likely become more familiar with what you need to study and, in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the type of language that will be on the exam. Draft potential exam questions and quiz yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on.

13. Meet with your professor or TA.

Often times, meeting with an instructor, whether it’s a professor or a TA, can give you helpful hints for what to study and ways to prepare for the exam.

14. Reorganize your notes.

Evaluate and reorganize your notes into what’s important, outlining important concepts, formulas dates and definitions so they’re easy to understand.

15. Pace yourself.

Make sure you stay focused and don’t burn yourself out. A great way to do so is to pace yourself rather than opting for the dreaded all-nighter. You can easily pace yourself by following tips like starting early, creating a study schedule and taking breaks when necessary!

16. Teach classmates.

Learning by teaching is a method that really works! If you work with a study buddy and explain concepts to one another, you’re re-learning the material all over again. It’s a great way to reinforce what you’ve learned and help someone in the meantime!

17. Revolve your focus.

Switching up your subjects is a helpful way to learn everything for your exams while preventing burnout on one topic. Make sure to switch it up before your eyes glaze over! That way, you can keep studying for longer periods of time while maintaining your focus.

18. Color code it.

Create a system that allows you to color code material that’s going to be on the exam by what’s most important, less important, etc. This will help you focus on the most pertinent information and prioritize the material.

19. Visualize.

If you’re a visual learner, it can help to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the concepts you’re learning relate to one another. This is especially beneficial when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another, like in science courses.

20. Make it fun.

It’s easier to focus if you adapt to studying by quizzing yourself, creating acronyms or rewarding yourself for a job well done. Create a game plan – literally – that allows you to accomplish tasks and be rewarded for each.

For example, why not reward yourself with a piece of chocolate or a sip of your coffee after you’ve accomplished a new chapter or allow yourself five minutes of free time for every chunk of material you digest?

You can even add in fun factors like power-ups every time you learn a new definition and lose a life, which means you add another definition to your list, when you get an answer wrong!

 

How to ace a job interview

Congratulations! You have just landed an interview for what could be a wonderful job. Now what?

A successful interview will be essential for you to lock in a job offer, and this is your chance to impress the interviewer enough to get hired.

Tips for Acing a Job Interview

Taking the time to prepare will make the interview process, which can be lengthy, run smoothly. You will be able to make the best possible impression at every job interview you go on.

Here’s advice on how to ace a job interview, including tips on every aspect of the interview from preparation through follow-up.

Conduct Company Research

Research should always be your first step after accepting an interview. Gathering background information on employers is crucial to successful interview preparation.

An employer will expect you to know something about the company, and expect you to know why you will fit in well there. You need to be prepared to answer the questions, “What do you know about our company”? and “Why do you want to work here?”

Knowing as much as possible about the company’s past performance and future plans can also help you better explain how you can add value to the company.

Before the interview, review the company’s website, particularly their “About Us” section. Also check out their LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social pages to see what information the company is sharing.

Review Glassdoor reviews, salaries, and interviewing information.

Don’t be afraid to contact your prospective employer to request details on the position you are interviewing for. The more information you have, the more comfortable you’ll feel while you’re talking to your interviewer.

Use Your Connections to Get the Inside Scoop

If you know someone who works at the organization or who can put you in touch with a current or former employee, you’ll be able to gather information that can give you an advantage over the other applicants.

Check LinkedIn to see if you have contacts at the company you can use to get insider information. If your college has an alumni network tap that, as well. Ask your connections about the interview process they went through when they were hired, ask what they like — and don’t like — about working for the organization. Learn as much as you possibly can about the company and the job for which you’re applying. It will help you know what to ask, as well as giving you insight into the role.

Take the Time to Practice

Practice makes perfect (or at least leads to improvement). Conduct practice interviews with a friend or family member, and ask for their feedback. You can also record or videotape your responses so you can review your answers and check your body language.

Prepare answers to commonly asked interview questions. Doing so will help you analyze your background and qualifications for the position. You don’t need to memorize answers, but having an idea of what you’re going to say will help you frame a solid response.

Also be ready to respond when you’re asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. Remember, you aren’t simply trying to get the job — you are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you.

The more you practice, the more self-assured you will feel walking into the interview. Your answers will feel natural, and interviewers will be impressed by your confidence.

Learn Behavioral Interviewing Techniques

In addition to standard interview techniques, behavior-based interviewing is becoming more common. It is based on the idea that a candidate’s past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Behavioral interviews involve you answering questions about how you have handled past situations at work.

The best way to prepare is to make a list of your skills, values, and interests as well as your strengths and weaknesses. For each item on the list, consider a time when you displayed that quality. Take the time to compile a list of responses to common behavioral interview questions.

When answering, describe the past situation, and how you successfully handled it. Make sure your answers are related to the job for which you are interviewing.

Prepare for Different Types of Interviews

It is important to know what type of interview you will have, so you can effectively prepare. For example, you will prepare differently depending on whether it is your first, second, or final interview.

Phone and Video Interviews

You will also have to practice using different technologies if it is a phone or video interview. For both, you’ll need a quiet place to interview, a time when you won’t be interrupted, and the technology necessary to smoothly handle the meeting. Take the time to make sure everything is in working order, and do a trial run, so you’re ready when it’s time for the actual interview.

Out of the Office Interviews

For a lunch or dinner interview, you will want to review polite dining tips before you go. Get to the restaurant a few minutes early, and expect the hiring manager to pick up the check. Check online to get a sense of appropriate attire to wear. You may also be able to review the menu to get ideas on what to order.

Interviewing over a cup of coffee is much less formal, even though it can be a stepping stone to a formal in-office interview. A casual interview is an excellent way to learn more about a potential employer and the people who work at the company. You’ll have more flexibility and opportunities to discuss the role in an informal setting.

Group Interviews

You might also have a group interview, in which you are either interviewed by a panel, or interviewed along with a group of candidates. For this kind of interview, you want to practice both answering questions and being a good listener (which you can show by responding thoughtfully to your group members’ comments and through your body language).

Make sure you know what kind of interview you will be having before you arrive. If you are unsure, do not hesitate to ask the employer or recruiter who set up the meeting.

Dress for Interview Success

You will want to decide what to wear before the interview day. Your first impression is very important, and what you wear is a big part of that first impression. Therefore, you want to make sure you look professional and appropriate for the work environment.

In general, for formal business interviews, men tend to wear a dark suit and tie, and women often wear a dark suit or a blouse with dark pants or a skirt. You should also limit accessories, make sure you are well groomed, your clothing fits you well, and your shoes are shined.

You will be able to dress more casually for a job at a startup, or a job at a place with a casual work environment. What’s important is to wear what’s a good fit for the corporate environment, but even when you’re interviewing at a workplace where nobody has heard the phrase “dress code” you don’t want to look like a slob. Neat and tidy business casual is a good option when you know that a suit isn’t going to be appropriate interview attire.

If you are unsure about what to wear, email or call the person who scheduled the interview and ask about the typical dress code. It is always a good idea to dress just a little bit more professionally than the dress code requires. Your goal is to make the best impression possible.

How to Handle the Day of the Interview

It is very important to be on time for the interview. On time means ten to 15 minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time or check out other options for getting there so you know exactly where you are going, how long it will take to get there, and what the transportation and parking situation looks like.

If you’re running late you’ll be stressed, and that’s no way to start an interview for what could be your new job.

Interview Etiquette

Remember that it’s not only the hiring manager who makes the decision on who to hire. Be polite and gracious to everyone you meet from the time you walk in the door to when you leave. The people you meet could be your future co-workers, so make the best impression on them that you can.

When you arrive, introduce yourself to the receptionist. Make sure you know the interviewer’s name and use it as soon as possible during the interview. If you’re not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview.

What (and What Not) to Bring

Remember to bring an extra copy of your resume, a list of references, and any work samples you want to show the employer. Bring a list of questions to ask the interviewer. It’s a good idea to bring a notepad and pen to take notes.

It’s also important to know what not to bring. Do not bring coffee, gum, or anything else not related to the job. Turn your phone off and put it away before you walk into the office.

Try to Stay Calm and Avoid Stress

If you’re nervous, visit the restroom before your interview, and wash and dry your hands so they aren’t sweaty. Take some deep breaths, and remember that this is only one interview and you’ve prepared as well as you can for it. If the interview goes wrong, it’s not the end of the world, and you may even be able to fix it.

During the interview, try to remain as calm as possible. Ask for clarification if you’re not sure what’s been asked and remember that it is perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to frame your responses so you can be sure to fully answer the question.

Also, remember that thorough preparation helps build confidence and relieve stress. The more you research the company, practice answering interview questions, and prepare for the day of the interview, the calmer and more confident you will feel.

Take the Time to Follow-Up

Even though you’ve finished the interview, you’re not quite done yet. End the interview with a thank you to the interviewer, and reiterate your interest in the position. Then follow-up with a personal thank you note or email message restating your interest. This is an opportunity to remind the employer of your qualifications, and to include any details you forgot to mention in the interview.

Avoid Common Interview Mistakes

In addition to doing everything right, it’s important to avoid doing the wrong thing when you’re trying to get hired for a new job or a promotion. What shouldn’t you do when interviewing? Check out the most common job interview mistakes, blunders, and errors interviewees make before you start getting ready to interview. Some of them are minor. Others can make or break your chances of getting hired.

Source: https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-2058574

A Day in the life of a TTU Grad Student

As told by former Tennessee Tech Master’s student

Any graduate student will tell you that life changes when you go into graduate school. While undergrad varies between intense and laid-back (given whatever major you are), graduate school is a much more focused and concentrated journey into academia. Pictures of burned out, exhausted students with 7 cups of coffee sorted under “grad student” litter stock image sites and google searches. People tell horror stories of forgotten deadlines and rejected proposals, presentations and publications and papers out the wazoo. But how realistic is that when looking at all graduate majors? Are you doomed to sleep-deprived months where you push yourself to the brink to meet harrowing deadlines? Maybe. Probably not. Hopefully not. All I can talk about is mine and some of my fellow colleagues’ experiences as grad students at Tennessee Tech. Hopefully I can paint a somewhat accurate picture of life as a TTU grad student.

What your life looks like depends on your major and concentration.

As Professional Science Master’s student with a concentration in Environmental Informatics and a graduate assistantship split between the School of Environmental Studies and School of Interdisciplinary Studies, a day in the life for me looked different depending on what day of the week it was. Since my major was interdisciplinary in nature, my program of study incorporated coursework in statistics, business, and GIS (geographic information system), and so my classes did not easily relate to one another.

Moreover, since my GA work was split between two schools, I had to parse out my time spent working on each school’s projects equally. These things, coupled with the variable schedules that both schools tended to have for their faculty, led me to have a bit of a perpetual professional and academic “identity crisis”. I was blessed with a flexible work schedule as a GA, but I had to constantly adjust my schedule according to school and work deadlines.

On days where my classes started later, I could sometimes afford to sleep in a bit and get some GA work in before class, but other days were packed from morning all the way until the evening. In addition, each semester’s schedule would be vastly different due to the nature of the classes and the work. Some semesters I found myself consistently being in the office earlier while other semesters I’d have to work late into the evening. I had more late nights at the office than I care to admit.

My GA work also shifted over time. I began my work doing mostly administrative tasks such as document formatting and conducting research for a lit review, so my days would be spent looking at word documents and doing archival research online.

Later on, my duties became more marketing-oriented, such as designing websites, flyers, posters, banners, newsletters, and presentations and recruiting, managing social media, networking, and correspondence. In addition, by my second year of my 2-year program, I started my capstone project which incorporated working as an intern with a supervisor in my field. So, in short, my days were incredibly varied and constantly shifting.

However, some programs necessitate rather strict routines for their students.

For instance, one friend of mine who was a pursuing a Master’s in Biology had a pretty different schedule from mine. She would get up at around 5 am to go into the lab to do work, then attend class, then teach a number of biology labs, and then try to fit in more lab work before going home and sleeping. Class time was heavily overshadowed by graduate thesis research, proposal writing, and teaching.

Often, she would be gone over the weekend to conduct sampling for various biology classes or graduate research projects. She seemed to have almost zero free time and was constantly running from one thing to the next. Talking to other graduate biology students revealed a similar schedule. There was a heavy focus on research, sampling, and teaching and a lighter focus on classwork.

Another program I got to see a more inside look of was the Masters of Business Administration. Since some of my courses fell into that program, I befriended some of the other MBA students I had class with. The general consensus was that the workload was heavy and demanding, and the teachers liked to challenge their students. One friend of mine had a particularly grueling schedule. She worked shifts at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center while simultaneously taking full-time hours and working as a GA for the College of Business. She was also in the process of applying to med school and taking the MCAT. She saw the MBA as giving her a competitive edge when applying to med school. This friend was perpetually working on something, and her schedule was ever-shifting and she was incredibly hard to track down sometimes.

So, daily life varies depending on your program. But one thing stays constant across all graduate majors…

Grad school life is a constant juggling act between work, school, and your personal life

Like I mentioned before, my days were split between classes and GA work. One thing that tended to be a struggle was the constant need to reprioritize my work. At some points, when a big test or paper was coming up, I’d need to shift my GA schedule to allow time to work on it. I would often come in on weekends to work after a particularly schoolwork-intensive week.

On the other time, there would be instances where big work deadlines would sneak up on me and I’d need to push schoolwork to the back burner to complete the GA work in time. When I began my internship that was yet another thing added to the plate of never-ending things that needed my attention. There were many times where I would feel like I’d gotten a great deal of work done in one sector of my life, only to realize that I had a bunch of things to catch up on in another area. This, of course, was the same for my other friends in grad school.

A social life is important to have, but you have to be strategic with your plans

Surprisingly enough, I still was able to maintain a personal life outside of school and work. I had never lived in Cookeville prior to going to Tennessee Tech for grad school, and it took me about a semester and a half until I was able to find some people I really clicked with. Those first months were quiet and focused, and I was a lot more productive on my own. But emotionally, I was very thankful when I did find people to spend time with on a regular basis. Often, I wouldn’t really talk a bunch about grad school because it was a relief to not have to talk about my work. It was nice to be able to sit back and not think and just laugh with friends.

Even still, I found times where my personal life would try to get in the way of grad school. I would get caught up in wanting to be around my friends all the time which would eat into my productivity. In response, I had to make sure to carefully plan out my days and mostly prioritize work over social time. While I wanted to spend time with all of my friends all of the time, I realized that I would only be more stressed if I continued to put off work, and my social life would eventually suffer as well due to that stress.

That’s why, no matter who you are or what grad program you’re in…

Remember to spend time alone to “reset”

One of the most important things I learned is that whatever I was doing, if I felt myself getting overwhelmed, I had to make sure to take a little bit of time alone to “cleanse my palate”. The most relaxing and healing times for me were often spent alone and outdoors, just reading or journaling. If anything, the mere act of scheduling time to just relax is helpful. It helped me remember that I could take time to rest and didn’t always have to be doing something.

In conclusion, grad school is different for everyone! But it poses a massive challenge and will stretch you in many ways. Each day will look different, even if you have a consistent schedule. If anything else, remember to expect the unexpected! This is a wonderful opportunity to grow in many ways.

Written by Amy Stafford

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