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Guide To Meetings With Your Advisor

Meetings with an advisor may be intimidating but are necessary avenues of communication in graduate school. The following suggestions are intended to make those meetings as productive as possible.

1. Be proactive: initiate the meeting. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Take the lead on discussing your plans, progress and even your concerns and challenges. Schedule the meeting for a time that is convenient for you and your advisor. Ask your advisor for a range of dates and times that may be suitable. In your email to advisors, you can provide a tentative agenda (see point #2) or a brief narrative (no more than a few sentences) of what you’d like to discuss. If you want feedback on written material, also mention this. (see point #4)

2. Prepare an agenda or a list of topics to discuss. Consider sharing this with your advisor ahead of time. Agendas are generally useful tools to guide the conversation as well as to ensure important and pressing matters to you and your advisor are addressed.  Be realistic about the time you have scheduled for your meeting as well as how many items you’d like to discuss. It may be helpful to prioritize the items of most immediate concern (personal or academic) on your agenda. These may require the most time and consideration.  (See the resources below for a sample meeting agenda.)

3. If and when you are comfortable, share personal circumstances that may be affecting or will affect your academic milestones, such as family plans or illness, planned travel, etc. Doing so can be challenging, and there will be some situations in which it may ultimately not be advisable. Nonetheless, sharing information about situations likely to affect your academic progress sets the stage for you and your advisor to have frank conversations about expectations.

4. If you’d like an advisor to review written material, plan to give your advisor ample time to review the material. Depending on your advisor’s schedule (Are they teaching? Do they have other advisees? Are they traveling?) and the amount of material you are sending, a good review of written materials may take some time. Consider one or two weeks of time for review; adjust the meeting date with this in mind.

5. Aim to have “next steps” clarified by the end of your meeting. Before ending your meeting, discuss reasonable time frames for feedback and progress on next steps. You may want to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss progress and other items that may not have been addressed during the current meeting.

6. Summarize meeting points, outcomes and next steps. It may be helpful to send the meeting points and notes to your advisor; reiterate key points in the discussion the next step planned or conclusion. Invite your advisor to review the notes and to respond if they have further thoughts on or disagree with any points. These notes may serve as reminders of what was discussed and what the next steps are. In some circumstances, these meeting notes may help to clarify and dispel misunderstandings.

Potential agenda items to consider or prepare:

  • Progress: What are you doing? How are you doing?
  • Specific help and feedback: What specific input and feedback do you need, by when, in what format
  • Academic/Professional Plans: Where are you going? Think about your goals and your timeline. Consider reviewing academic requirements. Review the written timeline you and your advisor have created together. Are you on track? Are there issues and concerns you have? Are you thinking of publishing? Are you ready to publish?
  • Trouble points and challenges: Can your advisor help or find resource for you?
  • Expectations and next steps for the next meeting

5 Things a Graduate Student Must Do 5 Months Before Graduating

Recently, I was working with a student who expects to graduate this coming spring (it is now early December). I realized that she was more forward thinking than many of my other students. She had developed a well-crafted resume; was thinking about letters of reference from professors, internship supervisors, and part-time employers; and was weighing whether she might need to relocate after graduation in order to find work. This got me to think about the ways in which graduate students should be planning now for when they walk on stage. Here are 5 things that all graduate students 5 months before graduating need to have done (or at least should be working on). Or, you can think of this as your winter semester break homework.

1. Consider Now Your Future Living Situation and Expenses You probably expected me to start the list with working on your resume. That’s important, but first and foremost you need to consider how you will support yourself after receiving your diploma. Will your living circumstances change after graduation? For instance, will you need to find a new home because a lease is up? If your paid internship is at an end, how will you support yourself? And most importantly, what will be your expenses? You must consider not only day-to-day expenses but also, long-term expenses like repaying student loans. Taking this “reality check” can be important in generating motivation for the other 4 things on my list! Looking at financial needs begs the question of the “bridge” job (Starbucks, but now on the other side of the counter) you might need to take while you are looking for “real” work. Though the overall national unemployment rate is low, it still will take you several months to find work. If you are not actively engaged in looking for work until the spring, how will you cover your expenses and where will you live for the 5-6 months it might take to find your first job in your field? And remember, moving back in with Mom and Dad can be a viable and a wise decision. (You might nudge your parents to take the storage out of your old room just in case).

2. Use the Benefits of Being a Student You are only a student for another 5 months. Even though as alum you will get certain benefits, they are never as significant as when you are a student. What courses, classes, or training (especially those that might not be for credit) should you take now, particularly those that position you better in the market? Have you taken a grant writing course? This is a must skill for those entering the not-for-profit or government sectors. Have you gone to the career services office for a resume or interview workshop? (Frankly, you should have done that long before now). If your health benefits end when you are no longer a student (on a student plan), what matters should you take care of while a student that might be difficult to do (or more expensive) afterwards? How about student discounts on computers and other technology (the latest version of…) you might need when you are no longer a student? Now is the time to take advantage of being a student. Find out about ALL the student discounts there are and use them.

3. Build Your Professional Relationships Now In school, you have the time to develop relationships with fellow students. But they are not as important to your career right now was those with professors and professionals. It is likely that you’ve come to admire and respect certain individuals. Maybe they taught a class that particularly inspired you. Or maybe you’ve connected through another means, like an internship. In any case, you need to “cement” those relationships now. Remind everyone that you are graduating soon (they can’t keep track of what you are doing, I know I can’t keep up with my students’ lives). Tell them about your plans, and possibly the need for a letter or reference for a job. Stop by their office hours (often underused) or ask them if they could do coffee with you to talk about your plans (they will likely treat you!) and ask them to look over your resume. Connect with them through LinkedIn (after you have updated your profile). Professors, especially part-time ones who might be working in the field, can be on the look out for you and offer some practical advice in your career exploration.

4. Tend to your Social and Online Media If you haven’t paid much attention to your presence online and social media, it’s time to do it! Are you on LinkedIn? Is it up-to-date? Is the photo professional looking? How about Facebook? I do not use Facebook for professional connections, only family and friends. Even if you set up Facebook for only personal matters, a potential employer might still be able to access your profile. Being overly political or sharing too much about your social life could put off an employer. You should spend time googling yourself and not for ego gratification. Are there things about you online that might give someone a reason not to hire you? Clean them up.

5. Work on Your Overall Appearance: Paper and Physical Presentation takes a number of forms. When looking for work, most think about resumes, cover letters, and other “paper” that represent you. Is your resume up to date? Well-formatted? Have you thought about the skills and abilities (ones that you have and are now building in the next 5 months) that you need to integrate into your resume? If you are looking for different types of work, your resume needs to be “malleable” – that is, one that you can revise to reflect different types of jobs: research vs. policy vs. education, etc. Do you have a business card that provides contact information? Have you started to work on a template for a cover letter?  Presentation also reflects your physical appearance and presence. Are you taking care of yourself? Will you need to improve (or change) your appearance before looking for work? This will require you considering the culture of the employer. The purple hair and nose-ring that reflected your identity as a student might not be the image you want to present to potential employers. Though your uniqueness is important, you can always put on the nose-ring after hours. Time to let the purple grow out. Physically also relates to well being. Are you well-rested, eating properly, and getting exercise? Do you have a regime that you can continue that seeks balance, includes exercise, a good diet, and even meditation? Creating healthy habits now will enhance your stamina and focus, and reduce stress for when you start the more active process of looking for work. You’ve got 5 months to go. Use your time wisely. You will be pounding the pavement before you know it. Now is the time to prepare for battle. David J. Smith is the author of Peace Jobs: A Student’s Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace(Information Age Publishing, 2016). He serves on PCDN’s Career Advisory Board and is also president of the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education, Inc. David teaches part-time at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. He can be reached at https://davidjsmithconsulting.com or davidjsmith@davidjsmithconsulting.com.

Beating The Grad School Blues

I am a second year Ph.D. student in the Ecology program at UNC-Chapel Hill. This semester, I have been teaching, taking classes, mentoring, and also working on my first manuscript from my current research. Exciting, right? Well, not exactly. It is stressful and sometimes just hard to keep up with everything. At times, it is even difficult to see why I came to grad school in the first place. I am feeling the Grad School Blues.

But I am not alone in this feeling, I know because I have been hearing similar things from other starting graduate students. Everyone is questioning their research, their intelligence, and why they willingly signed up for this. I have been trying to come up with some small ways that I can tackle these blues, while still being productive (because who has the actual time not to?). Over the last couple months I have tried several techniques to beat my Grad School Blues and I have compiled several of the simplest ones in this post.

Now it may not work for everyone, but here is how I have been tackling my Grad School Blues:

  1. Get a cup of tea/coffee. I find this one particularly helpful as it gets me up and moving, while also warming me up in my cold office. It is a nice little break that usually improves my motivation and just makes me a bit happier. Added bonus from caffeine if you pick coffee!
  2. Listen to your productive music. I know that not everyone can be productive while listening to music but if you can, it is important to find that one genera/style of music that gets you pumped up and motivated. (For example, when I am losing my ambition and starting to crash, I need my Irish Punk. I know it is weird but that music works magic on my productivity.)
  3. Little victories. I like to make sure that I have some easily accomplished tasks on my to-do list at all times so when I’m absolutely stuck I know I can complete one of them. For example, I may leave grading on my to-do list for when I have absolutely no idea how to continue with my statistical analysis of my research. I know I can grade my student’s assignments fairly easily so it allows me to feel productive at a point when I want to just give up. This trick has been particularly helpful as the semester draws to an end and everything is piling up and I feel the pressure to constantly be productive.
  4. Find a new working location. I am the kind of person that constantly needs to move around and fidget while I work. When I am feeling defeated about my coding, my best solution is to get up and find a new place to work. Sometimes just moving to my lab is sufficient, but other times it is desperate and I need to find a coffee shop on the other side of campus. I think a change of location is great as it gets you moving again and also gives you the freedom to work in whatever environment suits you best.
  5. Ask for help! Finally, if nothing is making you feel like you belong in grad school or you lose faith in your research, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help. My advisor and postdoc are both great to talk to when I feel discouraged about what I am doing. They talk through why I wanted to start this research in the first place and remind me that what I am doing does matter! It is a great confidence reminder when your lab group can support you and encourage your research. However, I know not every lab has a huge support group so also don’t be afraid to talk to fellow grad students! I can go talk to any second year student (or others as well) in my cohort and they either have doubts in their abilities or have had those doubts. I think it is extremely important to express your concerns about your status in grad school and attempt to chat through them with someone who will at least listen. At the very least, they can complain with you about how difficult this time in life is!

I hope that these little tips can help you to overcome those grad school blues that you may be facing! Feel free to share any additional ideas that you may have that help you out because let’s be honest, there is never enough advice to help us get through this!

How Is Grad School Different From College

Whether you have just earned a bachelor’s degree or been working for years in your chosen industry, enrolling in graduate school is an academic culture shock. While most people view the upper echelons of higher education as a simple continuation of their earlier studies, the reality is that graduate school requires a far greater commitment of time, money and determination. Knowing the major difference between these two programs will help you avoid the pitfalls many unprepared students stumble over.

More Rigorous Checkpoints

The GRE, the standardized entrance exam for graduate school, requires more advanced verbal and math skills and an additional analytical essay than the pre-college SAT. The criteria for admissions are also different. Digging deeper than grades and extracurricular activities, grad schools emphasize recommendations, professional experiences and application interviews. They want to ensure that you are capable of meeting deadlines under a rigorous workload and can collaborate with a team yet work independently.

Most programs require that you carry a minimum 3.0 GPA, but some institutions set higher standards. Instead of passing classes and turning in a final project to graduate from college, you must now pass comprehensive exams at various checkpoints to continue in the program. The final step in reaching doctoral candidate status is the faculty committee’s acceptance of your dissertation proposal.

A More Intimate Campus Experience

Since most grad students don’t live in campus dorms and classmates are more diverse in age, backgrounds and professional experiences, your social life will also be much different than your previous undergraduate experiences. While many universities still offer Greek programs, student government positions and other intramural activities for grad students, the demands of your studies leave little room for free time. Your social circle will largely consist of other students and faculty members in your department.

A Different Philosophy on Education

There is a vast difference in how grad school approaches education. Three courses are a full load because the requirements for each class are more intense. Rather than sitting anonymously in a lecture hall, you will attend small seminars where you are expected to participate in discussions about the thousands of pages on your required reading list. There are many opportunities for team projects, but most of your studies are self-directed and independently researched. You’ll also attend conferences, lectures and readings outside of the classroom.

As your program progresses, more time is spent on independent studies. This freedom in what and when you learn comes at a price. You must be self-motivated to seek out new information on your own, and the flexible schedule requires exceptional time-management and prioritization skills. A whole new set of study skills is also necessary since the bulk of your work consists of researching and writing in-depth analytical papers.

Delving Deeper into Your Profession

The purpose of enrolling in graduate courses is to gain a greater understanding of your field. Gone are the days of taking broad general education studies. Since you are required to declare your specialty as an entering grad student, you immediately jump into specialized courses. Cultivating professional contacts within the industry is crucial, so you will also spend time building strong relationships with your department faculty, peers and industry thought leaders. Fellowships, apprenticeships and collaborative research projects with professors boost your professional opportunities.

Constructing Knowledge

Grad students are not only required to consume knowledge but also critically analyze it, develop original opinions about it and then apply it in a way that furthers their academic discipline. You will become a master at gathering information, creating hypotheses, designing research projects and publicly presenting your ideas. The goal of your final dissertation is to introduce new knowledge into your field.

On the Art of Selecting a Graduate Program

After taking into account the costs of pursuing a graduate degree, you now move on to one of the most stressful parts of your graduate experience: deciding which program is right for you. As a graduate student in the seventh (and final) year of my doctoral program with a remarkably large group of friends who have pursued graduate degrees, I have spent a lot of time talking to those applying to graduate school in a variety of fields and listening to what did and didn’t work for them, as well as the regrets that they had once the process was over.

By Benjamin Sawyer   // October 16, 2012

Benjamin Sawyer is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at Michigan State University and Development Editor for GradHacker. You can follow him on twitter at @ben_sawyer.

After taking into account the costs of pursuing a graduate degree, you now move on to one of the most stressful parts of your graduate experience: deciding which program is right for you. As a graduate student in the seventh (and final) year of my doctoral program with a remarkably large group of friends who have pursued graduate degrees, I have spent a lot of time talking to those applying to graduate school in a variety of fields and listening to what did and didn’t work for them, as well as the regrets that they had once the process was over. I therefore offer the following suggestions to all those who are now ready to proceed with the application process:

 

1) Familiarize Yourself with the Field You Want to Enter
One of the first things to keep in mind is that the reputation of a university as a whole does not equal the reputation of a university’s departments. In other words, just because most people imagine a university to be a “good school” doesn’t mean that it has the best grad program for you. Therefore, if you want to spend the next several years of your life engaged in a particular type of research, make sure you know the best programs for that type of research. Though rankings systems such as US News and World Report can give you some idea as to the best programs for a particular program or specialty, there are very real reasons to be wary of using these reports as an end-all guide to programs (for example, US News and World Report’s rankings of doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities “are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to academics in each discipline”), so make sure you talk to your undergraduate advisors and do your own research on the nuances of a given program before you decide to spend your time applying.

 2) Investigate the success rate of graduates from different programs
A graduate program can have the best faculty in the world, but that won’t matter much if you end up unable to gain the support to finish your research and land a job that will satisfy you. Thus it is wise to consider the success of past graduates in both securing the financial means required to complete their degree and their success on the job market following the completion of their degree. While the latter is fairly easy to find out, the former requires knowing the types of resources that are available to graduate students in your field, university, and department. For example, those in the humanities and social sciences can look at the list of students who have received Fulbright IIE, Fulbright DDRA, SSRC and other such grants as a gage of which school’s students have seen the most success in attracting significant external funding (though one should always factor in the size of a program when doing this). Also, most departments and universities will provide information on the types of internal fellowships and awards they offer to their students for research and writing, as well as those who received them, on their websites. Get to know this information, and don’t hesitate to ask any questions of grad directors or other professors if you can’t locate this information on your own.

3) Attempt to make contact
Once you’ve narrowed your list, take a minute to send out an email to the professors that you’ve identified as potential advisors. Though the information you’ll get from this can be limited, it can also be quite helpful. For example, some professors may not be taking graduate students, and knowing this could save you time and a $60 application fee. Other professors may give you more info about the program that may make you reconsider applying. In my personal experience, however, the general “thanks for writing, I’m taking graduate students” email that I got back from most professors made me feel that taking the time to apply to that school was a good idea, and helped to curb some of the feelings of confusion and doubt that goes along with this process.
In addition to contacting professors, I also would suggest that applicants take a minute to email a senior graduate student who is currently working with the professor they’ve identified as a potential advisor. Graduate students who have been in the program for a while can give you a lot of insight into the daily life of graduate students in that program, and their info is usually posted on their department’s website. Though I know I do not speak for all graduate students, I do not think I am alone in saying that I’ve always been happy to answer any questions that applicants have had about my program and advisor.

4) Cast a wide net
I will admit that all those I’ve spoken with do not share this opinion, but I still believe that it’s better to apply to too many programs than too few. As a former applicant, I know that application fees can add up, but I still think that having more options about where you’ll spend the next 2-7 years of your life will end up being worth the extra $250 you’ll spend on another 3 applications. Though you should be realistic as to which programs will consider you (you’re probably not getting into a top school with a 2.7 GPA and a bottom-end GRE score), don’t not apply to a program because you’ve decided that you’re not smart enough to be there or because you think a top program won’t consider you because you went to a less-known undergraduate institution. If you have a strong application, apply where you want to go. As most grad students will attest, the results of the application process rarely turn out the way you expect, and the only way to ensure you won’t be accepted to a program is not to apply.

 

Choosing a Program Now that You’ve Received Your Acceptances
Okay, now we’ve fast forwarded 4-6 months and you, my friend, are the bell of the ball. You’ve received a few acceptance letters from programs and advisors who are very excited to have you take on their good name, and now you must pick the lucky winner. Of course, you’ll want to evaluate the programs based on the criteria listed above; you’d be crazy to turn down a top-ranked program with a solid graduate success rate and an excited advisor when your only other option is what you considered a “fallback.” But given that applicants often find themselves facing a choice between one or more equal schools, here are a few suggestions that may help you make the right choice.

 

1) Consider your funding package carefully
There are a variety of issues to consider when figuring the actual value of your funding package that may not seem obvious at first. As a completely random example, consider that Michigan State University offers you a stipend of $13,000 a year, and UCLA offers you a stipend of $18,000. Though the $5,000 more that UCLA offers you may sound great, the difference in the cost of living between Los Angeles and East Lansing probably makes the real value of the UCLA stipend less than that offered by MSU. Then again, the University of California schools offer graduate students the opportunity to register as “in absentia” during quarters spent researching away from the university, meaning that students living abroad can maintain their status as an enrolled graduate student and keep their university-provided insurance for nearly no cost. These factors affect the overall cost of attending graduate school, and are well worth taking into account when picking a program.
Of course, there is always the chance that you will not be offered a funding package. For professional degree programs such as a MBA or a MLIS program, this is fairly common and nothing to be alarmed about. For those in the humanities, social sciences and other programs not being offered any funding guarantee is (in my opinion) a good cause to jump straight to number 4 below.

2) Consider the university’s location
Though I don’t think that a university’s location should determine where you apply, I think it is a valuable way to break a tie between places you’ve been accepted. I say this for two reasons. First of all, there are a number of perks that come with attending a university that is located in a major metropolitan area, or is close to other research universities. These include access to multiple libraries, and the expanded opportunities that come from university collaborative such as the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. Second, you’re not just picking a school, you’re picking a place to spend several intense years of your life. If cold winters and gray skies get you down, you should probably choose University of Texas-Austin over Northwestern. If you hate crowded urban spaces and traffic, you might want to pick IU-Bloomington over the University of Southern California. Though this may seem superficial, enjoying the place where you live makes it much easier to take the stresses that come with daily life as a graduate student.

3) Visit the universities
One of the best parts about being accepted to graduate programs is that departments often provide accepted students with the financial means to attend recruitment events. Attend all of these that you can. These are great events that provide you with a chance to meet your potential advisor and colleagues, to get to know those who may be in your cohort, and to see the town in which you may soon live. Though this may end up doing little to change your personal rankings, the experience will almost certainly make you feel much more secure about your decision to attend that graduate school. In some cases, however, a visit will make you realize just how bad an idea it would be to attend that program, in which case you should not be afraid to……

4) Take a year off if you need to
There’s no reason to fear taking a year off. I’ve heard people say “if you take a year off, you may never go back,” and I’ve always said that if that happens, you’re probably better off (as Craig Ferguson said about comedy, I’m convinced you should only go into academia “because you can’t not do it”). I have a friend who got into his first choice program in physics, went to visit, and decided the program wasn’t right for him. He took a year off, reapplied the next fall, and is now happily studying at a university that is much better for him. I highly recommend that anyone in a similar situation do the same, especially if the only programs that have accepted you have offered funding packages to the majority of those accepted, but have offered you nothing.

In conclusion, I think what should be clear here is the importance of gaining as much information as possible about the schools you are considering. Though it may be exhausting, this information gathering process will ultimate help ensure that the first step of your graduate school experience is a mighty one.

I am, of course, just one graduate student, and my knowledge is shaped by the fact that I am a historian. If you have something to add to my analysis please share in the comments section below!

Source: Inside Higher Ed; On the Art of Selecting a Graduate Program

What to Expect From Graduate School

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Let’s get this out of the way. Attending graduate school is different than college.

Getting a masters degree or Ph.D. is a different experience than earning a certificate, associates degree or bachelors degree.

Sure, all require you to attend classes taught by experienced professors, but that is the extent to which they are similar. Where undergraduate programs provide you with a basic foundation in your field of interest, a masters degree or Ph.D. program builds upon that knowledge, allowing you to specialize within that field. Your work is more directed, and you are less supervised by professors who serve more as a guide and mentor than an undergraduate professor.

Because most class sizes are smaller, participation is especially important.

Having prior work experience can help immensely with the transition into life as a graduate student. Undergraduate students may complete an internship before the end of their senior year, if they plan on heading right to graduate school. Some people choose to wait a year or more after graduation to get their masters degree so they can gain real world experience that will help them with their research.

The Graduate School Classroom

So what exactly is it like to attend a masters degree program? Expect to do a lot of reading in your graduate program, maybe more reading than you’ve ever done in your life. Keep up with it as best as you can. Do not expect to go to class and have a professor read an outline to you, detailing all information in the assigned reading. This practice is reserved for undergraduates who are just being introduced to the material for the first time. Rather, masters degree and Ph.D. professors will conduct discussions on the topic, allowing room for questions, concerns and new ideas.

Depending on your focus and the undergraduate school attended, your prior research paper assignments may have not been held to the strictest of standards. An acceptable graduate research paper will demonstrate more complex sentence structure and will be more scholarly in nature. Rather than answering a broad question, you will delve deeper to examine a small, but relevant aspect of the topic. With these research papers, you should expect more criticism from your professors and your peers. Learn from this criticism, and you are well on your way to becoming a successful graduate student.

Your research assignments should prepare you for your writing your thesis, or your final research paper required to get your masters degree. Choosing a thesis topic can be seem overwhelming if you’ve never completed a project of that size. Keep in mind that successful thesis papers are written by organized, planned and dedicated students.

A graduate student is a leader and an independent thinker. Thus they must lead and fully participate in discussions and seminars. If they don’t understand a concept after class, they do not wait for someone to hand them the answer. They remain proactive in their education, trek down to the library and research to answer their question. The speed at which the internet can retrieve information is especially valuable for graduate students. Often students have links bookmarked to help them in their graduate studies.

Because most class sizes are smaller, participation is especially important. Sometimes, you will have to support your thoughts and ideas during a discussion or debate.

Graduate School Research

Beyond the classroom, you will be sharing your research with others by presenting it at seminars and by having your papers published. Your research will culminate in writing a thesis or a dissertation. Don’t be modest or humble about your research. You never know who will be interested in it, and more importantly who is willing to partner with you to conduct it. For both research and class work assignments, reading and keeping up to date on the industries practices are important to having the most relevant research.

Networking is especially important at graduate school. It is here that you have the potential to form long lasting friendships and business partnerships. In graduate school, most networking is done at the these seminars. Nobody is going to know what you are interested in, or what work you have done unless you present it. Networking is also common at an internship or apprenticeship completed while doing their graduate studies.

Life After Graduate School

Graduate students who already have a career, and were taking the degree program in order to advance in that career have less to worry about after graduation. However, those students in their last year of studies and do not have a job in their prospective field should begin their career search immediately. There’s some good news and some bad news when it comes to the job search. Bad news first: The search process is most likely going to take a while. The good news: If you keep your search diligent and focused, you should expect to land a full-time position.

Because of the still shaky state of the economy, some graduate schools have extended their career services to recent graduates who are having trouble securing a job. For example, in 2009, Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management assigned career advisers to each student at the beginning of the school year. By the end of the year, 95% were well on their way to starting their careers.

Source: Campus Explorer; What to Expect From Graduate School

Tips for Scoring High on Your Next Job Interview

Your Interview Score Sheet

Now that your outstanding resume and tenacious job-seeking efforts have paid off, you’ve been invited to interview with your chosen prospective employer.  You’ve worked hard to find the right position with the right organization, your focus now is on sealing the deal.

This is where your best interviewing skills will come into play; your chance to show this company why you’re their top candidate.  If you are like me, the prospect of this interview is cause for a little bit of nervousness.

Use that Nervous Energy

The trick is to take advantage of that nervousness.  Somewhere between being so relaxed that you don’t appear to care about the outcome of the interview, and being so nervous that you’re paralyzed with fear, is a happy medium where your anticipation keeps you at the top of the game.

For the purposes of this interview, don’t view your heightened nerves as something to be feared or dreaded.  Instead, view them as a tool to keep you alert, sensitive and lively.  Approaching your nervousness this way will be a good start to a great interview.

By the time you walk into the interview you will have already done your homework, studied for possible questions, and rehearsed several scenarios in preparation.  Some of you final preparations will be to remind yourself of the general criteria by which you’ll be judged in your interview.

They will probably include evaluation of your:

  • Enthusiasm
  • Communication skills
  • Success record
  • Rational thought process
  • Maturity
  • Planning and organizational skills
  • Ability to work under pressure

Turn Up the Tact

Do your best to highlight your strengths and answer about your weaknesses tactfully.  Whatever you do, though, don’t try to fake your performance on any of the above categories.  It will likely show that you’re trying too hard.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys being scored or rated for your accomplishments, thinking about these possible criteria might be a useful way to keep yourself focused and on-track.  On the other hand, if being judged or scored is a nerve wracking thought, don’t think about these criteria during the interview.  Simply plan out your material ahead of time.

The important thing to consider here is that your interviewer will be watching your behavior, responses and questions to gain helpful insights about you.  Be prepared and be yourself.

Credit: Celarity, Tips for Scoring High on Your Next Job Interview

How To Save On College Textbooks

Textbooks have long been a significant expense for college students, and they’ve only gotten pricier in recent years. Vox reports that textbook prices have risen almost as quickly as tuition, and students spend an average of $1,200 annually on textbooks. Because of how much money even a single book can cost, almost two-thirds of students say they don’t buy the textbooks for their courses at all.

One reason textbooks are so pricey is that they’re surprisingly expensive to produce: Vox estimates that the cost of making just one textbook can reach $750,000 due to all the workers who research, edit, and distribute the text. These books also have a short shelf life. In STEM fields, new discoveries are made almost daily, which means textbooks must be updated constantly. This shortens the cycle of production for new editions from roughly every five years to every two or three years. Consequently, expensive books become obsolete very quickly.

A lack of competition in the industry may also contribute to high textbook prices. A report from BusinessInsider points out that most textbooks come from one of five publishing companies: Pearson Education, Scholastic, McGraw-Hill Education, Cengage Learning, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. These five publishers produce about 80% of textbooks and charge high prices with little concern for the consumer.

The term “textbook” typically conjures to mind 800-page chemistry textbooks, and these are often the texts that cost upwards of $300, with new editions arriving every other year. But other kinds of books drive up your bill each semester, too. Liberal arts classes in fields like English or history may not require one expensive textbook, but many assign several novels or plays. Though each may only cost $10-$15, it’s not uncommon for professors to assign several books per course, and the cumulative cost may exceed $100 in some classes. Additionally, some of the other resources we refer to as “textbooks” are expensive, single-use items like workbooks for math classes or lab notebooks for science courses.

So what can be done to combat this expense? Professors usually submit their textbook selections to a campus bookstore, where prices are at their highest. Before you buy, consider other options to mitigate the cost of your textbooks.

Buy Used Textbooks

Perhaps the easiest remedy is to buy your books used. University bookstores will often offer used copies of textbooks for a lower price. Websites like Amazon, Chegg, and OTHER act as marketplaces for people to resell their old textbooks, where prices are often lower than at university bookstores.

When buying online, there are a few things to keep in mind. Many textbooks have older editions floating around — which might have different page numbers, new sections missing, or outdated information — so it’s easy to accidentally buy the wrong edition if you aren’t careful. Make sure that the ISBN (a 10- or 13-digit number that should be listed on the school bookstore website or teacher’s syllabus) of the book you’re buying matches the ISBN of the book you’ve been assigned.

Also be aware that shipping from online retailers can take weeks, depending on the site and the method of shipping. Many professors will expect their students to have copies of the text by the second or third week, so if you order online and the book doesn’t arrive promptly, you may need to borrow from one of your classmates.

Outside of those conventional methods, you should explore options like buy/sell Facebook groups for students at your school. Many professors reuse the same textbook from semester to semester, so you may be able to get a deal from a student who took the class previously. Additionally, larger campuses may attract competing bookstores that offer the same texts for slightly lower prices.

Not all textbooks can be purchased used. Aforementioned resources like lab notebooks and workbooks must be purchased new. Other textbooks may come with an online access code that’s needed to view some of the materials, including required homework assignments, These access codes are often available only with the purchase of a new copy. In the case of brand new books, used copies may be unavailable.

Rent Textbooks

Campus bookstores and some of the bigger textbook sites, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, allow students to rent textbooks. This is usually even cheaper than buying a book used, but comes with a few caveats. You cannot significantly mark up or damage the textbook, so if you’re a student who likes to highlight, underline, or annotate in the margins — or if you have a pet who gets toothy with nearby books — renting may not be for you.

Renting also means that the book must be returned by a certain date; make sure that the due date is after your final exams so you have access to the material for the entire term. Campus bookstores generally ensure their rental dates line up with the academic calendar, but other websites may not, so double-check before renting.

In case of damage or late returns, rental agreements typically require students to pay the full price of the textbook, so be aware of your obligations before renting.

Buy Digital Textbooks

Many textbooks are available in digital formats, which are usually cheaper than their physical copies. These editions are usually identical to the paper textbook, but may be optimized for specific hardware like iPads, Kindles, or Windows PCs. Make sure your computer works with the digital copy before you buy it.

As the digital textbook marketplace grows, companies have developed innovative solutions for the modern classroom: Vox reports that some textbook publishers have even launched subscription services. These allow you to pay an annual fee that guarantees you digital access to every textbook that the publisher offers.

A recent article from Wired also details the rising prevalence of open educational resources from providers like OpenStax, which offer free digital textbooks also written by experts in their respective fields.

Wait Until Syllabus Day

Sometimes waiting until the first day of class can help you save money on textbooks, too. In the case of introductory and general education courses, sometimes the department assigns a textbook to all sections of a class, a textbook that the instructor has perhaps opted not to use. In these cases, they might assign PDF scans from the textbook or articles online, alleviating your need to buy the book.

In other cases, professors may change the book requirements between when you signed up for the course and the first class meeting. If you buy all of the listed books before the first day of class, you may wind up purchasing books the professor has decided not to teach from.

Some classes may have optional textbooks or supplementary texts for graduate students (if the course enrolls undergraduates and graduate students side-by-side), delineations that the campus bookstore won’t be aware of. Unless your course specifically requires you to use certain books before the first class, wait until your professor has reviewed the syllabus before you buy anything.

Resell Textbooks

Once the semester ends, you may find you don’t need a textbook anymore. If you want to get your money back, the easiest thing to do is sell anything you purchased back to the campus bookstore. You can recoup some of your expenditure by selling these textbooks back (especially that revised edition of a book you had to buy new), and there are several ways to do so.

Campus bookstores will usually buy your books back at the end of the semester. You return your books, they scan them into their system, and you walk away with cash. Be aware that the campus bookstore will not pay full price for your used book, and that you may only get a small fraction of your initial outlay back.

Other online marketplaces offer opportunities for you to sell the book at your own price, but also require a bit more work on your end. You may not find a buyer for all of your books, and even if you do, you’ll need to find a way to ship anything you sell.

You can also take advantage of the online campus groups mentioned earlier to sell the book directly to other students at your school. Joining major-specific student groups can also increase the likelihood of finding someone who wants to buy your book, and you should thoroughly investigate these options.

Credit: Best Colleges. Addressing the Need for Cheap College Textbooks

Grad School or Work? How To Balance Both

Achieving work-life balance with a full-time job can feel stressful enough. Add to that the responsibilities of grad school and it may feel downright impossible. So why bother taking the leap?

In today’s job market, the benefits of a master’s degree are clear. Not only can a degree help you gain specialized knowledge that advances your career, but it can also make it easier to transition to senior-level positions, increase your earning potential, and enhance your professional network.

Employers take notice, too. According to one report, 33 percent of organizations prefer to hire people with master’s degrees for positions typically held by those with only a bachelor’s. That’s great news for degree holders, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an 18 percent increase in the number of jobs that require a master’s degree over the next three years. Even better: Advanced degree holders will earn an average of $1.38 million more than bachelor’s degree holders over their lifetime.

If you’re still on the fence about deciding to pursue a graduate degree, rest assured that with proper planning and focus, managing grad school and work will be easier than you think. Here are six tips to help you make it happen.

Grad School or Work: 6 Tips for Balancing Both

1. Pick The Right Program

The key to striking a balance among work, grad school, and your personal life is finding a program that best suits your needs—both academically and logistically.

Finding a Program That’s an Academic Fit

It’s important to really research the programs you’re interested in to be sure their goals and objectives meet yours. Gather information both by reading all offered materials and by gaining some first-hand insight into the way the programs operate. To do this, seek out current students and faculty, and ask about their experiences and what you can expect during your time in the program. Keep all your research organized and review it in-depth before making a decision.

Finding a Program That’s a Logistical Fit

Working professionals must take into account their work and personal schedules when considering grad school, as the pursuit of a degree will be a time commitment. However, there are an array of program format options that students can choose from to best align with their availability.

For example, nighttime classes may best complement a nine-to-five job, where those who want added flexibility and minimize commute times—or simply want to explore programs further away—might find that online classes offer the flexibility they need. Universities like Northeastern offer an array of full-time, part-time, online, hybrid, and on-ground graduate programs to best fit the needs of all working professionals, no matter what those needs may be.

2. Manage Your Time

People today pride themselves on their ability to multitask, but research shows that it doesn’t actually make us productive. In fact, multitasking hinders our ability to get our work done effectively. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), jumping from one task to another can actually cause a 40 percent loss in productivity. For this reason, it’s important to know how best to manage your time when balancing graduate school and work.

Avoid the “Planning Fallacy”

The most common culprit of stress for grad students is the “planning fallacy”—or overestimating the time it will take to complete short tasks, and underestimating the time it takes to complete projects. To avoid this, the APA suggests keeping track of how you spend your time. Account for every hour in your week, whether it’s showering, working, commuting, cooking, or sleeping. When you need extra time for assignments, review your logbook and reprioritize.

After tracking how you spend your time, it becomes easier to establish clear boundaries, which can help with time management, as well. Map out a schedule that works with your prior commitments the night before and stick to it. If you allot 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for coursework, for example, don’t start late at 7:30 p.m. Likewise, resist the urge to burn 10 minutes by checking email or social media during your dedicated study periods. If you need extra help staying on-task, there are a variety of mobile and desktop applications that will let you block certain sites for a period of time to stop you from procrastinating.

Practice Risk Management

Joe Griffin, Associate Vice President of Business Development and associate teaching professor in the Master of Science in Project Management program at Northeastern, suggests that, to balance work and school, grad students should identify risks, analyze them, then plan a risk response strategy.

“This could be as simple as realizing you don’t work well at night,” he says. “Plan a coursework strategy that mitigates the risk of unproductivity. Set aside time in the morning for working and let people know that is ‘your’ time. Set up a process that works for you—even if it’s at 2 a.m.—and stick to it.”

Experts say that utilizing all three of these suggestions—knowing how to avoid planning fallacies, establishing study boundaries, and practicing risk management—will help you manage your time better and achieve that optimum work-life balance.

3. Find ways to Apply Coursework to Your Career

 In some instances, it’s important to keep your career and school work separate: You shouldn’t check work email during class, and you shouldn’t complete assignments during work hours. In the right situations, however, combining the two can actually be beneficial and ultimately save you time and energy.

Likely your professional work and your studies are closely related, so when you’re assigned projects in graduate school, consider how they may relate or could be applied to your current job. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to highlight a case study at work or brainstorm ways to develop new processes or workflows within your department.

Putting your coursework into practice or tying your work to your assignments will allow you to better understand the parallels in what you’re learning, a practice which will come in handy post-graduation, as well.

4. Make Time for Yourself 

It’s tempting to prioritize grad school responsibilities over everything else in your life—it can feel like a lofty, expensive commitment that deserves top billing in your day. When you’re learning how to make time management work for you, though, it’s important not to forget to take breaks for yourself.

This might mean spending an hour reading a book you enjoy, going for a walk, or zoning out while watching TV. No matter what that “break” looks like to you, though, your brain needs this the time to unplug. Then, when you return to your responsibilities, you will be able to do so with a more energized and refreshed mindset.

5. Tap Your Network For Support

Managing grad school, work, and your personal responsibilities alone won’t be easy. Be candid and upfront with your friends and family about your new schedule, and learn when to ask for help. These key people in your life—including your coworkers and supervisors—should be informed of any conflicts that may arise due to coursework or study times. Maintain an open line of communication with them in order to keep your relationships from becoming strained due to this added layer to your life.

Your network extends beyond those people closest to you, however. Lean on classmates and faculty who can best relate to grad school experience. Knowing you can reach out to them when you’re struggling with a concept or assignment will help ease your mind when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just remember to return the favor, and be helpful and open to others who may be experiencing the same struggles.

Real-World Example: Scott Whear, a grad student pursuing his Master of Science in Project Management degree at Northeastern, was worried that pursuing a graduate degree would be difficult and stressful, but quickly learned that, with the right support system in place, it didn’t have to be. “With all the resources and committed staff that Northeastern has, you’re getting the cream of the crop to help you every step of the way,” he says.

Creating and maintaining effective relationships—both personally and professionally—takes work, but doing so can have a lasting positive effect on your grad school experience, and make balancing school work with your career a lot more bearable.

6. Keep Your End Goal in Mind 

While navigating the balance between grad school and work can feel overwhelming at times, it’s important to remember to take a step back and think about why you started. Whether you enrolled to earn a promotion, get a raise, or transition careers altogether, taking the time to reflect on that can help inspire you to continue working hard in pursuit of your goals.

What’s more, if you can learn to effectively manage your time, balance your responsibilities, and enjoy this opportunity to connect with the best in the industry, you will graduate with more than just a degree—you will leave your program with skills that have value that extends beyond your time in school.

Consider all these strategies for balancing work and grad school, then take the next step in your professional journey.

Credit: Northeastern University Graduate Programs, Grad School or Work? How to Balance Both

Mentally Preparing For Graduate School: What You Need To Know

Whether you’re considering going to graduate school, in the process of applying, or already enrolled, there is a lot of preparation that goes into becoming a graduate student.

The good news is: earning a graduate degree a wise investment. The number of jobs that prefer a master’s degree is projected to increase 18 percent by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and more than a third of employers are hiring professionals with a master’s degree for positions previously held by those with a bachelor’s.

Earning a graduate degree will equip you with more than just a competitive advantage, however; you could also increase your salary potential. Individuals with a master’s degree are estimated to earn an average $1.38 million more over their lifetime than bachelor’s degree holders.

Follow the steps below to better prepare yourself for success in graduate school.

How to Mentally Prepare for Graduate School

You overcame the first obstacle: getting into graduate school. Yet now it might feel like a dozen other challenges lie ahead. After all, this is a new experience, which is nerve-wracking in itself, but this choice also requires a large financial and time commitment.

So while this graduate school experience might seem daunting now, remember the benefits. Knowing what’s on the other side of your degree program will help you start mentally preparing for graduate school—as will these other tips.

1. Start planning now.

Scour through your syllabi and map out all major assignments on a calendar, so you have a holistic view of what’s due and when. Seeing project deadlines next to your work and family commitments will help you more effectively allocate your time. If there’s a particular week that looks overly hectic, start strategizing which to-dos you can check off early to avoid any last-minute scrambling.

Now is also a good time to reflect on your undergraduate days. Were you a procrastinator who regularly pulled all-nighters, constantly refreshing your social feeds to avoid work? It’s easy to revert to old habits, so develop better patterns early, whether that means prioritizing a full eight hours of sleep, establishing a morning routine, or activating website blockers when it’s time to study.

2. Read ahead.

If you’re still nervous about falling behind, or simply want to get a jumpstart on the semester, begin reading the assigned articles, cases, and books listed in your syllabus. By familiarizing yourself with the subject matter early, you can ask more informed questions in class and start connecting the concepts being taught with the research you’ve already read.

3. Prioritize finding your balance.

Establishing work-life balance in graduate school is important—particularly when you’re already juggling a 40-hour or more workweek on top of other commitments. In order to avoid burnout, prioritize balance.

This could mean improving your time management skills, taking breaks when necessary, or knowing when to say “no” to certain work or social engagements. “Balance” means something different to everyone, and so you need to establish a schedule and routines that feel right for you. Graduate school should be an enjoyable experience, not a stressful one. Although the stress won’t always be avoidable, balance can help minimize it.

4. Leverage your new network.

Remember, you’re not in this alone. Any doubts or questions you have, your peers have likely had too. Get to know your fellow classmates. Learn more about their current jobs, why they enrolled in the program, and their professional goals. Through that process, you can start to build a support system, which makes the grad school experience more manageable and more fun. Plus, you never know where those connections might lead you.

“Once you graduate, you could be working alongside some of the greatest minds in your field,” writes Christopher Dousharm, a graduate of Northeastern’s Corporate and Organizational Communication program. “And before that time, any of those people could be in your classroom. Make friends, build connections, and be ready to learn from your peers.”

The same goes for your professors. Faculty bring decades of shared industry experience and thought leadership to the classroom. Leverage their expertise, absorb their lessons, and ask a lot of questions—whether about past lectures, your work, or how they’ve applied what they’re teaching in the field. Your professors want to help, so don’t be shy in reaching out.

5. Remember that this is temporary.

One of the key things to remember when you’re mentally preparing for grad school is that this experience is temporary. You won’t be juggling all these commitments forever; there’s an end in sight. And when you achieve that end goal, the payoff will make the sacrifices and hard work worth it. Immerse yourself fully, and enjoy this time while you can.

Choosing a Graduate Program

The most important step in preparing for success in grad school is, of course, choosing the right master’s degree program for your personal goals. If you are considering going to grad school but have not yet chosen a program to apply to, here are a few factors you should take into consideration when evaluating your options:

  • Learning options and flexibility: Be sure to choose a program that works for your needs. If you know that you’ll be juggling school with professional or family obligations, find a program that allows you to maintain a balance.
  • Hands-on learning: Earning a master’s degree should prepare you with the skills you need to enter the field, and doing so often involves learning through real-world experiences. Programs that are built around experiential learning offer students opportunities to gain practical experiences in their field of interest.
  • Industry-sourced faculty: At the graduate level, having professors who are actively engaged in your field of interest can be highly valuable to your education. These scholar-practitioners bring their own experiences and perspectives to the classroom, providing students with unique insights into the workforce.

No matter the program you choose and ultimately enroll in, preparing for your graduate education can be a long journey. Throughout every stage in the process, there are resources available to help ease your transition and prepare you for success.

Credit: Northeastern University Graduate Programs, Mentally Preparing for Graduate School: What You Need To Know

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