Category: Succeeding in Graduate School

A good literature review is one of the foundations of your thesis or dissertation.  Most students complete a thorough literature review as part of their Research proposal examination, but the final dissertation might be a year or more away in the future.

This article from the Gradhacker blog has some tips on how to keep your literature review up to date using technology to automate as much of the process as possible.  Learn how to:

• Keep track of search terms
• Use Google Reader to stay up to date
• Use the media to stay current

With smartphones, tablets, and computers surrounding us every day, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by new information. This essay from the Chronicle offers some great tips about how to manage your e-mail and time better to help improve your productivity.

One tip, for example, is to have an e-mail strategy – and stick to it.  How often will you read your e-mail? How often will you reply? Setting aside specific times to answer e-mails will allow you to focus on other tasks during the rest of the day.

Some articles from the Chronicle require a full subscription to read. Michigan Tech students, faculty, and staff will have full access when they access articles from a campus IP address.

As the deadline to complete a degree in summer 2012 approaches (theses and dissertations must be submitted by 4pm on August 24th, all other paperwork for all degrees and certificates must be complete by 4pm on August 31st), this essay on why deadlines matter offers some timely advice to all academics.

Whether you are teaching this fall for the first time, or fiftieth time, there are some great tips in this article from the Chronicle about how to put your best foot forward on the first day of class.

Learn why it’s important and how to:

• Be yourself-but a little bit better
• Dress for success
• Strike the right tone
• Convey key information

Some articles from the Chronicle require a subscription to access.  Michigan Tech faculty, staff, and students will have access when accessing the Chronicle from a Michigan Tech IP address.

Karen Purcell has written a new book entitled, Unlocking Your Brilliance: Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  In the book, she shares her struggles and successes in her career as an electrical engineer.

In this Q&A, she shares why she wrote the book, some strategies for success, and the importance of a mentor.

Are you curious about tenure or the renewal of your contract once you are in an academic position?  Bill Wolff, an associate professor of writing arts at Rowan University has an interesting essay on why he posted his materials online.  Graduate students will find it useful if they are considering careers in academics to see exactly what goes into one tenure packet.

Are you searching for a job for yourself and a partner? Inside Higher Ed has an interesting blog post about searching for a job and ensuring that both parties are able to succeed in their new positions. The perspective is from a dean who has supervised joint hires as well as participated in a search like this herself.

Whether you’re going to your first conference, or fiftieth, there are some great tips in this article from Tomorrow’s Professor to help you get the most out of the experience. A few tips on how to spend your time well at a conference, according to Christopher (2011) include:

• Attend talks that will strengthen your specific research topics.
• Attend talks that will broaden and enhance your research.
• Learn how to have fun at the conference venue.
• Interact with peers from other universities and organizations. Networking with your peers pays huge dividends. Peers today,
• leaders tomorrow!
• Finally, set aside some time to talk to potential mentors and some of the icons of the field. Most senior researchers enjoy interacting with graduate students.

Being successful in graduate school isn’t always about finishing your degree and finding a tenure-track position in academics.  This essay, by Susan Ferber (executive editor for American and world history at Oxford University Press USA) shows how following her instincts and leaving her graduate program was the best decision for her.

Engineering.com has some great tips for how to energize a technical presentation. Presentations are an important part of earning a graduate degree, and interviewing for your first position.

Learn some do’s and don’ts and let your next presentation show your technical and communication skills in the best way possible.