GUIDE TO SURVIVING GRADUATE SCHOOLS, TIPS & ARTICLES : Links to Articles Regarding How to Make the Transition to Graduate School Life as a New Student

Making the Transition to Graduate School  - Having successfully survived the application process, some of you are now preparing for your first year of graduate study in psychology. As you gear up for this new phase of your life, you may be experiencing mixed emotions. On the one hand, you probably are very excited that you were accepted by the program of your choice and are looking forward to your first step toward professional development. On the other hand, you may be feeling a bit anxious. Although you probably visited the school, interviewed with faculty, and met some students during the application process, you may be wondering what it will be like to actually study there and how you will cope with the new challenges.

Making the Transition to Graduate School - Having successfully survived the application process, some of you are now preparing for your first year of graduate study in psychology. As you gear up for this new phase of your life, you may be experiencing mixed emotions. On the one hand, you probably are very excited that you were accepted by the program of your choice and are looking forward to your first step toward professional development. On the other hand, you may be feeling a bit anxious. Although you probably visited the school, interviewed with faculty, and met some students during the application process, you may be wondering what it will be like to actually study there and how you will cope with the new challenges.

Excellent Advice about Graduate School Life - A computer science graduate school survival guide, intended for prospective or novice graduate students. This guide describes what I wish I had known at the start of graduate school but had to learn the hard way instead. It focuses on mental toughness and the skills a graduate student needs. The guide also discusses finding a job after completing the Ph.D. and points to many other related web pages.

Making the Transition to Graduate School  - You already know that applying to graduate school is an arduous process. Now that you're in, guess what? Getting through graduate school and succeeding is also a challenge. And you thought last year was stressful! Check out these tips for making the transition to graduate school smoothly.

Being a Graduate Student is Like Being an Olympic Athlete - To thrive, it is helpful to understand and appreciate the mythology of graduate school:

Graduate School Transitions Index  - Imran Babar, one of the winners of HHMI's Gilliam Graduate Fellowship, says his summer research experiences influenced him to pursue graduate school. He will begin his Ph.D. in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University this fall. Defending Your Graduate Life.

Making the Transition as an Adult  - In recent years, more and more people have decided to apply to medical school after having tried another career path, and they are often successful applicants. Returning adult, or "post-bacc" students, often display the kind of determination and maturity that medical schools value.

How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors Part I of II - This paper attempts to raise some issues that are important for graduate students to be successful and to get as much out of the process as possible, and for advisors who wish to help their students be successful. The intent is not to provide prescriptive advice -- no formulas for finishing a thesis or twelve-step programs for becoming a better advisor are given -- but to raise awareness on both sides of the advisor-student relationship as to what the expectations are and should be for this relationship, what a graduate student should expect to accomplish, common problems, and where to go if the advisor is not forthcoming.

How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors Part II of II - This is the second of a two part article on how to succeed in graduate school. The first part of this article discussed getting into graduate school, doing research, finding an advisor, writing a thesis, and getting financial support. In this issue Marie desJardins discusses actions graduate students can take to become part of the research community, provides some advice for advisors, addresses some issues unique to female graduate students, and gives some advice on how to balance work and play while in graduate school.

Making the Transition from Undergrad to Graduate School  - Check requirements to get into graduate school early and try to take as many required classes that apply to your major as an undergraduate. This will save you time and money!

How to be a Terrible Graduate Student - A guide to being a bad graduate student...do the opposite and you should do A-OK.

The Transition from Graduate School at a Research University to Teaching at a Small College - I finished my doctoral studies in Columbia University's Department of English and Comparative Literature. At the same time, I became one of seven full-time faculty members in the English department at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, a private, four-year liberal arts school whose planned student population growth is expected to lead us soon from approximately seven hundred to an enrollment of eight hundred. I was delighted to arrive at Warren Wilson last August. The faculty, staff, and administration are collegial; the students are bright and creative; and, insofar as this community holds values collectively, those values tend to accord with my own: we share a commitment to the liberal arts, environmentalism, social justice, and cross-cultural learning. Our beautiful campus is nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains, and the city of Asheville is a vibrant cultural center.

Graduation Blues - You've been looking forward to graduation since you first started college or grad school. It's finally here! Why aren't you happier?

What Every New Grad Student Should Know - This is a list of pointers to documents which hopefully will take some of the mystery away from the transition between college and graduate work. Also included is some basic information about the networks and things that it's just plain a good idea to know to make your life a bit easier.

Graduate Student Spring 2006 Orientation Building a Foundation for Success - Please join us for the Spring 2006 Graduate Student Orientation program. This orientation will provide opportunities to learn about the MSU campus, its services, faculty, staff, administrators and fellow graduate students. Let us give you the tools you need as you embark on your graduate career.

Time Management Tips for Graduate Students - So much to do and so little time. It's easy to feel overwhelmed during those first few months of graduate school. Who am I kidding? It's easy to feel overwhelmed throughout much of graduate school! How do you find time for all of the work? The best advice for avoiding burnout and getting bogged down is to keep track of your time: record your days and maintain daily progress towards your goals. Time management is essential to your success in grad school. Learn how to manage your time with these tips for time management.

Characteristics of Graduate School Superstars - Graduate school can be a traumatic experience. Some graduate students spend their time complaining about a heavy work load, uncaring attitudes of faculty, or constant pressure of being evaluated. These students quickly begin to devalue their graduate education, deny its relevance, and develop strategies that help them to "beat the system" (i.e., merely satisfying degree requirements without engaging in any actual learning). Graduate school for these people is an unpleasant experience to be endured, survived, and forgotten as quickly as possible.

Graduate School Transitions: Tips for First-Year School Psychology Students (PDF) - You have suffered through the GRE, written and re-written personal statements, and traveled many miles for interviews. After all this work you have finally found the graduate program in school psychology that is right for you. Congratulations! Now that you have signed on, what happens next? The answer will differ for each individual, but a few basic tips can help ease this transition