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Graduate Student Success Hub

A McFarlin Library guide for Graduate Students.

Good Habits for Success in Graduate School

This article on Time Management for Graduate Students from Rutgers Library identifies several areas where time management strategies can help graduate students balance their busy schedules.

  • Creating Structure "Planning for unexpected changes and distractions from the outset and setting expectations and boundaries in your relationships can help you deal with the unpredictability of graduate life." 

  • Open-ended Tasks "Another major challenge is that the tasks are often large and open-ended, which can leave you wondering where to even start. Are there ways you can use time management to keep yourself motivated with potentially overwhelming work? Perhaps you could break the task down into smaller, more manageable tasks so it becomes less stressful for you. The SMART Goals method can be very useful in this area: you can set task goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely." 

  • Work-life Balance "Balancing your work life and personal life is a part of time management that can make being a graduate student more rewarding and enjoyable."

  • Motivation "Finally, effectively addressing motivational issues can also improve your time management during graduate school by reducing procrastination. Try listing what things motivate and de-motivate you when it comes to your school work. In what ways can you increase your reliance on motivators that are within your control and decrease your reliance on extrinsic motivators? For example, instead of thinking about having the perfect manuscript or perfect proposal before submitting your work, focus on getting something small completed such as an outline or a small statement written. Then, assume you will have to revise in light of your adviser, another mentor, or a peer’s feedback. From this perspective, the motivator is getting feedback, not getting it right the first time."

Study Skills for Graduate Students.  

Best Resources for Graduate Students from Arizona State University Libraries

 

10 Simple rules for developing good reading habits during graduate school and beyond

 "Reading at graduate school is the way in which students glean new ideas, theories, models, etc that inform their theses and research papers. Grad students are asked to actively engage with the information they read. For example, a literature review requires a student to read with great breadth and depth within his/her research area and then synthesize the ideas into a unified whole. The number of documents that must be read, analyzed, and synthesized to compile a literature review can be mindboggling. So consider organizing a chunk of time each day to read. Daily reading will help you stay on top of your ―in-tray‖, thereby, reducing stress and helping to maintain motivation."

 

https://www.chds.us/ed/resources/uploads/2019/01/Critical-Reading-for-Graduate-Students.pdf 

https://lennartnacke.com/how-to-maintain-a-paper-reading-schedule/   

Strategies for Learning from Harvard's Academic Resource Center links to all these different aspects of graduate learning. 

Here are some helpful tips for starting on a large research project.  Creating good habits and getting organized in the beginning of your research project journey can make it easier for you in the long run.

 

  • Build your topic now on future classes - all classes are preparing you for your project.  Attempt to make all papers related to your area of interest. 
    • Theory  
    • Leadership  
    • Biostatistics  
    • Translational research  
  • Start keeping a resource/reference list of resources to find things easily  
  • Familiarize yourself now with programs, word, and files.  Figure out NOW how you are going to back up your work. 
    • Onenote, autosave, hard backup, flash drive  
    • Include dates and specifics on your files when naming them for easy retrieval  
    • Allow time for writing assignments to include playing with the software.  
    • Find one program and stick with it for the next 3 years (word, ppt)  
  • Utilize and organize your favorites and bookmarks  
  • Email yourself ideas, voice recordings and review later  

No matter what subject you are studying Graduate School can be intimidating.  Getting the most out of your time in graduate school is really up to you.  While there are certain expectations that students should have when it comes to graduate school, ultimately what you get out of the Coursework and how much you learn is up to you.  In order to get the most out of your grad school experience we have compiled a guide that will help you get off to a good start. 

Check this Spot for Updated News and Research that could be helpful to Graduate Students!

Below are collected articles from both popular and scholarly resources about successful graduate school practices, learning strategies, and helpful tips and tricks from learning experts.  Other resources included here may be from outside organizations and Institutions like Harvard University's Academic Resource Center (ARC) or the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).     

 

https://itsalexcl.medium.com/reading-processing-and-participating-in-graduate-school-c96fab58298f