From Dr. Wendy Carter of TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished

How to Complete a Dissertation With the Help of Family and Friends

2008-10-07T16:54:00.002-04:00

No man is an island … and no one writes a thesis or dissertation alone, regardless of how isolated and alone some of us may feel while completing this laborious project. Even if it’s just listening to you talk or complain about your thesis or dissertation month after month -- or, in some cases, year after year! – your friends and family are definitely involved in the process. So why not let them play a more productive role? Click here to read the entire article, How to Complete a Dissertation With the Help of Family and Friends

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Using Academic Language

2008-09-08T09:06:00.003-04:00

Unless you have written many formal documents before, you might be surprised how difficult it can be to write a thesis or dissertation. When writing a thesis or dissertation, your style should be formal and similar to what you find in the scholarly journals of your discipline.

Review journal articles in your discipline to get a sense of what is expected in terms of structure, style and language. Thorough reading of current journals will also help give you a sense of the “hot” topics in your field along with the most common key words and phrases. Click here to read the entire article of tips for writing a thesis or dissertation using academic language.

Scientific Writing: The Six Burner Stove

2008-08-18T12:20:00.004-04:00

Are you apprehensive at the thought of having to write a scientific paper? Don’t be; it’s not rocket science!

What’s most important to keep in mind is that the purpose of a scientific paper is not just to present information or ideas; rather, it’s meant to document and create excitement among other scientists about new, original research. Read the entire Scientific Writing article

Dispelling the Myths About Writing a Thesis or Dissertation

2008-07-15T10:23:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to those of you who took advantage of our offer. Last week, I was facilitating the TADA On-line Summer Break Challenge along with the activities in Dissertation House at the University of Maryland. It’s still not too late to join in.

What is it you want to cross off your to-do list this summer instead of rolling over to the new academic year? Perhaps you are looking forward to making significant progress on your thesis or dissertation before the end of the summer. Be specific. How many pages/chapters would you have to finish for you to feel like you have made significant progress? At TADA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished™ we believe that a good thesis or dissertation is a DONE thesis or dissertation. TA-DA!™ provides you with the tools to make that happen.

How many excuses have you come up to explain why you can’t begin to work on your thesis or dissertation today? Most of these excuses are simply “myths.” Here are “mythbusters” to common writing “cop outs”. . .

From Dr. Wendy Carter of TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished: TADA! Do it Now: Join Us in the 'On-line Dissertation House'

2008-07-06T18:01:00.006-04:00

Thank you for joining in. Just click on "Comments" below,
add your thoughts and tell us:

What will you work on?
How much time will you spend daily working on it?
How much progress you are making, or problems you are having.
At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day

(For more about our Summer Challenge, see my previous post just below.)

TADA! Do it Now: Join Us in the 'On-line Dissertation House'

2008-06-27T11:00:00.012-04:00

It's That Time Again to Join the TA-DA! Summer Break Challenge (July 6-27, 2008)

Mark Victor Hansen, Ph.D. co-author to the Chicken Soup Series writes "It's not the size of the step that gets you there. It's the fact that you're taking the step."

What is it you want to cross off your to-do list this summer instead of rolling over to next summer's list? Perhaps you are looking forward to making significant progress on your thesis or dissertation before the end of the year. Be specific. How many pages/chapters would you have to finish for you to feel like you have made significant progress? At TADA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished™ we believe that a good thesis or dissertation is a DONE thesis or dissertation. TA-DA!™ provides you with the tools to make that happen.

A group of students in the University of Maryland System (UMBC, UMCP, UMB) will be participating in "Dissertation House on Campus" for three weeks. Some will be participating on-line and others will meet daily from 9:00am-5:00 pm. Join us, as we work on our proposals, theses, or dissertations.

Many people use the TA-DA! Summer Break Challenge to take a step on getting one thing accomplished and setting a schedule to get that one thing done. They get that one thing done and then are able to enjoy their break without the sense of guilt looming in the background. Other people set out to see how much they can accomplish in 21 days.

Many of you already work with deadlines. If you're joining this challenge, your deadline is July 27, 2008. Let's see how much can you get done in 3 weeks! Are you ready?

On July 6, 2008, Join us On-Line by:

Setting up your FREE Google account at www.gmail.com
Logging in to the blog
Clicking on "Comments" below and posting the answers to these questions:
What will you work on?
How much time will you spend daily working on it?
Tell us how much progress you are making, or problems you are having.
At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day

Here are some helpful tips:

Take the first step. Make a commitment to yourself using our TADA!™ Certificate online. Print it out and use it as a daily reminder of your commitment to yourself.
Breakdown your tasks into bite-size manageable chunks and make a list and post that list in a public space.
Make a daily commitment to work on your thesis or dissertation. Set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes a day.
Work within your limitations . . . if you are a morning person by all means make yourself some coffee and spend 15 minutes with your dissertation before everyone else rises . . . if you are a night owl . . . turn the TV off 15 minutes earlier and write for 15 minutes.
Celebrate small victories when you accomplish your tasks for the day. Spend the rest of the day guilt-free enjoying your Summer Break knowing that you have done something (no matter how small) on your dissertation.
Whatever you do, don't spend the week constantly worrying and saying to yourself 'I really should be working'. Above all, enjoy your Summer Break

Do It Now: Conquering Procrastination

2008-06-18T06:58:00.004-04:00

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.
— Mary Heaton Vorse

How long have you been putting off writing your thesis or dissertation? A day? Two days? Two weeks? Two months? Many students suffer from procrastination because they hate writing ... or hate the fact that they're not good writers. Subsequently, they wait around hoping that divine inspiration will strike them and instill a newfound sense of eloquence and expression.

Stop waiting. So what if your writing skills aren't top notch? The TA-DA system works because it focuses on using the talents and resources you already have . . . not the ones you would like to have. It doesn't matter that you're not the best writer in the world. What matters is just that you write.

So how do you get started? The following tips should help . . . Read the entire article, Do It Now: Conquering Procrastination

10 Tips Help You Overcome Writer's Block

2008-05-21T11:31:00.004-04:00

You've got your workspace set up and your 12 minutes (or longer!) scheduled to work on your thesis, and you’re FINALLY feeling motivated to write. But when you actually sit down and stretch your hands to the keyboard … nothing. Not a word is coming to you; your mind is as blank as the screen in front of you. . . Read the Entire Article - Writer's Block and Your Dissertation or Thesis

Reading the Subtle Signs: Are You Being Encouraged to Throw in the Towel?

2008-04-27T12:06:00.003-04:00

One of my graduate students came to me the other day seeking advice. Her advisor had written a seminal piece of work about how to be a good advisor, yet her protegee was still seeking my help. I found this ironic in a strange kind of way. Graduate Students - Read the entire article.

TA-DA! Online Launched to Help Grad Students Write Their Thesis or Dissertation as Quickly and Easily as Possible

2008-03-19T19:18:00.004-04:00

Attention Anyone with a Thesis or Dissertation to Write:

I am excited to announce the launch of a new version of TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished™ today. What's new? Now graduate students can access TA-DA!™ from any web-enabled PC — without a cd, 24/7.

Introducing TA-DA! Online, providing the same great guidance, information, tactics, and tools that have helped hundreds of graduate students successfully finish their thesis or dissertation.

Be sure to go to www.tadafinallyfinished.com to learn more about this innovative thesis and dissertation completion system. And tell your friends about TA-DA!

Dr. Wendy Carter

Finish Your Thesis or Dissertation by Working Your Way Backwards

2008-03-12T10:59:00.003-04:00

To accomplish any long-term goal, you must have desire and faith in the process and you must be able to visualize yourself accomplishing the goal. In other words, you must believe it, affirm it, and visualize it before you can actually achieve it.

The TA-DA! CD resource tools help you do exactly that. This incredible toolkit leads you step-by-step through the process of writing your thesis and dissertation, providing direction and strategies every step of the way. As a result, you can clearly visualize exactly what needs to happen, how you can accomplish it, and by when. Now that’s a process you can believe in!

To tackle a big writing project, the TA-DA! method uses a strategy of clearly defining the goal and then working your way backward, step by step, until you arrive at a step (or several!) that you can complete right now. For example, if your goal is to submit an article to an academic journal for publication, your “backwards” journey might break down like this:

Clearly Defined Goal:

Submit my article to an academic journal
Before that:Complete final edits
Before that: Format the article according to the journal’s requirements
Before that: Decide which journal would be appropriate for my article, and find out their average turnaround time from submission to publication
Before that: Write the paper
Before that: Write the introduction, literature review, methods, results/discussion and conclusion
Before that: Conduct research
Before that: Determine what I need to know and what I am going to write about

In reality, your “backward” list would have many more details, as every one of these steps would have to be further broken down into several small, easily manageable tasks. Don’t be fooled into thinking that easy tasks don’t need to be included on your list! Everything should be taken into account and mapped out, including something as simple as creating a title for the article.

Regardless of whether you’re looking at a process backwards or forward, you don’t have to complete the tasks in order. In fact, if you’re in a bit of a slump and the next “to do” item on your list is one you just don’t feel up to accomplishing today, simply choose one of the other tasks on your list.

The most important thing is to JUST DO SOMETHING!

The single most important TA-DA strategy is to make a commitment to work on your project every single day. And the minimum amount you should dedicate each day is 12 -15 minutes. That’s where your detailed task list will come in handy. Many of these items are what we call “12-minute tasks,” such as creating the cover page, dedication, acknowledgement pages or table of contents, or sequencing figure numbers, table and appendices, formatting your document, or checking your bibliography against the citations in your document.

On those days when you’re feeling a little less ambitious, work down your list until you reach one (or more!) of your tasks that can be completed in 12 minutes or less. No task is too small, and no item is too insignificant. Every action you take will move you closer to getting accomplishing your goal. What can you cross of your list today?

Following is a good example of a series of questions you might ask yourself to start creating a list of “to-do” tasks:

Q: What needs to happen before I can finish my thesis/dissertation?
A: I need to write chapters X, Y and Z.

Q: Can I get those chapters finished by tomorrow?
A: No. First I have to clearly define what information and conclusions will be included in those chapters.

Q: Can I come up with a clearly defined list of what will be included in those chapters by tomorrow?
A: Of course. I already wrote and defended a proposal, so the information is right under my nose!

Q: Can I finish writing all of the chapters tomorrow?
A: No, but I can get a good start on the chapter I know the most about, and most certainly finish a section within that chapter that contains the information with which I am most familiar.
Q: Do I really think I can finish a section by tomorrow?

A: Yes, because I can write based on the outline I already created a few days ago.
Q: Can I finish the chapter outline by tomorrow?
A: Yes, because I have already created the Table of Contents.

Q: Do I have an outline for my thesis/dissertation?
A: Yes, because I completed that step when I was preparing my proposal … and now it can serve as my first step towards completing my thesis/dissertation! So my real first step is finding my proposal and starting with that.

Continue “working backward” in this manner until you have a long list of “first steps” you can take … so many that you won’t possibly be able to complete them all in one day. Then schedule all of those steps in your TA-DA! calendar. You will find it truly inspirational and invigorating to see your dream broken down into easily accomplishable tasks and written down in black and white. This process will help you to clearly visualize achieving your dream and, even more importantly, to actually begin tackling the tasks necessary to doing so.

So what are you waiting for? Start “working your way backward” today … and you’ll soon find yourself back at the Finish Line!!!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock: Keeping Up With Your Cohort

2008-02-21T07:25:00.001-05:00

The pressures of graduate school vary greatly from those of undergraduate school. Your time is more valuable, even if you’re not paying for graduate school yourself; there are tough decisions to be made about not only how you would like to spend your time, but also how much time you have to give for each activity. You are older, wiser, more mature. . . Read the entire article

No More Excuses: Resources to Help You Reach Your Goal

2008-02-21T07:19:00.004-05:00

If you’re like most people, you’ve already made several New Year’s resolutions. We at TA-DA! (Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished) hope that one of them is to finish your thesis or dissertation by the end of 2008!

Of course, to make sure that resolution comes to fruition, it must be supported by an action plan and deadline. Otherwise, it’s too easy to slack off and slide back into old habits once the shine of the new year begins to fade, winter break ends, and you fall back into the same old routine. Read the entire Article.

No More Excuses — TA-DA! Winter Break Challenge Jan 14-18, 2008

2007-12-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year. Our theme in 2008 is "No More Excuses." Even if you did very little on your thesis or dissertation last year or never joined any of the TA-DA challenges before, it's a new year and it's a new you.

Our Winter Break Challenge starts on Monday and ends on Friday (January 14 -18).

We created TA-DA! for busy people; working moms, working dads, single-parents, part-time students, full-time, unorganized, frustrated, isolated, lonely graduate students. It's time to stop wallowing and start writing; if you have time for self-pity, your schedule is not tight enough. Organize your time better, schedule every 15 minutes of your day if you have to. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect it just has to be done.

Our motto is: A Good Dissertation is a Done Dissertation.

Start the New Year off right by setting deadline for when you want to complete writing your thesis or dissertation. Fill in, printout, and post in a public space the TA-DA! Online Certificate to help you remember your contract with yourself.

http://www.tadafinallyfinished.com/ready/index.html

We are building on our summer success of the "Dissertation House on Campus." Another group of doctoral students at the University of Maryland will be participating in "Dissertation House on Campus" for one week. Some will be participating on-line and others will meet daily from 9:00am-5:00 pm. Join us again, as we work on our proposals, theses, or dissertations.

Many graduate students use the TA-DA! Winter Break Challenge to take a step on getting one thing accomplished and setting a schedule to get that one thing done. They get that one thing done and then are able to enjoy their break without the sense of guilt looming in the background.

Other people set out to see how much they can accomplish in 5 days. Many of you already work with deadlines. If you're joining this challenge, your deadline is January 18, 2008.

Let's see how much can you get done in one week! Are you ready?

Steps to participate

Set up your FREE Google account at http://www.gmail.com/

Post the answers to these questions

What will you work on? What is your one thing?
How much time will you spend daily working on it?
Tell us how much progress you are making, or problems you are having.
At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day

Here are some helpful tips:

Breakdown your tasks into bite-size manageable chunks and make a list and post that list in a public space.

Make a daily commitment to work on your thesis or dissertation. Set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes a day.

Work within your limitations . . . if you are a morning person by all means make yourself some coffee and spend 15 minutes with your dissertation before everyone else rises . . . if you are a night owl . . . turn the TV off 15 minutes earlier and write for 15 minutes.

Celebrate small victories when you accomplish your tasks for the day. Spend the rest of the day guilt-free enjoying your Winter Break knowing that you have done something (no matter how small) on your dissertation.

Whatever you do, don't spend the week constantly worrying and saying to yourself 'I really should be working'. Above all, enjoy your Winter Break.

At TA-DA! we wish you all the best in the New Year and hope that you can experience joy, laughter and peace during the Winter Break and in the coming year.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid:

2007-12-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

#10: Not Planning Out Your Graduate Career From Start To Finish

Happy Holidays to all of you from all of us at TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished. We wish you all the best in the New Year.

The Dream Needs To Be Stronger than the Struggle

Author unknown

If you are writing your thesis or dissertation you have come to realization that Graduate school is unique, a very different experience from your undergraduate years. It requires far more work, more independence, more self-motivation, a stronger commitment, and concentrated effort on time and tasks management. We at TA-DA! Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished created the TADA-CD to help you smoothly make the transition from undergrad to graduate school.

Nonetheless, there comes a time in graduate school when you have to ask yourself “why did I come to graduate school?” “Why am I still here?” “How much education is enough?” The answers to these questions depend on your interests, abilities, and career goals.

I pursued a PhD because, as a single parent, I wanted a lot of flexibility in my career. I strongly disliked being micromanaged and knew that I did not want to pursue a regular 9-5 job. I wanted a job where I could use my brain and where my independent ideas were welcomed and appreciated. Read the Entire Article.

Summer Student Support from NSF - and Grad School Support

2007-11-25T06:53:00.000-05:00

Institute for Broadening Participation. . . promoting pathways to STEM

THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
2008 PROGRAMS
AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOR UNDERGRAD AND GRAD STUDENTS
Summer UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMS and SUPPORT:
PAID Summer Programs at Over 300 Schools in the US and Overseas

Visit: www.agep.us/summer.asp or www.igert.org/summer.asp

2008 GRAD SCHOOL PROGRAMS and SUPPORT:
Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate(AGEP)
Support Programs and Professional Development at Over 100 Colleges and Universities
Visit www.agep.us

IGERT Graduate Programs
Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programs offering Stipends
$30,000 per year + tuition and expenses
Visit: www.igert.org

Institute for Broadening Participation
PO Box 607, Damariscotta, ME 04543 Ph:(866)593-9103 Fx:(207)563-6069 www.ibparticipation.org

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid

2007-11-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

Mistake #9:
Not maintaining consistent and meaningful contact with the committee as the Thesis/dissertation unfolds

Last month I wrote about "Looking for a Friend When You Need an Expert:. In this newsletter I want you to remember The Golden Rule: "Those who have the gold make the rules." One of the most common mistakes graduate students make is not understanding that academia is http://www.blogger.com/logout.g
Sign out business and your job title is "graduate student", "research assistant (RA)", "teaching assistant (TA)," or "graduate assistant (GA)" . . . Read the Entire Article.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid Cont.

2007-10-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

Mistake #8: Looking for a Friend When You Need an Expert

I get plenty of emails asking me what to do if the advisor is not an expert in the student’s academic field, is unfamiliar with the student’s topic or the student does not get along with the advisor.

Success in graduate school often depends on a successful mentoring relationship between you and your advisor. Because graduate school is based on the apprenticeship model, admittance to a graduate school ideally will mean that there are potential advisors available in the student’s areas of interest. Hopefully you did your homework of trying to match your area of interest with department faculty’s area of expertise before applying to graduate school.

Choosing a good advisor is critical to your success in graduate school. This relationship is one that will extend beyond your graduation. It is important that you choose correctly. Read the Entire Article.

Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid

2007-09-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

The start of the academic year can provide a sense of a new beginning. Let's start the academic year off right by envisioning the completion of that thesis, proposal, coursework, or dissertation by the end of the academic year.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid:

Mistake #7: Assuming Your Advisor/Principal Investigator Knows More about Your Project than You

Success in graduate school requires a certain degree of confidence and maturity. You will need to be able to defend your ideas and take constructive criticism — of your writing, working style, your experiments, or your ideas. Let's face it, you and you alone are in charge of your program and the degree that you will get has one name on it, yours. Expect and demand to be treated like an adult and a colleague; act like one and you will be treated like one. Read the entire article.

Graduate Student Mistake 6

2007-08-15T08:20:00.000-04:00

"It's not who you know, it's who knows you back."
-Walter Annenberg (1908-2002), U.S. Media Executive, Publisher and Diplomat

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid:
Mistake #6: Dismissing the Power of the Administrative Staff

A lot of students, at the start of their graduate careers, are a little confused about the role of the administrative staff. What can the administrative staff do for you that your own advisor cannot? It doesn't take more than a few weeks on campus to figure out that the administrative staff can be a critical departmental resource, with a broad perspective on funding, program choices, international problem-solving, and much more. From orientation to commencement, they offer professional and experienced support to help you make the most of your graduate years. Read the entire article.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid

2007-07-09T13:51:00.000-04:00

July 4th is over. What will you do with the rest of your summer? No more excuses. Join us in our three week (July 9-27, 2007) TA-DA Summer Break Challenge* which begins today. Join our on-line writing group. Check in daily or weekly. We at the University of Maryland will be meeting daily from 9-5pm to work on our proposals, theses, and dissertations. *(see Wed. July 4th post below for Challenge details)

Mistake #5: Piling Up 'Incompletes' on Your Transcripts and/or Taking Too Long to Complete Your Work.
. . Are you a workaholic who is never satisfied with the quality of work you are able to produce within the timeframe of a semester? If so, have you piled up a number of “incompletes” so that you could take the time to improve your work before turning it in? . . . Piling up a number of incompletes signals to professors that you cannot finish what you start. If you cannot complete your assignments within a semester, professors become leery that you will ever be able to finish your degree within a reasonable amount of time given that you have to set your own deadline. Read the entire article.

TA-DA! Summer Break Challenge

2007-07-04T06:08:00.000-04:00

Mark Victor Hansen, Ph.D. co-author to the Chicken Soup Series writes "It's not the size of the step that gets you there. It's the fact that you're taking the step."

A group of students at the University of Maryland will be participating in "Dissertation House on Campus" for three weeks. Some will be participating on-line and others will meet daily from 9:00am-5:00 pm. Join us, as we work on our proposals, theses, or dissertations.

Many people use the TA-DA! Summer Break Challenge to take a step on getting one thing accomplished and setting a schedule to get that one thing done. They get that one thing done and then are able to enjoy their break without the sense of guilt looming in the background. Other people set out to see how much they can accomplish in 21 days.

Many of you already work with deadlines. If you're joining this challenge, your deadline is July 27, 2007. Let's see how much can you get done in 3 weeks! Are you ready?

Steps to participate

Set up your FREE Google account at www.gmail.com
Post the answers to these questions
What will you work on?
How much time will you spend daily working on it?
Tell us how much progress you are making, or problems you are having.
At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day

Here are some helpful tips:

Breakdown your tasks into bite-size manageable chunks and make a list and post that list in a public space.
Make a daily commitment to work on your thesis or dissertation. Set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes a day.
Work within your limitations . . . if you are a morning person by all means make yourself some coffee and spend 15 minutes with your dissertation before everyone else rises . . . if you are a night owl . . . turn the TV off 15 minutes earlier and write for 15 minutes.
Celebrate small victories when you accomplish your tasks for the day. Spend the rest of the day guilt-free enjoying your Summer Break knowing that you have done something (no matter how small) on your dissertation.
Whatever you do, don't spend the week constantly worrying and saying to yourself 'I really should be working'. Above all, enjoy your Summer Break.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid: Mistake 4:

2007-06-18T07:27:00.000-04:00

I am finally back from my vacation in Phoenix, AZ. Wow, I forgot how hot the desert could get this time of year. I hope you have been able to take a break because soon we will be gearing up for our Summer Break Challenge July 8-Aug 18, 2007. Mark your calendar and come join us!

Mistake #4: Being Unprofessional or Disrespectful to Advisors/Committee Members

Selecting the right advisor is critical to your success in graduate school. We at TADA take that selection seriously. The TADA-CD provides a considerable amount of information on how to “choose and effectively work with your advisor.” To keep your expectations about the role of an advisor/committee members in check, the TADA-CD compares the “basic” advisor to the “ideal” advisor. Nonetheless, whether you are able to select an advisor or one is assigned, you must remain professional at all times.

Your advisor can either propel or hinder your academic progress. As a graduate student you have very little power in your academic department. Hence, you need to select an advisor who can be an advocate for you. To be your best advocate, your advisor should have tenure and the respect of his/her peers. As the chair of your committee, peer respect will be invaluable when your advisor has to supervise the other committee members and facilitate your defense hearing.

Just because an advisor or faculty member is well respected doesn’t mean that working with him or her will be a breeze. Advisor relationships can be complex and not always successful; some mentors can be reluctant and unhelpful in helping students achieve their full potential, and/or may not offer opportunities such as co-authoring with their graduate students. Some may not be very adept at communicating what they really want from students. Others may prefer to work with only same-sex students. While most mentoring relationships are extremely positive, other students are less fortunate when it comes to finding quality mentor relationships.

Whatever your situation, it is important to remain completely professional during all interactions with advisors and faculty. Don’t make the mistake that some students do, and lose your cool. Keep in mind that every single interaction and communication leaves an impression, and that the quality of the relationship you will enjoy with your advisor is largely based on your own level of maturity and commitment.

Both you and your advisor have responsibility for making this relationship work successfully. Following are some steps that can help you maintain a professional front:

• Let your advisor/committee member know that you value his or her time, and be sure that your actions reflect that sentiment. Arrive on time to all scheduled meetings; if you are unable to make a scheduled meeting, be sure to call and cancel with as much lead time as possible. Don’t sweat it if your advisor/committee member is late; keep in mind the many responsibilities his or her position holds.

• Be prepared for all meetings. Bring an agenda with you to be sure you cover all points, and prepare a list of questions ahead of time. Also, prepare a coversheet with an outline of your document indicating the type of feedback you are seeking. Always bring a hard copy of the chapter that you will be discussing, and be prepared with another copy of the latest full draft of your document, even if you haven’t made any changes since your last meeting.

• Despite what your advisor may say, never provide a first draft of your work. An advisor rarely wants to see an actual first draft, even if that was the “assignment” given to you. Always proof and polish your work as much as possible before turning it over to your advisor. That way, he or she can focus on your concepts, clarity and idea sequencing, rather than typos and other distracting elements.

• Follow up and follow through. Take thorough notes at all meetings; you won’t remember everything once you leave the office. Send an email after each meeting confirming any items, resolutions and action items that were discussed, and make certain that any commitments you made have been completed before meeting again.

• Always express your thanks after an advisor or a committee member has taken the time to meet with you. Send a thank you note or an email stating what you gained from the interaction and how you will to move ahead in your plans.

It’s important to note that part of maintaining your professionalism is standing up for yourself when appropriate. Ask for (i.e., demand politely) what you need. The advisor/advisee relationship is a two-way street that provides value to both individuals. You are not just a “student”; you are also providing valuable data for your advisor. Don’t allow yourself to be abused and worked into the ground if you feel you’re not getting any benefit out of the work, as well. Remember you are an adult; if you’re not willing to stand up for yourself, it’s a good bet that nobody else will!

If being proactive and professional does not build a positive working relationship with your advisor; you may want to seriously consider changing your thesis/dissertation advisor. You must assess the risk first before making such a drastic move especially if your funding is tied to that person. It’s time for a change if your advisor is consistently inaccessible or disinterested, gives you only negative feedback, lacks the technical expertise/background to advise you on your thesis/dissertation, or harasses you.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid:

2007-05-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

Mistake #3: Waiting Until You Have Finished Your Degree to Begin Your Job Search

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both, and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could ... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost

As you navigate your way through graduate school, the culmination of years of study might force you to consider two roads which diverge in somewhat seemingly opposite directions. Should I pursue an “academic” or “non-academic career?”

Just because you are pursuing a Master’s or doctoral degree does not automatically mean that you have to become a professor or ultimately pursue a career in higher education. Read more.

10 Mistakes Graduate Students Should Avoid:

2007-05-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

Mistake #2: Leaving Before You Finish Your Degree

Let’s face it: mistakes are a part of life. We all make them. The good news is that we can learn from our mistakes. The better news is that we can learn just as much – if not more! – from the mistakes of others.

Many graduate students begin applying for jobs at the latter-stage of becoming Ph.D. candidates; most students secure a continuing tenure-track job in the first or second year of the application process. While securing a job while you are ABD, (All done But Dissertation) is essential, your start date might determine whether or not you eventually finish your degree.

When students achieve the benchmark of ABD many are tempted to leave the university’s fold and finish their document while pursuing a job or other interests in “the outside world.” Read on.