Graduate Student Survival Guide
For the graduate students at the University of Arkansas
When you enter your graduate program, you may realize that there is a lot more to being successful than just becoming an expert in your field.
You may realize there is a political environment in your department or program. You need to enlist the help of graduate students already in the program, but how to do that?
You may wonder how you will EVER read all that material!
If you have a spouse or partner, you may wonder how you will keep a balance between your advisor’s expectations, and your need to spend time with your family.
We have built this Survival Guide for YOU, and we hope you will use the valuable information contained here throughout your program.
Best wishes! ….The Graduate School
Succeeding in Graduate School
Now that you have accepted enrollment into your program, here are some web links that will be very useful to you!
- Of course the Graduate School web site will always be helpful.
- New Graduate Student Orientation
- University of Arkansas Libraries
- “So long, and thanks for the Ph.D.!”
- “The Last Year of Your Graduate School Experience: Advice from a Major Professor”
- “How to be a good graduate student” Marie desJardins wrote this article for graduate students at the University of Indiana. You may find many of these topics useful.
- Our colleagues at Arizona State University Graduate College have developed a series of professional development podcasts for graduate students, and invite you to utilize these. Topics include “Habits of Successful Researchers and Scholars,” Publishing in Refereed Journals,” and many more. To view the full list of topics:
Playing the Game: The Streetsmart Guide to Graduate School Fredrick Frank Ph.D., Karl Stein, Ph.D. This is an irreverent, humorous and useful guide to succeeding in graduate school. We recommend it!
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Performing Your Research
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs – compliance, how to get funding for your research, how to write proposals, post award assistance.
- “Writing and presenting your thesis or dissertation” article by Dr. S. Joseph Levine, Michigan State University
- Dissertations – an online guide from the Univ. of North Carolina. “Don’t be part of the 50% of doctoral students who are ABD!!”
Mentoring
- Every graduate student needs a mentor— a professor who will help you navigate through your program. You can find out the ways your mentor helps you achieve success at this web link.
- More on mentoring from the University of Michigan web site: “How to get the mentoring you want: A guide for students at a diverse university”
Work / Home / Life Balance
- “All work and no play”
- “Why graduate students reject the fast track” from Academe online
- “Managing Work, Life, and School for Graduate Students” – Clever Dude web site
- “New Year’s resolutions for graduate students” About.com graduate students
Committees: Advisory, Thesis, Dissertation
- The ABD Survival Guide: Selecting your dissertation committee by Melissa Rigney, Ph.D.
- “Importance of the Dissertation Committee” at www.phd.org
- “How to Select a Dissertation Committee - Questions to Ponder for Doctoral Students” – at Associated Content online
Your Professional Development
- University of Arkansas professors Julie Stenken and Anna Zajicek share their career mentoring experiences, and give you great career advice on mentoring and networking!
- Responsible Conduct of Research Series presented by the Vice Provost for Research
September 16, 2009 – Introduction to RCR, Dennis Brewer, Assoc. Vice Provost for Research Podcast (requires UA login) - October 22, 2009 – Authorship and Publication, Dr. Doug Adams, Sociology and Criminal Justice
- November 2008 – Research Misconduct Policies and Consequences, Rosemary Ruff, Director of the UA Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Your Thesis / Dissertation
- “Writing and presenting your thesis or dissertation” article by Dr. S. Joseph Levine, Michigan State University
- Dissertations – an online guide from the Univ. of North Carolina. “Don’t be part of the 50% of doctoral students who are ABD!!”
Job Search
- Academic Job Search
- Academic Job Search information from Virginia Tech
- Academic Job Search information from Univ. of California at Berkeley
- Job Hunting Advice: Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Academic Job Search information from the Univ. of Pennsylvania
- Academic Search Timeline from Univ. of Michigan
- Academic Job Listing Resources from Univ. of Michigan
- Job Search for Graduate Students from Johns Hopkins University
- “University web sites for graduate students seeking jobs” --from The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Job Search outside the academy
