TalentEgg

On Being A Teaching Assistant (TA) In Grad School

December, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Grad school funding comes in many forms.

Some students are lucky enough to be awarded fellowships (scholarships that don’t need to be repaid). Others rely on student loans.

Most graduate students will at some point encounter TAships, or teaching assistantships, where they act as discussion leaders, graders, and tutorial instructors for a larger class run by a professor.

Being a TA is often a first chance to teach, to be in a position of authority, and to evaluate students’ progress. It’s a big responsibility and one that takes time to grow into.

By the time you’ve reached grad school you’ve had plenty of professors, lab instructors, and TAs. You’ve seen good teachers and you’ve seen bad teachers. But it’s an entirely different matter when you are at the front of the room and everyone is looking at you.

Being a TA is often a first chance to teach, to be in a position of authority, and to evaluate students’ progress. It’s a big responsibility and one that takes time to grow into.

While some people are natural leaders, they still have a lot to learn, because being a TA is not just about teaching.

Authority

The biggest challenge to new teachers is establishing their authority in the classroom. This is especially difficult for new TAs who might only be a year or two older than their students. When I began TAing, I was actually younger than most of my students for the first couple years!

The important thing to remember is that you are an instructor, not a friend. Your job is to impart valuable information, help students grapple with challenging subjects, and evaluate their success. If your primary concern is whether the students like you, it becomes impossible to complete your responsibilities effectively and professionally.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t have great rapport with your students. Ideally, your class sections should be something you and your students look forward to. You will build relationships with some students over several classes, and even beyond their degrees. Some students will in the future become your friends. But when you teach you need to remain professional and objective.

Grading

If anything stresses out new TAs, it is grading. Evaluating other students is an entirely new task for most, and doing it fairly and consistently takes practice and confidence.

It is important both for your students and for you to have a grading rubric that explains what constitutes an “A” paper, a “B” paper, etc. This establishes your expectations for students, but also helps you to conceptualize what you will expect for each grade range. In time you won’t need this but to begin with, it is a valuable tool benefiting everyone.

Perhaps the biggest stress, however, is how to deal with students who appeal their grades. Some students simply want to know how to improve their work, while others can be confrontational and aggressive. In either case, it’s important to have clear and established policies for how to deal with the situation.

I put as many comments as possible on assignments so that students knew exactly how their grade was determined. I’m also a strong believer in the power of red ink. Students are invariably surprised to find a grade higher than they expected after seeing so much ink on their papers. Few complain.  I also never let students speak to me about grades without a 24 hour “cooling down” period.

Teaching

Teaching is probably the easiest part of being a TA. For the most part, at least in the humanities, you will be clarifying themes, going over assignments, and explaining concepts to students that have already been introduced by the professor. It is not your responsibility to teach new material. You are the TA; an assistant, not a professor.

The important thing to remember is that you already have several years more experience and knowledge than your students. You might not know every detail of the material they are learning, but you know how to find it. And it’s OK simply to say that you’ll look something up when a question stumps you. Looking something up and coming back to students with an answer shows you’re engaged and taking them seriously. You earn respect.

When you first TA, your supervising professor and senior TAs will be invaluable resources. They will likely already have grading rubrics, assignment templates, and support materials. Seek this out, save it, modify it, and most of all enjoy yourself!

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 13 December 2010.

Making Long Distance Relationships Work During Grad School

December, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Baby, please don’t go

Anyone can find themselves suddenly having to endure the challenge of maintaining a relationship across borders.

Changing schools, going on an international exchange or even starting afirst job can change our lives and relationships dramatically.

By maintaining open communication with your partner, balancing work and romance and prioritizing time for love, however, you can sustain a long distance relationship through the challenges of grad school.

But, more than almost any other group, graduate students are among the most likely to endure that pain of separating from those they love.

Students especially prone to relocation include those in research-intensive programs, those in the humanities where extensive archival work is required, and those who must undertake on-site investigations abroad.

In grad school, you have to plan for change and uncertainty. Research trips sometimes involve months abroad. Fellowships might require solo relocation of up to a year or more.

But even though long distance relationships may seem inevitable for grad students, they aren’t insurmountable!

Whatever issue you’re facing, remember that many couples have been there before and have made it work. We caught up with some far-away couples and took off with their best tips.

Meet Erin and Shane

Erin and Shane* met as undergrads in Canada but eventually went on to different grad schools. Erin went to the U.S. while Shane remained in Canada. Living in different countries for an extended period, they have always had to prioritize communication.

According to Erin, “Technology is the key! We schedule time to talk on webcam for at least an hour every night [using] Skype.” And, when Shane finished his coursework, he was able to spend weeks and even months visiting Erin while completing his degree—something nearly impossible in non-academic long-distance relationships.

Meet Karen and Adam

Karen and Adam are separated by an ocean—the Atlantic, to be precise. Karen studies in Europe while Adam remains in Canada and they prioritize spending time with each other as much as possible. For Karen and Adam, trips to visit each other aren’t seen as a cost to one, but as an investment by both in their relationship.

If one can travel but can’t afford to fly abroad, the other helps pay. This works, according to Karen, “because the visit is a benefit to both of us. We’re not paying to travel but to spend time together.”

Meet Jason and Michael

Jason and Michael met while Jason was on a research trip abroad. Michael, who is not in grad school, had to stay behind when Jason returned home to complete his studies. Since then, they’ve struggled with periods of more than six months without seeing each other. But, like Karen and Adam, Jason and Michael find every chance to be together.

While grad students may be perpetually poor, one perk of higher academia is the necessity to travel extensively—for research purposes, naturally.  “We useconferences, research trips, and other work-related travel to see each otheruntil one of us can finally move abroad.” Jason and Michael also have built-in summers, an extended Christmas and spring break—all of which give grad students extra time to enjoy with loved ones.

No one likes long distance relationships

They’re hard, emotionally draining and difficult to sustain over long periods. Research, readings and papers are all a part of the grad school experience. But, too often, so are the challenges that come with long-distance relationships.

By maintaining open communication with your partner, balancing work and romance and prioritizing time for love, however, you can sustain even a long distance relationship through the challenges of grad school.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 1 December 2010.

How To Find Your Home, Sweet Home Away From Home At Grad School

November, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Finding your “Home, Sweet Home” can be an ordeal when you go away to university.

And since most new grad students will need to move away to new universities, it’s an almost necessary part of the graduate school experience.

As a graduate student you will have a demanding schedule, erratic timelines, and loads of work and readings that you’ll most likely work on at home.

But hunting for housing is different for grad students. We have unique requirements, but also unique opportunities to secure a home.

We can all use online sites like Craigslist or Kijiji to find accommodation in new cities.

Similarly, newspapers, magazines, and other notices are available to anyone. But that’s precisely the problem.

As a graduate student you will have a demanding schedule, erratic timelines, and loads of work and readings that you’ll most likely work on at home. You need a home environment that allows this kind of focused and concentrated work.

If you are financially and emotionally capable of living on your own, it might be easier to find a studio or one bedroom apartment. But if you’ll need to live in shared accommodation, a bit more planning is required.

University residences

Don’t think that university residences are just for undergrads. Many universities that offer graduate programs also have residences devoted to graduate students.

Here you can be placed with more mature students, and those who are similarly motivated to succeed in grad school. Be sure to research deadlines for application, which will be separate from your general application to graduate school programs.

Roommates

If looking for off-campus housing, you’re in a new position as a grad student to find opportunities. Many landlords look specifically for graduate students and young professionals to rent to. They appreciate the maturity and focus that such renters display. And even among potential roommates, many will want the stability, maturity, and calm that a grad house offers. Everyone likes to let loose on the weekend, but grads need to focus all week.

Where do you find these housing opportunities?

Graduate student societies’ housing lists

Most graduate student societies offer lists to their members searching for off-campus accommodation. You can advertise if you are looking for a roommate, and also search for housing. These ads differ very little from other ads, and there are no guarantees that you’ll find the ideal living situation. But the list is self-selected to include only graduate students, or grad-friendly accommodation. It’s also unavailable to most other apartment hunters, so your chances of finding something in the final crunch before school starts can increase by using this resource.

Departmental listservs

Once at grad school you’ll find yourself on all kinds of email lists. Some of these may seem a hassle or might not offer you much right away, but graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars will often post to these lists when looking for housing or roommates.

Make sure to get on your department’s email listservs as soon as possible so that you will be in the loop. Besides watching for housing opportunities to appear, you can also put a message out to your department if you find yourself in a jam without housing. You’d be surprised at the power that the collective connections of your department can offer when you need it most!

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 25 November 2010.

3 Ways To Build Your CV During Grad School

November, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

A curriculum vitae, or CV, is not a resumé.

(Recommended reading: When it comes to grad school, what’s the difference between a resumé and a CV?)

Rather than being a list of your work achievements, it documents academic and intellectual development.

One of the most important elements on your CV will be your publications. Articles in scholarly journals and edited collections by other authors are the most valuable.

It is a record of your scholarly activities and an advertisement of your skills. Like your resumé, you will include information about your education and employment.

For grad students, this often focuses on teaching assistantships (TAships) and teaching opportunities, research assistantships (RAships), and other employment that relates to academic studies.

But there are three distinct areas you will want to build on your CV during grad school. In my own CV I’ve worked hard to expand sections on conferences, publications, and a range of extra-curricular activities.

Conferences

One of the easiest ways to beef up your CV is to present papers at academic conferences. Initially, these could be local or regional graduate student conferences.

Grad conferences are a great way to ease into public presentations with strong support from colleagues and other grad students. However, once you’re comfortable, make sure you start presenting on panels at professional conferences in your field.

Besides the obvious networking and profile benefits, every time you present a paper at a conference, it ads a line to your CV. The higher the profile of the conference, the stronger it looks. And attending conferences in different regions and countries will show up on your CV as broad engagement with scholars across the world in your field. If your paper takes any awards or honours, you can also add to your CV.

In addition to formal conference papers, your CV can also include invited talks, panels, and anywhere else you appear as a speaker. If you give a guest lecture in a course as a TA, you can use that too!

Publications

One of the most important elements on your CV will be yourpublications. For most grad students, this section remains relatively small until you are more advanced in your program.

Articles in scholarly journals and edited collections by other authors are the most valuable, but there are other opportunities to publish pieces relevant to your studies.

Book reviews are a great way to beef up your CV.

Leading academic journals use experts in a particular field to review books, but smaller journals, online journals, and graduate journals are all good places to contact about writing reviews.

They allow you to write about the newest books in your area of study without doing extra research.

You also get free books!

In the cases of both conferences and publications, it’s OK to list confirmed activities as forthcoming even though they haven’t happened or been published yet.

Extra-curricular

When it comes to grad school, extra-curricular activities are still valuable, but are used to demonstrate something different than on a resumé. While it’s always a good idea to show that you are a well-rounded individual skilled at both scholarly and non-academic activities, you will also want to use your extra-curricular activities to reinforce strong impressions of yourself as a scholar.

If you study digital humanities, you can highlight blogging activities and online publishing.  If your work in public history, volunteering with local historical agencies and sites is an obvious overlap. For those whose work relates to race, class, or gender, work or volunteering with labour groups, women’s groups, or humanitarian organizations can bolster your experience as well.

Service in the form of departmental and campus activities will also help to demonstrate your commitment to your institution, department, and colleagues in ways that could be helpful for scholarship, TA, and job committees down the road.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 8 November 2010.

Why The Graduate Secretary Should Be Your New BFF

September, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

There are few people more important to your life in graduate school than the graduate secretary of your department.

This person is more important than most of your professors, more important than your boyfriend or girlfriend, more important than your mother!

The graduate secretary can mean the difference between a successful and happy graduate school experience, and one riddled with trials and tribulations where you just don’t know what to do or where to turn.

Building a strong relationship now with the graduate secretary will benefit your studies, your stress level, and your degree.

In many departments, the graduate secretary, especially if s/he has years of experience, is a font of institutional knowledge. This person knows when you should apply for fellowships, when the department hires TAs, where students have found other funding opportunities, as well as the proper procedure for completing graduate exams, filing theses, and managing your committee.

The graduate secretary is an institutional guru.

In my department at the University of California, our graduate secretary had more than 30 years of experience and acquired knowledge about the ins and outs of departmental and university policy. She knew more than most professors and upper administrators about how to get things done effectively and efficiently. She also knew how to get things done in a way that would most help students.

When I needed the right form, I went to her. When I needed advice on how to time my program and plan my courses, I went to her. And when I ran into funding problems, I went to her. She solved every one of these issues.

She is also a warm, kind, and generous person who did everything she could to make graduate school a less stressful and more enjoyable experience.

Even before you arrive at grad school, you will already be in contact with the graduate secretary. Very likely, this is the person to whom you sent yourapplication for admission, scholarship applications, and who will organize TA duties and office space. The graduate secretary will know all about you even before you’ve arrived in town.

So, when you do arrive in town, this is one of the first campus visits you must make. Just show up with a smile, a hello, and quick thanks for help already received. It is fundamentally important that you know who your graduate secretary is so that you are comfortable contacting him or her when the need arises.

Building a strong relationship now with the graduate secretary will benefit your studies, your stress level, and your degree. It may also foster one of the most important relationships at grad school, and leave you with a friendship that goes even beyond your degree.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 28 September 2010.

How To Find A Super Supervisor For Graduate School

August, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Once you get to grad school, the choice of primary academic supervisor to guide your research and writing is critical to your success.

Students who lack a supportive supervisor often fail to thrive, while those with strong supervision and support have an undeniable advantage.

Very often for a master’s degree, but certainly for a PhD, you will need to contact your potential supervisor, or interesting professors, long before you even apply to grad school.

Your supervisor will be your intellectual mentor, your first access point for issues and problems at grad school, and hopefully your biggest cheerleader (and reference writer) once you’ve completed your studies.

Finding that super supervisor, however, requires pro-activity, research, planning, and strategy.

Very often for a master’s degree but certainly for a PhD you will need to contact your potential supervisor, or interesting professors, long before you even apply to grad school.

Establish email contact early and, if possible, meet him or her to discuss your goals at grad school and your research interests. Find common areas of interest and places where your work might overlap. Your supervisor will ideally also be a great networking and work contact throughout your graduate studies.

When I was in the process of selecting PhD programs, I learned that the professor I was most interested in working with was attending a conference in Portland, Oregon. I was living in Vancouver.

So, I contacted her, set up a meeting, and drove to Portland to have breakfast with her. It solidified my interest in working with her, and proved to her I was dedicated and proactive. I ended up working with her for five great years at the University of California.

I was fortunate in both my masters and PhD to have amazing supervisors. But I have friends who left programs because of bad fits with supervisors, or had to change to other, more supportive professors mid-program.

Avoid this situation by planning early and making strong connections. Changing supervisors, while not uncommon, can be disruptive to both your degree and your confidence.

But if you discover that you just can’t work with your supervisor, don’t be afraid to discuss it with colleagues or other trusted professors. Keep the conversation professional, but open a dialogue about other options if necessary.

Ultimately, you are in control of your own success, and pro-actively choosing the right people to work with is your responsibility. Finding a super supervisor will set you up for a super grad school experience as well.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 31 August 2010.

How To Decide Whether To Stay At Home Or Go Abroad For Grad School

August, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

You might not have gone far from home for your undergraduate studies. Perhaps you only went as far as the nearest major city.

Or, like me, just to your local hometown university.

Is a degree abroad with experts in the field worth the added expense and challenges? Sometimes it is.

But for grad school, it’s almost inevitable that you will have to consider universities away from home. But what if away from home is also away from your home country?

After completing undergraduate studies at home in Alberta, I applied to study abroad for both my master’s and my PhD. A number of factors influenced my decision to remain in Canada for my master’s, but go away to California for my PhD.

Moving to another country for grad school is an enormous change and commitment. How do you decide whether to stay at home or go abroad?

Program of study

Finding the right program, or even just a school that offers your program, can take you to places you never imagined you’d live. The program might only be offered at some institutions, and those universities might be a province away, or even a country away.

Sometimes you have to weigh the strength of a program, and prestige of professors there, in your decision. Is a degree abroad with experts in the field worth the added expense and challenges? Sometimes it is.

I could have completed degrees in history anywhere, but for my doctorate I wanted to work with a world leader in my field. She was based in Santa Barbara, California, so I learned more about the program there and ultimately ended up working with her for five years.

Cost of living

Many countries have very different costs of living than Canada. Sometimes this can be advantageous to Canadians studying abroad, and other times, it can create a more costly situation, making it impossible to study there. Despite being accepted to leading U.K. universities, I was unable to attend because of the prohibitively high cost of living, even after securing funds to cover tuition and fees.

But the cost of living isn’t always consistent. Different cities and regions of countries have widely varying costs of living. I couldn’t afford to study in London, but might have been able to afford other, less expensive cities. And when I went on to do my PhD in Santa Barbara, the cost of rent was astronomical compared to what a friend paid who completed her PhD in North Carolina.

Tuition and fees

It is important to know that tuition and fees are set at different levels for domestic and foreign students. These costs can be as much as double or more for foreign students wanting to study abroad. These extra costs influence the decision to study abroad. But so too can differing funding structures in other countries.

When I applied to study the U.K., I was offered almost no financial support, scholarships, or funding. But when I applied to PhD programs in the United States, my acceptance to the university came with a multi-year funding package that covered my tuition and fees, health care (critical to have when studying abroad!), as well as wages as a teaching assistant. This funding and work package was the deciding factor in being able to complete my education in the U.S.

Going abroad for graduate school could be a great decision, especially if it is made with adequate planning and careful preparation. Never be afraid to contact departments and professors, wherever they are, to ask about the program, the people, and the policies of your potential university.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 17 August 2010.

Getting Ready For Grad School: Grades, Exams And Application Deadlines

August, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Even though the Fall 2010 term hasn’t even started, it’s already time to start thinking ahead about admissions in 2011.

A year in advance might seem early. But in addition to advancing your education, grad school is also about research and networking. And that starts in the application process.

Even if your program has a late final application deadline, be sure to apply early for programs you are most interested in to ensure your best chances at acceptance and other benefits.

You need to research universities and network with potential supervisors. You need to start planning for exams, taking those last courses, and double-checking deadlines.

Two areas prospective grad students worry most about are their grades and when to apply.

Grades

If you are thinking of grad school, as a rule of thumb your grades should fall in the B range for most master’s programs, and at least a high B for doctoral programs. Of course higher grades demonstrating excellence in your undergrad studies will weigh in your favour.

At the same time, however, in more competitive programs, higher grades, co-curricular activities, demonstrated research or discipline-specific skills, and involvement in your department are all strengths you will want to cultivate.

Many people worry about whether or not their grades are sufficient to gain entrance to grad school. While it’s true that high grades will help, they aren’t the only factor, and blemishes on a transcript can be overlooked with supportive letters of recommendation, a strong personal statement, or a good connection with a potential supervisor.

For example, if you’ve got great grades and are applying to graduate history program, as I did, but have a C in statistics, as I had, it is unlikely to hold you back.

Standardized examinations

For some programs you will also need to plan, research, and prepare for standardized examinations.

Because an A might not mean the same thing between universities, departments, or even individual professors, standardized exams offer a way for universities to evaluate and compare candidates. While they may be flawed, they are still used extensively to evaluate potential graduate students. So, if you have other blemishes on your record, be sure to study up and excel on these exams if you take them.

If you are interested in medical school, you’ll need to prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). For law school, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and business school, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

And if you want to study in the US, you’ll likely need to prepare the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

These exams are not available at all locations, and may not be available all year round. If you need to take any of these, be sure to plan in advance, both for preparation, and to book the exam.

Application deadlines

Deadlines for submitting grad school applications are generally in the late fall and winter. Be sure, however, to note the deadline of your particular program, as different programs will have different deadlines, even at the same university.

At the University of Toronto, for example, the 2010 application deadline forphilosophy is January 7, linguistics is January 15, and geology February 1.

Some departments have room for flexibility. Also at the U of T, theimmunology program suggests that applications be filed by January 15 for September admissions. This is to ensure full eligibility for entrance awards, other scholarships, and prioritization for supervisor choice.

The final deadline, however, is June 1. But applying as late as that in any program risks not finding space, funding or supervision.

So, even if your program has a late final application deadline, be sure to apply early for programs you are most interested in to ensure your best chances at acceptance and other benefits.

And long before you even apply, email potential supervisors with whom you would like to work. This step isn’t critical in all fields. But very often your supervisor will ideally become your primary contact, your intellectual mentor, and your biggest promoter in the department.

Contacting professors in the planning stages of your graduate studies will pay off for years if you end up working with a strong and supportive supervisor.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 11 August 2010.

On The Personal Factors That Can Affect Success In Grad School

August, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

Academic advisors might warn students about heavier workloads, research expectations, and the increased competitiveness of grad school, but the personal upheaval is largely unspoken of.

Success in grad school is determined not only by academic achievement but by personal factors as well.

Along with practical advice on the ins and outs of grad school, prospective graduate students need to know the personal challenges they will face when pursuing advanced degrees.

Anyone who can get into grad school likely has the intellectual skills to succeed. But learning how to negotiate the new pressures on your personal life in grad school is an equally important skill.

So, along with practical advice on the ins and outs of grad school, prospective graduate students need to know the personal challenges they will face when pursuing advanced degrees.

Many graduate students, even at the masters level, have to undertake research trips or participate in conferences that take them away from home. Lasting anywhere from a weekend to a year, such trips are an amazing opportunity but can also be incredibly disruptive personally. While these trips can be expensive and lonely, they are also intellectually rewarding and exciting opportunities to travel.

Relationships can suffer from the enormous time commitments and potential travel requirements for success in grad school as well. For the lucky, partners might be able to join you at conferences and research trips. But for most, the time spent away on lengthy research trips poses a significant challenge to stable relationships.

Relationships are affected by more than just travel commitments at grad school. A graduate program will require more time, more personal investment, and more focus than undergraduate studies.

It’s not just school. You have to treat it like a full-time job. And this job requires lots of overtime! Balancing this enormous commitment with a relationship is hard. To do so successfully, you’ll need to prioritize and also limit the time you spend on your education. You’ll also need to identify and devote specific days and times to your relationship. Without planning, both will suffer.

Also, plan for the unexpected.

I moved to London, England, in February 2007, to undertake only a few months of research for my degree. In the end, I ended up staying more than two years!This move abroad took me away from my family and my friends, and even my professors, but it helped me to become an expert in my field and also build a relationship with a partner in England.

As in my own experiences, you will find that relationships, travel, research and finding the finances to manage these all become important considerations when thinking about going to grad school. They continue to be factors you need to consider throughout your studies as well.

Grad school offers amazing opportunities to advance your education, gain important credentials, develop professional contacts, and sometimes even to travel. It is, however, an enormous commitment in terms of time and money, and the decision to embark upon grad school should be made only after extensive research and advice.

The advice and experiences you’ll find here are a great place to start, but be sure to talk to professors, academic advisors, and career counsellors as you consider or prepare for graduate school.

This post was originally published at TalentEgg on 4 August 2010.

This Is What They Don’t Teach You In Grad School

July, 2010 · By Justin Bengry

You can only learn how grad school works by actually experiencing it.

Many future (and even current) grad students are not sure what to expect at grad school, how things are different from undergraduate studies, or sometimes even how to access the information they need to succeed in this new environment.

This new series will offer advice, experience, and ideas for students already in grad school, as well as those thinking about making the jump or just exploring the option.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Welcome to a new TalentEgg series! While TalentEgg’s Career Incubator is primarily devoted to articles for undergraduate students and recent graduates embarking on their careers, we also know that many readers won’t stop at an undergraduate degree.

Many will go on to grad school for professional degrees, other master’s degrees, and even doctorates. This new series will offer advice, experience, and ideas for students already in grad school, as well as those thinking about making the jump or just exploring the option.

The series will be written by two TalentEgg writers, each with their own unique experiences in grad school.

Danielle Lorenz

Danielle Lorenz will begin grad school at Carleton University in Ottawa this fall, where she will pursue an MA in Canadian Studies with a focus on Indigenous Studies.

Danielle is just embarking on her grad school adventure, learning the ropes and sharing her experiences with readers as she navigates this new world. In addition to articles on applications and funding, Danielle will also write about life as a new graduate student and offer regular updates of her progress in grad school.

Justin Bengry

At the other end of the spectrum, Justin Bengry recently completed his PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in History with an emphasis inFeminist Studies.

Justin has finished nearly a decade of grad school and wants to share how to succeed and what to be wary of in higher education. He will focus on relationships with supervisors, conducting research and also how to succeed at grad school.

Throughout the summer and fall we will also cover issues and questions surrounding application procedures, fellowships and grants, TA-ing duties and responsibilities, relationships with supervisors and everything in between. This will be an ongoing series of articles, the timing of which will be designed to match your trajectories for applications, anxieties, and needs throughout the academic year.

Feel free to comment on articles with your own ideas and questions for areas you’d like to see us cover!

This blog was originally published at TalentEgg on 20 July 2010.