Jen’s Top 10 List For Doctoral Students [compatibility Mode]

How to be a Strong Doctoral Student Jen’s Top 10 List by Jennifer Maddrell

How to be a Strong Doctoral Student 1. Get organized 2. Seek out resources 3. Find the helping hand of a mentor 4. Weave a tapestry of work 5. Share openly 6. Get involved 7. Challenge yourself 8. Plan your journey 9. Consider the big picture 10. Look ahead (bonus last slide) … a suggestion for friends and family

Get Organized

Get Organized Why this is important … Doctoral students face a fire hose of information, including content in classes, from conferences, and work you generate. Begin the program by creating an organizational system (online and off) to store and organize your content, including the documents and the citations.

Suggestions … • Use Zotero or EndNote for citation management • Use social bookmarking sites to organize web links • Consider NOT printing out hard copies, but view and retain PDFs on your computer • Set up an file system that works for you and stick with it • Backup your hard drive!

Seek Out Resources

Seek Out Resources Why this is important … A significant part of the battle is knowing how to get your hands on great resources, including people, journal articles, and software. Fortunately, students are blessed with an abundance of free or cheaply available resources. Dig and ask around about how to find the best resources.

Suggestions … • Learn how to use the library databases – immediately! • Check out free peer reviewed open access journals • Know the top journals in your area of specialization • Find out what free resources are available from membership in organizations • Take advantage of student discounts – ask if not apparent • Buy used books online

Find the Helping Hand of a Mentor Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oberazzi/284975216/

Find the Helping Hand of a Mentor Why this is important … There is no pre-set roadmap for your graduate study. A mentor who has been through the process can help to guide the way and alert you of opportunities and steer you clear of common pitfalls. Remember that mentors can come from both within and outside the university.

Suggestions … • Get to know the backgrounds and interest areas of faculty in the department • Get to know the backgrounds and interest areas of possible mentors outside of the university • Discuss your interests with a potential mentor to see if there is a “match”

Weave a Tapestry from Threads of Work Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slowlysheturned/2559046253/

Weave a Tapestry of Work Why this is important … Think about creating a tapestry of work - one thread at a time. It takes time to get to know a topic area and even longer to feel you have some level of expertise in the area. Use every class assignment as an opportunity to delve into a topic of interest. Each project is a thread that you will weave into your overall body (tapestry) of work.

Suggestions … • Consider carefully the list of available assignment topics before you dive into one • Focus each assignment on an area of interest to you • Find others who share your interest and ask for a list of references and resources they found helpful • Build on your prior work in future classes

Share Openly

Share Openly Why this is important …

Suggestions …

I consider openness to be a my reciprocal obligation during my scholarly pursuit. In other words, if I want others to share their ideas with me, I must share my ideas with them. This includes establishing and managing an online identity and openly sharing work outside the classroom, including works in progress and completed works in a portfolio. This is scholarship 2.0.

• Take charge of building and managing your online identity – people will Google your name, so be in control of what they will find online • Create a personal web space to house and share your work • Consider separating your work in progress with final portfolio site to aid in online identity management

Get Involved Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riacale/3398340733/

Get Involved Why this is important … It is impossible to know what opportunities await until you go out and find them. Rarely do opportunities just fall in your lap. The more time and energy you commit to the field, the more you will benefit. Involvement is a ticket to finding out about interesting people and opportunities.

Suggestions … • Understand what is going on within formal and informal organizations • Take a leadership role • Seek out online groups with shared interests • Volunteer at conferences – man a booth or moderate a session • Volunteer to be a reviewer or shadow reviewer for journals and conferences

Challenge Yourself Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/parmiter/2521273890/

Challenge Yourself Why this is important …

Suggestions …

It is hard to feel confident about your abilities when you are learning. What do I know that anyone would want to hear or read? Rather than wait for an opportunity to fall in your lap (they rarely do), challenge yourself by doing before you feel ready. If you try the suggestions on the right, all they can do is turn you down. Believe me … I know from experience that can happen – a lot – see last slide ☺

• Apply for fellowships and research assistantships • Submit presentations to conferences • Work with others on journal submissions • Volunteer to offer support on research projects • Ask your mentor to support you on an Independent Study research project

Plan your Journey Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sirwiseowl/2101661645/

Plan your Journey Why this is important … It is important to be realistic about the time you must set aside to get what you should out of school. While it is tempting to overload yourself to get it done, plan ahead so you can make the most of the journey. Planning (early and often) with your advisor and mentor(s) will help to avoid missed opportunities.

Suggestions … • Be realistic about how many hours a week you have and how many you need for school work • Plan your course of study and research (and revisit it) with your advisor – early and often! • Take required courses early in the program when they are available

Consider the Big Picture Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewcoulterenright/89435917/

Consider the Big Picture Why this is important …

Suggestions …

It is easy to be myopic, think you know what the field is all about, and peg yourself into an area you want to pursue. However, always keep seeking to understand the big picture. Situations change and opportunities abound. The path you take may not be based the goals you set out to achieve. While you may not be an expert researcher (yet), consider how to integrate the skills you bring from prior experiences into your new life as a researcher.

• Be aware of what others are studying and where they work • Read publications from outside your core area of interest • Think about how your existing skills and knowledge can be an asset in your new research career • Attend conferences sessions outside of your core interest area • Become familiar with the jargon and important issues in the field

Look Ahead Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loupiote/25426957/

Look Ahead Why this is important … It is easy to get bogged down in the now of work, reading, and papers, but look ahead and find ways to build a bridge to the future. This includes getting to know people in the field and the work landscapes. Building ties (and your identity in the field) now will help in the future.

Suggestions … • Consider contacting a researcher you admire by email or at a conference • Ask friends and mentors to introduce you to others they admire in the field • Get to know the specialty areas of companies or universities in the field • Manage your identity (see prior slide)

… one more for friends and family Why it is important … To deal with the inevitable rejection that will come your way, here is a “cut and paste” pick me up note my friend created for the times I texted him that I was just turned down or rejected. It saves him a lot of effort (my efforts have been rejected a lot lately) and still cheers me up.

Suggestion … “So sorry to hear about the [insert rejected effort], Jen. I know you tried very hard on it. You put a lot of effort into it, and I know it's disappointing that it just wasn't quite up to par.”