Still More Tips for Potential Grad Students

1. Don't drift into graduate studies.  Graduate work is an intense experience and sometimes has to be its own reward.  Don't spend 2-5 years of your life on an advanced degree that you are only doing because you don't know what you really want to do.   Its ok to do a graduate degree if you are not sure of exactly what you want to study, but you need to be sure you want to take your quest for knowledge to the next level and you have to find that pursuit stimulating.

2. Set goals and time lines for your self and visit and re-visit them quarterly.  Time can slip past us quietly and we can look up and two years are gone. But to accomplish scholarly work in a timeline that you, your parents, spouses, supervisors   etc. think is acceptable you need to be aware of how much time tasks are taking to complete.

3. Consider your self a practitioner in your field of study and be a professional right from the get go.  When you approach your faculty supervisor or committee with your writing, requests for their time etc., always be prepared and professional.  Similarly when you serve as a course instructor or a TA in a course, think of it as a professional assignment, have teaching goals.  Also set yourself some professional soft skill goals.   Doing these things will help you be competitive for a range of jobs after you graduate.

Clare Hasenkampf, Director, Centre for Teaching & Learning, University of Toronto, and 3M National Teaching Fellow.

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