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Surviving as Graduate Students: What can you do to help yourselves?

Surviving as Graduate Students: What can you do to help yourselves?. John A. Venables (with a little help from his friends). Graduate studies in P&A: why are we here? Transitions, and can one plan for them? Curricula: are you getting what you need? We all need support in one form or another

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Surviving as Graduate Students: What can you do to help yourselves?

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  1. Surviving as Graduate Students:What can you do to help yourselves? John A. Venables (with a little help from his friends) • Graduate studies in P&A: why are we here? • Transitions, and can one plan for them? • Curricula: are you getting what you need? • We all need support in one form or another • The world beyond the PhD: friend or foe?

  2. Graduate studies in Physics and AstronomyWhy are we here? • Opportunity: the chance to do really great research with an outstanding faculty, great equipment... • Amazing courses: I just love being in class all day, and the homework, can't get enough of it... • Teaching: I really enjoy convincing young Engineers that they need to know more Physics... • Well, isn't Arizona just great? I love the mountains and the canyons and all that outdoor stuff... • You ask this question in February? You've got to be kidding, have you looked at the weather channel?

  3. Transitions, and can one plan for them? • The first semester:survival in a new country (maybe), courses, and as a TA • The written comprehensive:a hurdle, and the PhD - MS choice, the SPEAK test • Into research:the need to prepare yourself • Choices about future work:which country, which city/state, which subject area

  4. The Graduate Curriculum:are you getting what you need? • Up to the written comprehensive: uniform provision, but consult about waivers, R&C (590), Res (592), etc • Special (Area) coursesand ‘requirements’:these are basically guidelines, provisions for Astronomy, Biophysics, Education, CMMaterialsP, Subatomic • Individual flexibility:in conjunction with your advisor and committee, think what you want from the faculty • Progress through the exam/ paperwork system: the definition of ‘satisfactory and timely progress’ • GPC Report at http://phy.asu.edu/news/Currev04.pdf

  5. Computing:do we want to discuss this? • The answer isNO, because if we do there will be no time for anything else... but read on... • Whoever you ask, and whatever the question, 50% of the answers are wrong, and at least 50% of the questions are ill-posed. Hum! • But you cannot escape!Take responsibility for learning what you need to know, in the context of the group you are, or will be, in

  6. We all need support: in one form or another • Money: TA, RA, part-time or what? • Your Advisor, initial or research, and the GPC • Ms Shawn Dubon, Graduate Coordinator • SPAGS: Ms Keely Snider and your fellow students • ASU GPSA: Graduate and Professional students association, PFF, PFP and other societies • Your friends, relations and favorite bars

  7. Ways to get more $ • Travel Grants: • GPSA: Up to $500 deadline on the 15th of each month for travel in the next month http://www.asasu.org/gpsa • Grad College: Up to $350, next deadline is April 15th for travel from May 16th – Aug. 31st http://www.asu.edu/graduate • Research Grants: • GPSA: Up to $2000 for supplemental lab supplies, computer equipment, etc. – Applications avail. in June, deadline is Fall ’05

  8. SPAGS • Chairs: Keely Snider and Daniel Farrell • Keely.Snider@asu.edu & Daniel.W.Farrell@asu.edu • List Serves: • lists.asu.edu, gradstu or email: listserv@lists.asu.edu and write “subscribe gradstu” in the text • Fun (there is life outside of school): • Astronomy Open House:Friday Feb. 25th 8-10pm • Weekend Softball games:(Steve Finkelstein, Cynthia D’Angelo and Tedman Torres)

  9. The world beyond the PhD:friend or foe • Less is more, but does your advisor agree? deadlines are useful, drift is not good • Continue in academia, via a post-doc? most specialties need one or more p-d's, not all • Choose your fieldoryour location, rarely practical to do both, & the two-body problem • Network before you are done here, it is expected and smoothes the transition to 'work'

  10. Surviving as Graduate Students:What can you do to help yourselves? • Graduate studies in P&A: why are we here? • Transitions, and can one plan for them? • Curricula: are you getting what you need? • We all need support in one form or another • The world beyond the PhD: friend or foe?

  11. Surviving as Graduate Students:What can you do to help yourselves? John A. Venables (with a little help from his friends) • Graduate studies in P&A: why are we here? • Transitions, and can one plan for them? • Curricula: are you getting what you need? • We all need support in one form or another • The world beyond the PhD: friend or foe?

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