Time Management Tips for PhD's

Time Management Tips for PhD's.

Don't get overwhelmed by the end goal but work your way back. Break up the big picture into smaller more manageable steps. This is some of the exceptional advice Rose Hastreiter, a senior consultant at Direct Corporate Solutions, has to offer PhD's (as well as anyone attempting to achieve an academic goal).

This article is from University Affairs.

Time management tips for PhD's

Coping with impostor syndrome.

Congratulations on finishing another semester! While we take a much needed break from our studies, we should also take the time to address some of the issues that hold grad students back. Impostor syndrome is a huge issue for graduate students, in which one believes that he or she does not belong or is not qualified for their program. Gradhacker.com has an excellent article addressing impostor syndrome and providing helpful advice on how to cope with it.

http://www.gradhacker.org/2011/09/02/banishing-impostor-syndrome/

Why PhD Students Leave

Interesting post from University Affairs addressing some of the more common reasons why PhD and other post-grad students leave.

War of Attrition - Asking why PhD students leave. 

Know the Vital Players in Your Career: Your Own Actions

Hard work will get you far, but sometimes you need a little more to achieve success. The Chronicle of Higher Education has some helpful advice not just for academia, but for your future career.

Know the Vital Players in your Career: Your Own Actions.

Beat negative perfectionism!

Beat negative perfectionism!

http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2014/09/03/3-quick-tips-to-beat-negative-perfectionism.html

An excellent article from hackcollege.com on how to break free from obsessiveness and negative thinking when completing projects.

Make your CV stand out!

Make your CV stand out...

Seven Strategies to Save Your CV from the Paper Shredder

Article from Gradshare by Dora Farkas, Ph.d. 

Managing Stress

Advice from the University of Southern California:

4 ways to manage stress...

Linkedin is no facebook

Amy Elder, director of Career Services at Brock University has some excellent advice on using LinkedIn to your professional advantage.

Key points:

Maintain a complete and up to date profile

Use a personalized message to connect

Join and participate in groups

Check it out!

For more helpful videos like this visit www.universityaffairs.ca

Six key lessons to help graduate students thrive in their first year

Advice on how to thrive in grad school for both master's and doctoral students from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

New online professional development training modules for grad students

A news release from the Council of Ontario Universities provides details on the mygradskills.ca online modules for grad students.  The University of Guelph was one of the contributors to the site.

GSLI Work-Study position available

Work-Study Position – Graduate Student Learning Initiative Assistant

5 hours per week

This position provides assistance to the Graduate Student Learning Initiative (GSLI), an umbrella group of services that support the development of academic and professional skills for graduate students.  

Please note that a graduate student is preferred for this position and that this is a 5-hour per week position that pays minimum wage.  This position is available year round – fall, winter and summer semesters.

Primary responsibilities involve provide logistical support to the Chair and research support to professional staff providing GSLI programming.  Specific training will be provided. 

Responsibilities will include a wide array of tasks including: 

·         preparing a bi-weekly email announcement for students about upcoming workshops

·         attending monthly GSLI meetings and taking minutes

·         creating and maintaining the GSLI blog

·         updating and maintaining the GSLI website

·         organizing and storing GSLI documents

·         updating, creating, photocopying, and distributing posters, flyers, and other promotional materials

·         some clerical tasks such as filing and data entry

·         other tasks as assigned. 

The ideal candidate would have the following qualities:

·         excellent communication skills in English, including advanced writing, grammar, spelling and proofreading

·         advanced skills in Word

·         dependable and reliable; able to work independently with minimal supervision

·         excellent organization and time management skills and attention to detail

·         interest in and familiarity with support services for graduate students

In return, we offer:

·         flexible hours

·         opportunity to learn new skills

·         friendly, student-centred work environment, conveniently located in the Library.

Please note the following:

• Apply only after you have received approval from the work-study program, and forward your approval email with your application package
• A resume is required with your application package
• Incomplete application packages will not be considered
•  Email your application package to Maryann Kope at mkope@uoguelph.ca as soon as possible.

New system for GSLI workshop registration this fall

Many of the units that provide GSLI workshops have switched to a new online system for workshop registration.  The system is called Event Link and most GSLI workshops can be accessed at www.uoguelph.ca/eventlink/library.  You can also access GSLI workshops through the GSLI website at www.gsli.uoguelph.ca/workshops.

Career Services and Teaching Development programs have separate registration systems.

Returning grad students will notice several differences between the old and new registration systems:

• you will need to re-enter your personal information - data from the old system was not transferred to the new system
• related workshops and multiple sessions of the same workshop are now grouped together.  You can identify these by the red "MORE" button 
• the search function searches only workshop titles, not descriptions
• Event Link uses a "shopping cart" style system, but don't worry - GSLI workshops are all still FREE!

Video: Why grad students should have an online presence

From University Affairs:

Making sure your digital brand aligns with your research and personality is key when applying to jobs. 

Amy Elder, director of Career Services at Brock University, speaks about the importance of having a social media presence.

Whether you are looking for non-academic or academic employment, your digital brand will help show potential employers what kind of person you are. So be careful as to what you choose to put on the Internet, because employers are increasing their use of social media when looking at potential employees.

Balancing parenthood and grad studies

University Affairs says grad-student parents need better institutional support.

The only 3 skills graduate students need to learn from University Affairs

The only 3 skills graduate students need to learn

Problem Fixed - Registration system is back up

The problem with REG has been fixed and the system is again fully operational.

PROBLEM WITH WORKSHOP REGISTRATION SYSTEM

The workshop registration system used by many units in the GSLI is off line until further notice.  For the upcoming workshops listed below, please contact the instructor as listed if:
- you wish to register
- you are registered and have a question
- you are registered and want to withdraw.

Also please note that you will not receive the usual email reminder about the workshop.

We are working to resolve the problem and will post more information when it becomes available.  If you have any questions about GSLI programs, please email gsli@uoguelph.ca.

Research & Project Management Course - Publishing in Academic Journals - March 25

Contact:  Meghan Grimes @ mgrimes@uoguelph.ca

Writing Tune-up: Paraphrase Like a Pro - March 24

or

Writing Tune-up: Grammar 4 (Avoiding Errors of Misuse) - March 25

Contact:  Lenore Latta @ llatta@uoguelph.ca

Academic Job Search - March 31

Contact:  Jana McDonald @ jmcdon04@uoguelph.ca

What should you do with your science PhD? Learn from others

This article from University Affairs describes a new website called “My Sci Career” which gathers stories from scientists across the world about what careers they’ve pursued with a science degree.

The No-Fail Secret to Writing a Dissertation

There is only one fail-safe method, one secret, one guaranteed trick that you need in order to finish your dissertation: Write.  

Learn more at https://chroniclevitae.com/news/370-the-no-fail-secret-to-writing-a-dissertation?cid=gs&utm_source=gs&utm_medium=en

How to ask for a reference letter

Straightforward advice from University Affairs for job candidates in search of a professorial recommendation.

Meet the next generation of social-media-savvy graduate students

Building an online space to highlight your academic work will help you come job search time.  See more in University Affairs.

Change Your Password!

The Office of the CIO recommends that you regularly change your password.  If you are suspicious of email links (something we typically advise) you can change your password by searching for “password change” in the search box in the top right corner of the main University of Guelph website.  Click on the first search result “CCS Change Your Password” and follow the instructions on that page. Alternatively, to change your password, use this link to visit the CCS password change page:https://www.uoguelph.ca/ccs/apps/password/change/ 

3 Minute Thesis Competition

3MT® is a university wide competition for graduate students in which participants present their research and its wider impact in 3 minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges. The challenge is to present complex research in an engaging, accessible and compelling way, using only one slide.  For details see the Graduate Studies website.

Do you suffer from the Imposter Syndrome?

University Affairs provides a quick overview of this common phenomenon among grad students. 

If you count yourself among those who experience the imposter syndrome, assistance is available from the professional staff in Learning Services.  They offer free appointments and can help with other performance issues like perfectionism. Email learning@uoguelph.ca for details.

How to Deliver a Half-way Decent Job Talk

From the Professor Is In website

Virtual conference on alternative and post-academic careers

 From University Affairs

PhD Students, Depression and attrition

New article from University Affairs
University Affairs blogger and York University PhD student Melonie Fullick suggests that there is a widespread growth in depression amongst graduate students that is surrounded by “a thickly-oppressive silence.” Fullick cites an intense workload, pressure to produce new and valuable work, competition for full-time positions after graduation, and personal issues as contributing factors for the growth in clinical depression in the field. She points out the lack of information on PhD attrition, and suggests that more statistics on why people drop out of graduate studies would shed light on some of these mental health issues. “I wonder how many students simply leave due to mental health and related issues brought on or exacerbated by the psychological minefield of the PhD process -- and how much of this is preventable,” writes Fullick.

Which skills do our graduates lack?

Food for thought from University Affairs, written by UG Provost Maureen Mancuso: 

". . . the skill sets said to be most in demand are, in order: managerial/supervisory, communications/interpersonal, leadership/executive, and process/project management."

Seeking student members for the GSLI - reply by Jan. 10

The  Graduate Student Learning Initiative (GSLI) is an award-winning group that brings together campus services that provide professional and academic skill development for graduate students.  Members include the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and representatives from a range of service units across the campus, as well as the GSA.

Three student members play a key role by providing a student perspective that keeps us in tune with graduate student needs and priorities.   The GSLI is currently seeking two new student members with some combination of these characteristics: 

- one from the sciences and one from the arts/humanities

- one at the doctoral level

- one who is an International student who speaks English as an additional language.

We prefer students who are able to participate for at least two semesters. Meetings are held about three time each semester, and you need to be available for at least two of these dates in Winter 2014:

January 13 at 9:30am

February 19 at 10am

April 1 at 2:30pm

If you’re interested in services for graduate students, or are thinking about a career in academia and would like some committee experience with a group that’s friendly, informal, and functional, please consider participating.  A reply no later than January 10 would be appreciated. 

If you have any questions, please contact Maryann Kope, GSLI Chair at mkope@uoguelph.ca.

Don't Procrastinate, Plan!

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler

Do your New Year’s resolutions include procrastinating less in 2014? Take charge of your time during Time Management Month in January at the Library.  Create a time plan, stay on track, and control procrastination:

·    Sign up for a free appointment to create a personalized study plan

·    Check out the webshop A Guide for Time Management

·    Pick up a free calendar, weekly schedule, or task list in the Library

·    Read a handout for more tips and advice

·    Check out the Spotlight Board on the 1^st floor for a list of #GryphTimeHacks.

What academics can learn from LOL My Thesis

What academics can learn from LOL My Thesis from MacLeans magazine