Strategies for Staying the Course
Jacqueline Looney
Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs and
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Diversity
By now many of you have probably heard about or actually experienced first hand “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of pursuing a graduate degree. The truth is that whether you are a newcomer to Duke’s graduate community or a returning student, there are many challenges you will face at each stage of your study: course work, preliminary examinations, and dissertation. The key, however, is finding useful ways of navigating this difficult, but mostly rewarding, terrain of graduate study. Here I offer a few suggestions for staying the course.
Assess Your Financial Package
Review your admissions material again to make sure that you fully understand the terms of your graduate fellowship: What is the stipend amount? Are tuition and fees covered? Are there teaching, research, or other requirements? How many years of support are guaranteed? What are the academic requirements for keeping the award? At the appropriate time, you should consider entering departmental, graduate school, and national competitions for additional funding such as travel grants, teaching and research fellowships, and dissertation support.
Clarify Graduate School And Departmental Requirements
To start, make sure you review the expectations and guidelines listed in the Policies and Forms section of the Graduate School Web site. These documents summarize the expectations of graduate students, faculty, departments and programs, and the Graduate School in creating a productive graduate research environment. In addition, you should ask your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) or other departmental faculty and staff to provide written guidelines for completing each stage of your departmental degree requirements: course work, preliminary examinations, dissertation prospectus, the writing of the dissertation. Keep all of this information in an accessible spot at home or on campus.
Develop Productive Mentoring Relationships
It is important to establish mentoring relationships with faculty early in your academic career. Good mentoring will ensure that you are well trained in your discipline, successfully complete your degree, and have adequate job opportunities. Mentors are essential in helping you to learn about unwritten rules and informal networks in your department. Because of the variety of roles that mentors serve, we encourage you to seek out multiple mentoring partnerships (inside and outside the department). One mentor might be good at coaching, teaching, and advising; another at helping to identify potential job placements; and another at giving insight about balancing your personal and professional lives.
Create Your Own Environment Of Support
Your perception about how you are or are not supported by the university community will greatly influence your experiences (academic and social) while here. A first step for you is to take ownership of and to recognize the fact that you are an important part of what makes Duke University a world-class institution. Second, get involved with the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) or other graduate student organizations. These groups serve important advocacy roles by helping the University to identify and to address the needs of its graduate students. Third, interact with students inside and outside your academic and professional disciplines; seek out or create your own support groups (e.g., writing and dissertation groups); share works in progress for feedback from peers; and participate in campus sponsored intellectual activities.
Initiate Social Connections
Although your main reasons for being here are intellectual, social outlets play an important role in enhancing your academic life. Isolation is a natural part of graduate student life. One way of stemming this isolation is by taking time to participate in social events sponsored by your department, the graduate school, GPSC, and other campus organizations. (This social involvement can also help to strengthen your intellectual networks.)
Manage Your Career
Your success here will also be determined by your own motivation, your perseverance, your discipline, your ability to organize your time, as well as by how you prioritize and how you choose to use your resources. You are your own best advocate!
Take Advantage Of Resources And Services
Take full advantage of the resources and services provided by the University to help you to accomplish your academic, personal, and professional goals. Many of these resources are listed in the “Finding Support” section of the Graduate School’s Student Life site.
Take Care Of Yourself
Carefully review and make sure that you understand the guidelines for your health and insurance benefits. As best as you can, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting adequate sleep, eating healthfully, getting plenty of exercise, and staying in touch with family and friends. If you’re not in good health (physical and mental) chances are you won’t have a productive course of study.
Ask For Help!
Let someone know when you need help with academic or personal issues. Remember, all departmental faculty and many staff members were graduate students once. According to the National Association for Graduate-Professional Students, major areas of concern for graduate students nationwide include health, mentoring and advising, job preparation and placement, and mental well-being. I urge you to take full advantage of the services provided in the Graduate School, the Career Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, and other campus offices. I also invite you to challenge us to serve you better.