Hints about Graduate School

by Mark Borzi and various groups of graduate students

The list below is a set of hints about how to get through graduate school. It is an attempt to summarize graduate faculty expectations and perceptions of graduate students. This list is not unique to Eastern Illinois University, it is an expression of many faculty teaching graduate courses nationwide.

These items are not in rank order (besides they are all important at one time or another.)

1. You are here to learn, not simply to get a degree. You are expected to be interested in the discipline and self-motivated.
   
   
2. You will be expected to do more than the minimums of what is expected. As a result, you are expected to do what is correct, not what is minimum.
   
   
3. Everything is done for a grade, but not everything is graded. Graduate faculty tend to grade based upon impressions of students. This means that you are always being evaluated (including your attitude). People tend to get "reputations" as "A" or "B" students. Everything you do reinforces that impression.
   
   
4. Discussion is expected.
   
   
5. Attendance is expected.
   
   
6. You are expected to know research and to argue from a sound research and theory base. (So don't discuss what you heard on "Hard Copy" last night.)
   
   
7. Listen closely for hints from faculty. It is rare that a faculty member will provide clear, concise, and concrete explanations or instructions. a big part of graduate school is to move from being handed things to working on your own.
   
   
8. Use original sources as much as possible.
   
   
9. Look to answer the question why. Everything in graduate schools "depends". What you need to develop is the reasoning for the choices that you make.
   
   
10. You need to ask, you will not be told everything. One of the measures of quality graduate students is that they continually ask questions and seek answers to discipline related issues.
    
    
11. A lot of the learning in graduate school is from your peers and the reading. You will learn more if you develop formal and informal study groups.
    
    
12. Start early on everything. "I did not have time" is no longer an excuse. (I.e. interlibrary loan, collect data).
    
    
13. Learn both time management and project management skills.
    
    
14. Keep up on current events.
    
    
15. You will spend money on copies and overheads. If you are smart, you will make copies of the articles you are using for any paper. It is nice to have them to refer back too when writing and to keep for future reference. Most faculty have file drawers of articles that they have collected over the years.
    
    
16. A graduate education should be a complete experience which transcends individual classes. You should be looking for connections among ideas in your classes for a more holistic graduate experience and better understanding of how the various areas of our discipline are related.
    
    
17. Do the readings and then some. If possible ask for additional readings. As one faculty member said, "suck up a lot."
    
    
18. Ask for an incomplete only as a last resort. You will definitely work harder to finish. Some faculty will automatically drop the grade one letter grade (with rare exceptions) for taking an incomplete.
    
    
19. Most instructors expect papers to be written in APA format with a paper clip in the upper left corner. Do not use plastic covers or any other binders. (Mark Borzi is an exception, he prefers his stapled.)
    
    
20. Try to get a good historical perspective in your research to better understand your topics. The date of a study is not the defining criteria of quality (i.e. "new" is not always "better".)
    
    
21. Recognize trends in research. What was true in 1970 may not fit current thinking. Don't cite old research as if it were current, it was "true" (small t) at the time. If you use old research the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that the research is still valid.
    
    
22. Graduate school papers are different from undergraduate papers. In graduate school, you are more frequently asked to identify what is new in your analysis or thinking not simply rehash what someone else has already said. Furthermore, you are expected to look to answer the question why and to justify your answers. Look to make a contribution to the discipline. Typical foci include: a new or modified theory; viewing things in a different way; a new idea or extension of an idea; merging two concepts never put together before; etc.
    
    
23. Don't ask for help until you have tried to find it yourself. There is nothing more frustrating to a faculty member than to be asked for assistance in finding something and come to find out that the graduate student has not even attempted to look for it. It is viewed as a sign of laziness and a mark against you. It is also very frustrating to you because faculty members will give you suggestions, and you will not understand the concepts or ideas they put forth.
    
    
24. Undergraduate versus graduate presentations. In general graduate presentations differ in three ways from undergraduate presentations.
    • There should be reading materials and a packet of materials for the presentation
    • The format of the presentation should allow for significant audience interaction and discussion
    • Focus on surfacing new ideas and issues rather than simple presentation of information.
    
    
25. Your first semester is always the hardest. Four reasons stand out.
    • It is the time that impressions are established. It is harder to change impressions than to establish them.
    • You learn that everything you learned as an undergraduate student is either too simple or is wrong.
    • You need to learn a new model of education. What made you successful as an undergraduate student may fail you in graduate school. It is a different game with different rules. You are not longer empty vessels to be filled with knowledge, you are participant in the education process.
    • You will be using skills for assignments as or before you cover them in class.
    
    
26. Know the rules. The graduate catalog and any "official" documentation distributed by the University, Graduate School, or Department should be kept. If you know how to play the game, the going is much easier.
    
    
27. Buy your textbooks. You are likely to need them later.
    
    
28. Be parsimonious in your work. A paper idea in one class can often be expanded in another class. You can practice in your own work the evolving nature of social science research.
    
    
29. Get to know the faculty. Learn their personalities, interests, and preferences early. This will assist you in knowing which faculty member to approach for questions in the different subject areas.
    
    
30. Buy the latest edition of the APA Manual now. It is indispensable.
    
    
31. You will find that it is nearly impossible for an individual to obtain all the information given in class and taken from readings. Therefore, work and talk with other graduate students to get various perspectives on different concepts.
    
    
32. Photocopy money is a significant part of your monthly budget. You will need money to photocopy materials.