Many self-help articles discuss tips on how students can survive and excel at school. To give you something new, here’s a list of habits that are common among highly unsuccessful students and what you can do to avoid such tempting habits.
Not looking at the bigger picture
Highly unsuccessful students do not look at the bigger picture. For them, failing an exam isn’t a big deal because it’s just one exam. They don’t think much about getting excellent grades because for them, the main goal is to just finish their studies. When you apply for college or graduate school, having high grades has an impact on your chances of getting accepted into your dream college or graduate school. Whether you plan to finish college, get a master’s degree, or become a doctor or a lawyer, remember that your grades reflect your academic performance.
Acting on impulse
Making hasty decisions usually lead to more problematic results. This is why one habit you should avoid as a student is acting on impulse. But this doesn’t mean that you have to rigidly stick to plans and lead a boring life at school. To excel at school, you should learn which tasks should be planned and which are best done spontaneously. One example of a task that should be planned well is thinking of a thesis topic. When thinking of a topic for your thesis, it’s always better to consult your counselor, professor, or parent. Their advice can greatly help you come up with a good thesis topic.
Dwelling on negativity
Failure is part of life. But if you dwell too much on your failures in school, you won’t get anywhere. If you got a low grade on an essay, learn from that experience and make a promise to not commit the same mistakes. Do not be discouraged by your failures in school as you can learn a lot from your mistakes.
Procrastinating
Procrastinating is one tempting habit that unsuccessful students always do. Putting off school work especially during a lazy weekend is tempting, but this usually leads to one-night cramming sessions. Some students work best under pressure, but most use this as an excuse to avoid doing school work. If you have a free afternoon but you don’t want to start preparing for that presentation yet, why not visit a museum? Strolling through the halls of a local museum can help you unwind and get ideas for the presentation at the same time.
Being mediocre
A habit that’s very common among students, reveling in mediocrity are exhibited by students who no longer aim to excel at school. They just do the tasks assigned to them just to pass the subject and graduate. Take note that a mediocre performance leads to mediocre grades. And if you’re planning to go to college, law, graduate, or medical school, mediocre grades just won’t do. So if you’re given a two-page essay as homework, do your best and let your teachers see your potential.
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Quality graduate school education doesn’t come cheap. Especially for students whose families earn a meager income, applying for graduate school can take extensive financial planning just to accommodate the anticipated expenses. The good news is, there are financial aid institutions and organizations that grant loans and scholarships to get you through graduate school.
FAFSA
An option that a lot of students go for is to apply for government-funded financial aid through FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Just make sure that the graduate school you’re planning to go to is a participant of federal student aid programs, and that you meet the standard requirements set by FAFSA before you start filling in the application form.
In-house financial aid programs
Most graduate schools have in-house financial aid and scholarship programs which you can avail of, depending on the major or program you enrolled in. The FAFSA is used by universities to gauge and determine a student’s financial situation and aid eligibility. This however, only applies to schools and universities that are participating members of the federal student aid.
For private schools and institutions, additional application documents may be required from students to be eligible for institutional financial aid. These documents usually include the graduate admission essay, in which students can explain their economic and financial status. Some grad schools don’t have in-house financial aid and scholarship programs. Instead, they establish tie-ups with funding organizations to help their students cope with the financial demands of graduate studies. Below are examples of these external funding organizations for various fields of study:
Gates Millennium Scholars
The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) was initially an offshoot of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates Millennium Scholars has been providing scholarships since 1999 and have paid for the education of more than 12,000 students. The goal of GMS is to help students of racial minorities have access to quality education by reducing their financial woes. The GMS also aims to increase the representation of such target groups in various academic disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, health sciences, etc.
American Association for University Women
American Association for University Women (AAUW) – The AAUW Educational Foundation provides fellowships and graduate study grants to women, regardless of race, religion, and socio-economic background.
The Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation offers fellowship grants and aid for graduate students from different races and background planning to earn doctorate degrees. The foundation however, only offers these grants for specific majors and academic disciplines including Engineering, Computer Science, History, Earth Sciences, etc.
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation – provides financial aid of up to $30,000 for graduate studies, fellowships, and leadership trainings for students who wish to take advanced degrees in public service disciplines.
NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program
NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students who plan to pursue graduate studies in the fields of Aeronautics, Aeronautical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical and Electric Engineering, and other related fields. The NASA ASP awards grants of up to $11,000 per school year plus an annual stipend of $35,000.
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Rankings of business schools and graduate school programs can be quite controversial and trifling. To date, there is no single authoritative body that ranks graduate school programs in the US. Different organizations and institutions employ different methodologies in gathering and analyzing their data, which consequently yield varying results. The methodologies used are often based on certain criteria, like tuition amount or fees and number of enrollees.
Another factor that makes ranking compilations problematic is that the ranking results published by magazines and organizations are often disaggregated into different fields of study. The university that offers the best computer and engineering graduate school programs may rank quite low in their business and medical programs. So to make things easier, here is a compilation that lists five oft-cited top graduate school programs in the US (in no particular order) according to different academic disciplines.
Top five graduate school programs: Computer and Engineering
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2. University of California – Berkeley
3. Schulich School of Engineering of Stanford University
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC or U of I)
5. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
Top five graduate school programs: Business and Administration
1. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
3. Harvard University – Harvard Business School (HBS)
4. Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University
5. Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Top five graduate school programs: Law
1. Yale University Law School
2. Harvard University Law School
3. New York University School of Law
4. Stanford University Law School
5. Columbia University Law School
Top five graduate school programs: Medicine
1. Harvard University Medical School
2. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
3. Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
4. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
5. University of California – San Francisco School of Medicine
The medical school rankings results published by US News and World Report were arrived at by combining two criteria; the research and primary care facilities and programs of medical schools. As for business school rankings, results are often disaggregated into varying types of MBA programs: full-time, executive, dual, part-time, online, etc.
As you will see on the lists above, Harvard University and Stanford University are among the top universities that offer prestigious programs in various fields. Their excellence in diverse disciplines is one of the reasons why they remain as two of the most exclusive Ivy League schools in the US. Harvard and Stanford are known for their highly selective admission procedures and criteria, and have alumni rosters that boast of Nobel Prize winners, politicians, CEOs, Pulitzer Prize winners, and personalities who are recognized in their respective industries.
Whether you will be applying for graduate studies in law school, medical school, MBA, engineering or other programs, you need to write a graduate admission essay. If your records in college are not that outstanding, coming up with a well-written graduate admission essay can help you get into the graduate school of your choice.
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As an essential requirement to get into graduate school, it’s expected that you devote ample time in writing your graduate admission essay. As compared to the other documents required in graduate school applications such as transcripts and test scores, your graduate admission essay can be interpreted subjectively. Awkward phrases, ambiguous statements, and misspelled words can be enough to show that you didn’t pour much effort in writing your essay. This is why you’ll find countless articles and books dedicated to providing writing tips and how-to’s.
As mentioned, much has been written on how to write and how not to write a graduate admission essay. Most of the pointers you’ll read emphasize writing your graduate admission essay with conciseness, sincerity, and structure. An example on how to write your graduate admission essay with sincerity and specificity is this: instead of writing about how the program the institution offers is one of the best out there, write in detail about how that program is the best one for YOU – given your specific personal background and experiences.
Familiarize yourself with common graduate admission essay questions.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? What are your long-term career goals? How can you contribute to the school’s community? How will an advanced degree from this graduate school help you attain your goals? Why should the graduate school choose you among all the other applicants? What’s in it for the graduate school if they choose to get you?
These are just some of the graduate admission essay questions commonly asked by admissions committees of graduate schools. If you find such questions overwhelming, try and focus on a specific aspect of the answers that come to your mind. For example, focus on your long-term career goals that are directly connected to the degree or program you’re applying for. Explain in detail your concrete plans of how you will use the degree from the institution to realize those goals.
Keep your graduate admission essay personal and sincere.
A common tendency among applicants is to go on and on about their academic and professional achievements without relating it to their reasons for applying into graduate school. By doing this, they’re merely putting into words the information that their transcripts, resumes, and test scores already provide. What admissions committees want to see on your graduate admission essay is a simplified story of your life – the trials and adversities you’ve faced, your inspirations and how they influence your actions, your dreams and what you are doing to realize them, and your short-term and long-term goals. Your graduate admission essay should reflect who you are as an individual and as a student.
As consultants and committee members will tell you, what they’re looking for in your essay is a glimpse of who you are, the facets of your being, that no figures, GPAs, and records will ever provide.
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College graduation can mean a lot of things to different people; it can mark a student’s entry into the workforce rat race, or the beginning of a quest for higher learning and knowledge. It’s not uncommon for college students to feel at a loss as to what to do next after graduation; this is why most graduates take some time off to travel or think, before they go into their next venture – whether it be scouring the job market, or applying for graduate school.
There are various reasons people go into graduate school; some do it because they’re not sure what their next move is, but they have to keep moving, while some enroll under graduate programs with the aim of getting higher salaries when the time comes for them to enter the globally competitive job market. Here are more of the common reasons a lot of people pursue an advanced degree.
An MA or PhD further hones your research skills.
Research is a fundamental aspect of study regardless of which industry you belong to. In college, you were probably taught all the theories that you need to arm yourself with when conducting research. There were, however, not many opportunities for you to apply the “book knowledge” you gained.
In graduate school, you will be able to further enhance your research skills by providing opportunities for you to apply your theoretical knowledge. A lot of graduate schools employ the experiential learning method, which combines classroom lectures and a significant amount of field work. Through experiential learning, students are taught how to respond and deal with real-world situations in their respective fields.
A graduate degree adds depth and breadth to the knowledge you gained in college.
A lot of college graduates sometimes feel like their knowledge is much too broad and needs focus for them to zero in on the specific field they wish to excel in. Graduate school can provide you with this focus and specialization. Unlike college, graduate school programs don’t require its students to sit through “general education” classes. Grad school students are allowed to choose their classes and tailor their curriculum according to their needs.
An advanced degree provides more employment opportunities and options.
Having an advanced degree in your resume can also open up myriad employment opportunities for you; opportunities that would’ve been inaccessible if you didn’t have that MA or PhD. There are employers who favor applicants who invested in educating themselves over applicants whose resumes boast of relevant work experience. This may be true especially in specialized work industries like computer and technology, psychology, and even in the academe.
With all these benefits of having an advanced degree, you will have to prepare certain documents such as your records in college and letters of recommendations from your former professors. You will also have to study for the Graduate Record Examination or other standardized tests, as these are also required. One requirement that many people take for granted is the graduate admission essay. Often, the quality of the graduate admission essay spells the difference between getting accepted or not into your chosen graduate school. A well-written graduate admission essay creates a significant impact especially if you have less-than-stellar grades in college.
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An economic recession is defined as a period when a nation’s overall gross domestic product (GDP) falls for at least two consecutive quarters, and there is a significant rise in unemployment rates and prices of commodities. During such periods, unemployment rates rise because most companies lay off their employees to lessen expenses. This is one of the reasons recessions are a good time for individuals to evaluate their current career paths, progress, and long-term professional goals.
According to a study conducted by the University of Washington, pursuing graduate studies during economic recessions is a growing trend. During the recession between 2001 and 2003, they found a significant rise in the number of grad school applications. During this time, there was also a nine percent increase in the number of individuals who took the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), as preparation for applying to grad schools.
For college graduates, an economic recession often translates to the postponement of job hunting endeavors because of the unstable state of the job market. It would also be harder to earn a steady income during a recession, so paying off student loans will also become a problem for those who received financial aid for their college education. Instead of doing nothing while waiting for the economy to bounce back, a good option for professionals and college graduates is to pursue an advanced degree in graduate schools.
Graduate studies will help you plan career shifts.
As mentioned, recessions are a good time for professionals to do some introspection and evaluate their current career paths. If you’re not happy with your current job, you can try shifting careers and going into an industry that you feel is more suitable for you or one that is more adaptable to the changing business and economic climate. Graduate studies will help orient and train you on the industry you plan on entering when you shift careers. By the time you graduate, you’ll already have that MA or PhD which can translate into a higher income for you.
Invest in yourself so employers will invest on you.
Economic recessions often don’t last very long, and it may only take two to three years for an economy to bounce back and fully recover from the fall. When this happens, companies will again need employees to fill the posts that were vacated during the recession. If, by this time, you’re well on your way to earning that master’s degree or PhD, you’ll already have an edge over the other applicants you’ll be competing with in the rat race. See, getting into grad school is a way of investing in yourself to improve your marketability when the time comes that employers are ready to invest in their people again.
Getting into graduate school means that you have to prepare several documents such as your records during college (transcripts). You also have to keep in touch with your college professors so that they can write letters of recommendation for you. You also have to take the needed preparations for the GRE or other standardized tests, which usually comprise three areas – verbal section, quantitative section, and analytical writing section. Also, you should write an excellent graduate admission essay. Coming up with a well-written graduate admission essay is important especially if some of your grades in college are quite low.
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Food. It is and will forever be a necessity. It is basically the wonders of that thing called food that has inspired me during my college years to take up bachelor of arts in culinary arts at the Art Institute of California in San Diego. And, it is also going to be my motivation as I move on to pursue a master’s degree in food science, majoring in food processing at the University of California as a company scholar.
My passion for food began as a kid whose only companion at home is my mom and a younger sister. My dad died early, that is why mom had to work 18 hours per week to make ends meet, most especially since my sister has an inborn gastrointestinal disorder that meant costs in medicines, consultations, and regular check-up with the family doctor. My sister’s disorder also meant the necessity of always serving nutritious food at the dining table. But nutritious food, as most people know it, are often boring, bland, and dull tasting. Being the one left most of the time to attend to household chores, one of which is cooking our meals, I was forced to leaf through pages of cookbooks for nutritious yet tasty and hearty menus. I was able to find some, mostly from Asian recipe books. The challenge for me then was to find less costly alternatives, because Asian ingredients in the United States can be pretty expensive. I was also able to create my own healthy yet tasty meal innovations, which consisted mostly of veggie barbecues, fruit and white meat salads, and seafood pasta or rice dishes.
My entry to the Art Institute of California came as a proverbial gift from the heavens by a councilor who discovered my talent for cooking at a dinner party in which I was one of those hired to whip up the menu. Studying culinary arts at the Art Institute has been, for me, the grandest learning experience I’ve ever had. I got to practice the skills I already have and at the same time acquire new skills. The best thing that happened to me then was when one of my dishes won first place at a food exposition in Hollywood. The dish was my own simple rendition of Salisbury steak with macaroni and cheese. The only difference is, I used my own recipe for vegetable patties to make the steak. I had to go through a lot of research and trial cooking before I came up with the dish. This was to make sure that I will be able to come up with the right mix of nutrients, tastes, and holding time once I present it.
Right now, I am currently working for a Hollywood restaurant as sous chef. My graduate studies in food processing will be of great help for my research skills especially now that our restaurant is planning on expanding our job descriptions as well as the menu. My masters education will also help when I start training the apprentices.
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