A graduate degree is an investment because it enhances your existing potentials and it requires time, effort, and money on your part. For example, a bachelor’s degree may have already prepared you for a job, but a graduate degree ups your opportunities, performance, and knowledge.
Career advancement
Proceeding with the previous thought, a graduate degree can provide you with more career opportunities. Because of your advanced learning and better qualifications, you may get more job offers. You may also be promoted if you have an existing job. A teaching assistant, for example, can become a higher-ranked instructor in the university he or she is working for, especially after getting a master’s degree. If he or she proceeds to get a doctorate, that person will possibly earn professor status sooner.
Earning potential
With career advancement, higher earnings come hand in hand. A higher position can provide you a higher salary. Definitely, getting a graduate degree comes in handy when you apply for a higher position in the academe or the corporate world.
Another accomplishment…
Of course, do not forget that earning the degree itself is an accomplishment. Having a graduate degree is something to be proud of. However, for it to be truly an investment, you must maximize on the rewards it can give to you. Remember, most people are content with just having a bachelor’s degree, so you belong to a select few because you have an advanced degree.
Becoming specialized
Usually, graduating with a bachelor’s degree provides you with learning that spans a wider scope of knowledge. Graduate studies, meanwhile, can focus on a particular area. This way, you can better study that smaller scope in a more in-depth way. You can become an expert or a specialist in that particular area of your field of study.
Making connections
Being connected to important people, admittedly, can advance your career. You can establish healthy working relationships and respectable connections by going to graduate school. In graduate school, you get to know professors who are leaders in their fields; you also get to know fellow students who are, in their own way, important. Even if graduate studies are wise investments, you still have to make use of common sense and people skills to truly benefit from having it.
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The graduate thesis is possibly the most important part of graduate work. So, thesis preparation must be done with care, and, of course, with the proper application of knowledge at each stage of the thesis generation. After all, you are assigned a graduate thesis not just because it is a requirement but also for you to demonstrate what you have learned in graduate school. If you have learned well, you must be able to pose intelligent questions within your field and answer them through your graduate thesis.
Topic approval
If you are able to formulate intelligent questions, you can list possible topics for your graduate thesis. Present your chosen topics to your adviser for approval. Though you may personally believe the topics to be excellent, approval is still required in most cases.
Getting the background
Once you have your topic approved, it is time to research. Research may be done through extensive readings: you can visit libraries, read scholarly publications, and pore through reliable Internet information. Data to be researched can either be quantitative or qualitative. Research for qualitative data may be also done via surveys or interviews: you can get out there to prove or disprove your point through samplings, or find out more about a piece of information through interviews with experts.
Formulating an outline
For organization, create an outline of your thoughts. A graduate thesis can be very long. So, it is important to have a coherent guide to follow while going through the writing process.
Writing the draft
Of course, the writing process can never be skipped. You do have to write drafts of your graduate thesis. If you begin work early, you can create several drafts before starting with your final one. This way, you can better filter your thoughts and remove errors with each draft. As a suggestion, you can ask your colleagues to read your draft so that you can input their valid suggestions and comments on the next draft.
Proofreading for errors
Even if you have written several drafts already, what may be your last draft should still undergo proofreading. Even if your ideas are deep and your research is comprehensive, chaotic writing gives you the wrong image; sometimes a well-researched thesis can come out as something that has been sloppily done because of bad writing. If there are many grammatical lapses and other errors in language in your thesis, you may make people see you as a disorganized and an incompetent candidate for a graduate degree – as someone who has no eye for details.
Putting things together…
Of course, you need to print out your pages on clean sheets of paper. Make sure you follow your adviser’s instructions on binding and overall packaging.
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Becoming a professor’s research assistant is helpful to, and sometimes convenient for, a graduate student. This is because an advanced degree may mean more expenses for you after your college life. However, a full-time job that can finance your graduate studies may not be practical at all. Part-time jobs may be more feasible in the long run, but getting a job outside campus can be very stressful on you, because the commute will add to the stress brought about by completing requirements in graduate school. This is why many graduate students opt for research assistantship.
Assessing compatibility
As a research assistant, you will experience research work that may well be your future. Being exposed to actual research makes you see if you are truly compatible with the kind of work you are aiming for.
Going hands-on
Research work provides hands-on experience. This experience can be used to complement the theoretical concepts discussed in classes. You will benefit from being able to develop research techniques and strategies and to practice research application in relation to your field.
Salary on campus
Again, you will earn a salary conveniently with your position as an on-campus research assistant. You not only earn, you also learn through actual work. Though the stipend may be small, it is better than not earning anything at all.
Reduced rates for non-residents
If you are planning to study in another state, take note that tuition may be higher than if you were a resident. However, if you are a non-resident working as a research assistant, you may be granted the rates of a resident.
Scholarship opportunities
Your interest in the field may just land you a scholarship. If you perform well as a research assistant, professors may view you as an important contributor to the field. A scholarship will ensure that you will be graduating with an advanced degree so that you can better participate and be a productive practitioner in your field of interest.
Enriched learning
As your professor’s research assistant, you also get to read his or her materials before most people can. You may get additional insight from your readings.
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When things get tough in graduate school, a well-formed study group is a big help. The operative word is “well formed.” A badly organized study group will have little or no effect at all in your academic performance and the success of your group. Why are study groups so important, anyway? The promise of sharing and combining energies will provide a better way to learn. The teamwork will prepare you for future jobs, and the support group system gets you through graduate school.
Downsizing
As much as sharing and networking are important, chaos is the result of over-sized study groups. So, you should keep the numbers manageable. Also, you may sometimes ask your team members to tell you if they can’t make it a particular study session so that you can anticipate task reassignments.
Saying no to slackers
Study groups are for sharing and learning together. Having unproductive members defeats the purpose of putting ideas together. A study group cannot be a tutorial group for some people who are just there to listen and absorb what others are sharing. So, do your homework and come to the study group already prepared.
The question of leadership
For proper management, a leader must be assigned to oversee group study meetings. The leader can be an appointed president, or you can all take turns to be the leader of the study group.
Scheduling the meetings
Every member must benefit from the study group. So, if you are the assigned leader, make sure that meetings will be set at a schedule when everyone is free. Though the occasional absence cannot be completely eliminated, try to motivate your members to come in most of your meetings so that you get the most out of your study sessions.
Preparing an agenda
Even with the most willing of members, a meeting can end up chaotic if there is no prepared agenda. Prepare the topics you have to discuss instead of wasting meeting time with arguing about what topics to discuss.
Forming a group
If nobody has invited you to a study group yet, you can form your own. Do not wait for that invite; there are also others waiting for one. You can invite those who are not yet members of a study group.
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Honor societies are not formed to establish social status, but they are formed to celebrate the achievements and enrich the academic lives of its members. Though such societies may have Greek names, they are not equivalent to a fraternity or a sorority. An honor society’s goals go beyond partying and other social activities. Here are a few privileges enjoyed by members of honor societies.
Sense of accomplishment
Being merely invited to an honor society confirms your status as an achiever. So, you feel a sense of accomplishment when you are confirmed as an honor society member. It is a recognition of your past achievements and an opportunity to continue on the same stance.
Resume add-on
Being a member of an honor society helps you improve the weight of your resume. This is especially true if you have just graduated and are still planning to get a good-paying job. Though an honor society provides the additional benefit of not being involved in many time-consuming activities, you must still show some effort in contributing to the group. If not, the resume inclusion is quite empty and superficial.
Added educational information
Honor societies provide their members helpful information regarding the members’ majors. The members are able to make the most of their chosen degrees and of their possible careers after graduation. The interaction among members of the honor society lets one see the many options available to him or her after obtaining that graduate diploma.
Publication
Because honor societies aim to make people interested in different degrees, school papers per department are published. This is to psyche students up about their career choice or to encourage prospective students. Usually, these department ask for the help of honor societies in their publications. Thus, honor society members are able to hone their craft as writers for these publications.
Career advancement
Career and degree advisement provide society members with proper training in professionalism and ethics. This will help them do well after graduation through being able to shift comfortably from school to the working arena.
Networking
Membership in honor societies do not only link students within the same university. The students are also linked through a national network of colleagues. Not only are the members able to participate in their school’s learning community, but they also interact within a wider region as well.
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Though the academe is not as tough as the corporate environment, it still suffers from office politics. Because the need for promotion exists in any average working place, power struggles among co-workers and colleagues can still occur; power struggles are also evident even in school. There will be alliances and even pure non-job related antagonism between two or more people. Sometimes, this happens when people are constantly working closely. These rifts, however, can be prevented. Here are a few things to keep in mind to stay away from office politics in the academe.
Being transparent
Office politics in the academe can produce a certain degree of dishonesty in people. Co-employees with hidden agendas may give you their best smiles, but are actually badmouthing you to the dean or the principal. To avoid this, do not join them in their fun. Instead, show your real self. Even if others have hidden agendas, do not harbor one.
Showing flexibility
Like in any other setting, you will be dealing with people who have strong opinions and personalities. You may even be someone who is quite opinionated yourself. However, dealing with different kinds of people will require you to broaden your point of view so that you see others’ perspectives as well. Flexibility will also enable you to bond with everyone, not just with your own clique.
Demonstrating tongue discipline
Gossip will never result in anything positive; in fact it is counterproductive. Though people may talk ill about you, respond by telling only the truth. Playing against your enemies at their own game makes you as bad as they are. While gossip from others may taint your reputation on the surface, gossip from you will truly ruin your being. When you gossip, you are perceived as someone who can never be trusted.
Taming the ego
Sometimes a high sense of self can mean trouble. If competition for a promotion becomes too intense, learn to keep your humility. Self-promotion can be subtly done by doing your job well. If, for example, the promotion went to somebody else, congratulate him or her. This way, you are perceived as someone who is not only humble but is secure and confident about your capabilities.
Working on credibility
Even if gossip is continuously aimed at you, a strongly built credibility will protect your reputation. You can be credible by combining transparency with consistently good outputs. Through credibility, you gain trust and, in time, respect.
Doing your job
You are in the academe to teach, to do research, or to study. Do your thing. You do not have to resort to office politics to gain a promotion or get a good score or evaluation. Being conscientious with your job will get you there.
Make peace
Do not harbor grudges. Instead of gossiping, calmly and directly approach your detractor. Explain that you do not want to play the game of office politics, and that you will not respond in a similar manner. Make sure that you do this without a hint of arrogance.
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Popular American universities prove their reputation by ranking high in the graduate divisions of humanities and literature. Humanities and literature programs from three Ivy league schools have made it to the top five. Berkeley tops the humanities list in 2008, while Harvard comes in second. However, in the general English department, Harvard is on top while Berkeley is second. The three other universities in the top five have also reshuffled their rankings. So, the following list is in no particular order:
Harvard University
Harvard offers unique humanities programs, including a specific take on the Classics. The humanities sector also provides focus on several cultures, not only providing degrees on European literature, but also providing studies in East Asian, Near Eastern, Tibetan and Himalayan culture and literature. You can also take up a modern area by pursuing a degree in film studies instead, or you can also explore prose and poetry by taking a graduate degree in comparative literature.
University of California – Berkeley
Berkeley’s humanities graduate degrees include broad ones, such as Art degrees. It also offers the Classics, somewhat similar to what Harvard offers. UC-Berkeley offers a wide range of degrees in terms of modernity. For example, notice the contrast of a History of Art degree and an Urban Design degree. The university also offers several language programs, including Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Slavic languages.
Stanford University
Proud of its achievements in world rankings of academic programs, Stanford continues to provide quality graduate education. The departments of core humanities, fine arts, and languages and literature are included in the school of humanities and science. Stanford’s humanities departments include Drama, English, History, and Divisions of Literatures, Cultures and Languages.
Yale University
Yale’s graduate students have an opportunity to participate in the institution’s non-degree programs as well. The university’s humanities and literature degrees include in-depth studies of cultures, such as in African Studies and East Asian studies. It also combines language and literature studies, as is evident in degrees such as Italian Language and Literature, or Slavic Languages and Literature.
Princeton University
Princeton aims to provide its students ample knowledge at a short period of time. So that focus and attention can be given for each student, classes have a limited number of students. Though its humanities and literature graduate programs do not include theology, its graduate programs include near eastern studies.
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Stress is part of life; so people should be capable of coping with stress brought about by the demands of school, work, and personal matters. After all, graduate students are generally high achievers. If you are in graduate school, you probably have a love and deep appreciation for learning. However, even if you do love learning and had straight As through college, graduate school may be tougher. It also becomes tougher if you have a very high expectation of what you can do or should do.
Employ time management strategies
Stress can truly pull you down if you do not know how to manage your time. You have probably noticed that most pieces of advice related to stress deal with time and managing it properly. Here are some of them:
* Do not procrastinate – If it takes you too long to do coursework, you will end up with less time in your hands.
* Set priorities – You have to prioritize work with impending deadlines, rather than those that can wait for longer. Set a timetable so that you will not neglect anything.
* No cramming, please – If you cram, you will end up stressed and unable to do quality work.
* Say NO – If you put in too many things to do in your calendar, you may suffer a burnout.
Exercise
While doing exercise may seem like a time-consuming task, it is actually a very effective stress-reducer. It makes your body fitter to withstand different stress-causing factors. So, take some time off, at least for an hour three times a week, to exercise.
Do not make all-nighters habitual
Though staying up all night does provide you with more time to study, you may end up becoming unproductive and unfocused during your classes because your body and mind feel tired. You need your sleep to think and function better.
Do not skip meals
Going to graduate school does not mean you have to forgo healthy eating habits because you no longer have the time to prepare healthy dishes. Remember that eating nutritious foods will keep you going. Skipping a meal never does anyone good, even if that person is on a diet. Skipping meals actually slows down your metabolism, making you store fat more quickly. As a graduate student, you need food to keep your body health and strong.
Self-analyze
Keep a journal where you can record how you are doing in graduate school so far. You may find something that will need attention or improvement.
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The best social sciences programs in the United States are offered by top-ranked universities. These universities include some that belong to the Ivy League, such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The top five universities per specific social sciences vary, but some are fairly consistent with all their programs. These universities are the ones that made the list of universities offering the five best social sciences programs.
University of California – Berkeley
UC-Berkeley’s social sciences programs have proven themselves to be competitive. The university is able to reach the top five for each program, creating for itself a strong overall social sciences department. Even the institution’s other graduate programs have consistently made it to the top ten of best lists. It prides itself for its community of culturally diverse students.
Yale University
Yale offers doctoral degrees for its social sciences programs. The graduate division of this Ivy League school provides more-than-adequate information to its prospective students regarding its graduate academic programs, the faculty, and specializations. This is to show these interested individuals about what life is really like when pursuing higher education, especially at Yale.
Stanford University
Stanford University has six social sciences departments. These are anthropology, communication, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. The social sciences department belongs to the largest Stanford school, the school of Humanities and Sciences. This school includes both social and natural sciences. Stanford University has one of the best social sciences graduate programs in the country. Its faculty members come up with significant research in various academic journals.
Harvard University
Harvard’s social sciences department belongs to a large school, the School of Arts and Sciences. Like Stanford, the school includes humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Harvard offers non-degree status to graduate students. This includes the Visiting Fellow status for students who only need to finish their dissertation at Harvard because they have finished their course work at other universities.
Princeton University
Princeton offers a great environment for graduate studies, plus it promotes a healthy professor-student relationship for better learning. The Ivy League school also provides financial support for deserving students who cannot afford the tuition. Princeton offers interdepartmental and joint degrees for students who have many interests.
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In the United States’ 2008 rankings, there are five universities with over-all excellent performances, which are hailed as having the best offerings of engineering and sciences graduate programs. So, for those who want to pursue a graduate degree in engineering or in any other related sciences, the following universities may be just for you.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT has consistently proven itself as an institution that offers one of the best engineering courses. It has also been known to offer other competitive degrees in the sciences. There are many specialized degrees in the sciences that one can take up from this institution, and its students are mentored by top scientists and engineers in the world today. If you want a university with a proven track record in engineering, a budding sciences department, and over a century of experience, MIT is for you.
Stanford University
Stanford University offers one of the best Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programs in the country. Its 2006-2007 enrollment showed a very strong graduate school enrollment; the number of graduate students exceeded the number of undergraduates. Its graduate academic programs are known as one of the most competitive in the world today.
University of California – Berkeley
UC Berkeley places a strong emphasis on innovation, and prides itself with its internationally recognized faculty. Early UC Berkeley alumni provided the microelectronics to Silicon Valley and was part of the structuring of Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. It boasts of seven topnotch engineering departments.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech’s 2007 enrollment saw 3,559 graduate students into its engineering department. Its students are not only highly competent, they are also active in Greek organizations and sports conferences. So, you can be rest assured that there is room for holistic development.
University of Illinois (Urbana – Champaign)
In 2007, the University of Illinois’ engineering graduate program ranked fifth in the nation. Among its individual engineering and science programs, the program Physics with a focus on Condensed Matter ranked the highest at number one. The University of Illinois’ civil engineering graduate degree is also a top ranker. There is no program ranked below 20. Its lowest ranked degree, Industrial/Manufacturing, is at number 16.
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