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Does Adjuncting Ruin Your Life?

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:25:50 +0000

For those not in the know, an adjunct refers to an adjunct instructor - a part time college instructor. Adjuncts are paid by the class. Adjunct positions typically pay about $3,000 per class though some may receive as little as $1,500 and others $4,000. Most adjuncts are graduate students or graduates pursuing full time tenure track positions in academia. Adjuncts typically string together multiple jobs and often teach for two or more colleges.

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Get Research Experience This Summer

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:37:47 +0000

Summer is just a few steps away. If you're planning on going to graduate school, whether applying this fall or next, you should take advantage of summer time as an opportunity to get some research experience. Its not too late to speak with your professors and get some leads on research opportunities. These opportunities likely will be unpaid but help you get experience and make contacts.

On Passing the Comprehensive Exam

Sat, 11 May 2013 09:29:52 +0000

Passing a comprehensive exam, also known as a qualifying exam, is the last step towards finishing your coursework. Successful students then become doctoral candidates and begin working on their dissertations. Comprehensive exams, or comps, are simply that: very comprehensive exams in which the student demonstrates his or her mastery of the field. Graduate programs approach comps in a variety of ways. Some require that the student learn all of the basic material covered in his or her coursework as well as the most recently published work in the field. Others require the student to select several areas on which to be tested. Still others treat the comps as a dissertation proposal, in which the student is tested on the literature that will become the basis of his or her dissertation. Comps may be oral or written.

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Intentional Delay: Productive Procrastination

Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:42 +0000

We all work hard to manage our time well and avoid procrastination, putting tasks off until the last minute. However, intentionally delaying work can have benefits.

PhD or PsyD in Psychology? One Student's Choice

Thu, 02 May 2013 05:41:07 +0000

One of my former students faced a wonderful, but very difficult, decision. She was awarded admission to 3 doctoral programs in psychology. She wondered where to go - and whether she should choose a PhD or PsyD. Identifying details have been changed, but this student's decision process -- and our conversation - may aid you in making decisions about which graduate program to attend.

Thesis Hatement?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:30:52 +0000

In a recent article in Slate Rebecca Schuman argues that getting a doctorate in literature will "turn you into an emotional trainwreck, not a professor." You don't have to look far to find negative views of the humanities PhD. Specifically, academic jobs in the humanities are few and far between. Does that mean you should avoid attending grad school in the humanities? Not necessarily. You'll need to love what you do, excel at it, and have an escape hatch ready should you need to search for jobs outside of academia. InsideHigherEd suggests considering another career alternative: alt-ac (alternate academic) careers in academic affairs, in student development and in offices of research and sponsored projects.

Getting Ready to Take the GRE?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:51:33 +0000

If you're planning on taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in the next few months, you should spend some time - a great deal of time - between now and then studying. Perhaps start by examining some GRE test prep books, but then devise a study plan. Many applicants consider taking a GRE test prep class. Should you? If so, what are your options for onsite GRE review classes?

Beyond the Clinical Psychology PhD: Alternatives for Careers in Therapy

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:18:27 +0000

Many applicants believe that a PhD in Clinical Psychology is best path to a career working with people as a therapist. However, there are several other paths to a practitioner career that don't entail five to seven years of graduate work plus additional supervised hours and a dissertation based on original empirical research. If you hope for a career as a therapist, consider these alternatives to the PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Overwhelmed with End-of-the-Semester Tasks?

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:36:09 +0000

I'll admit it: I'm completely overwhelmed with all that I have to do. My guess is that if you're a student you probably also feel at least a little overwhelmed. Many of us let our to-do lists get out of hand. By the end of the semester our to-do lists are not simply unwieldy, they're unhelpful. What do you do to get a handle on all of the many things that you have to do?

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Advice for Grad Students

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:28:20 +0000

Want to make it out of graduate school on time? Matthew Pratt Guterl posts excellent advice that every grad student should consider. My favorite point: "You are more than your dissertation, and more than any one project." Let the dissertation swallow your identity and perfectionism can stall your progress. Another gem: Write every day. The only way a dissertation - or any project - will get done is by daily effort. Small consistent periods of writing is what keeps the project in mind and slowly chips away at it. Don't wait for big blocks of time to write - devote at least a little time each day.

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