Doctoral Pre-candidacy Survival Tips from Some Survivors

Compiled by GSCO - 1/20/2004

• Ask a lot of questions and ask a lot of people the same questions (even if you think you know the answers). Triangulate the data so you can make the best decision for you!

• Do not ever hesitate to approach any of the professors of the School of Education. Many have quite famous names--do not be intimidated by this. A major part of their jobs is to be a source of advice, knowledge, and inspiration for you. Treat them with respect, but do not buy the hype. They were once like you (and a significant part of their academic reputation and legacy rests with the success of their graduate students).

• Know the right administrative assistant to go to with your questions and requests. Be nice to them!

• Make an appointment with Joan McCoy every Fall ( jemmcoy@umich.edu) to review program course requirements (she also understands how Rackham credit hours work).

• Have a life away from the SoE. Get involved with something completely unrelated to your work.

• Learn to enjoy Ann Arbor. You are most likely going to be here for longer than you anticipate.

• Get involved at the SoE or UofM! Opportunities are many at the GSCO, SJEE, GEO, OMSA, RSG, and GAC. There is a lot to be done and participation gives you a sense of power over your circumstances as well as the opportunity to meet new and various people.

• Attend SoE GradShares as well as your professional conferences (e.g., AERA, ASHE, NARST, etc.).

• Subscribe to one or two top journals in your field. Students usually enjoy discounts.

• Learn how to use the library. The librarians are VERY helpful and friendly, and help sessions are great. Drop by the Knowledge Navigation Center with your computer questions.

• Buy a copy of the latest APA style manual and have it on hand. Also, many students have found The Craft of Research , by Booth, Colomb, and Williams (1995) to be very useful.

• Avoid negative people (unless they are your friends, in which case, help them to see what's worth being positive about!).

• Leave an unhelpful advisor sooner rather than later. Ask around about what you should expect from your advisor and how others have fared with him/her before.

• Don't read every word assigned. Learn to prioritize, skim, write notes in the margins, etc. Talk about what you've read (or skimmed) before or during class, this will help make it clearer in your mind.

• Make sure you get office space, computer access, and a mailbox. Your advisor or PI should demand these for you. If you aren't already assigned a mailbox, see Mike Napolitan in the SoE Facilities office ( soe.facilities@umich.edu) to obtain a mailbox in the Grad Lab (Room 2211).

• If you are submitting travel expense reports or other important forms (like your prelim committee form), be sure to make and keep copies . Also, if you are having an administrative problem, and dealing with it over email, be sure to cc your advisor and save your emails .

• There is travel & conference money through both the SoE and Rackham--use it. Apply for these funds as SOON as your paper is accepted! Money runs out quickly.

• Rackham and the Graduate Library have useful workshops; stay on the lookout for them!

• Your UM ID card can get you discounts at State Theatre and the Michigan Theater in town, as well as at Madstone Theatre at Briarwood Mall and the Quality 16 on Jackson Road. Also, if you are a member of the People's Food Co-op (on North Fifth Ave.) and a student, you receive a discount on all items on Sundays.

• If you want to make a career of this (that is, you aspire to become an academic or an academic researcher), bite off more than you think you can chew. You can really accomplish a lot here. If your intended career lies along another path (say you want to be a principal or enter the nonprofit business world), learn how to say no (to conference papers, co-writing book chapters, etc)!

• If/when you need to vent, vent to someone not in your program. Also, if you are having difficulty (with your program, funding, or otherwise) contact your GSCO representative who may be able to steer you in the appropriate direction for help.

• Make your program your own. You need to be very entrepreneurial here. Do what you love and ALWAYS keep firmly in your mind that which brought you here in the first place.

If you are a student, and have some good advice for your fellow students, please contact your GSCO rep to add to this list!!

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