Prepping for grad school doesn't have to be stressful
By: Joelle Halon
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: News
If you're a student graduating from PUC either this fall or in the spring 2010 semester and are looking to attend graduate school, now is the time to prepare.
PUC's department of English and Philosophy held a graduate dinner in the Writing Center on Nov. 3. Current and prospective graduate students attended. Prospective graduate students had an opportunity to learn about what is expected in graduate school, while current graduate students had the opportunity to learn about the thesis and exam options that PUC offers toward earning a Master's degree.
English instructors Mita Choudhury, Jade Lee Lynch, Carolyn Boiarsky, Clement Stacy, Karen Bishop-Morris, Colin Fewer and Department Head Dennis Barbour spoke at the event. Successful PUC alumni also attended to discuss graduate school preparation and post-graduate school success.
An undergraduate in attendance mentioned that preparing for graduate school is one of the most stressful events in her life. With the filing of applications and writing the statement of purpose looming over, graduate school preparation seems like a death sentence, however, this doesn't need to be the case.
In order to ease stress, check out the programs of prospective schools first. Check their requirements, visit the campus, and talk to the professors to gain more insight of the school and the programs.
Additionally, finding alumni from the universities you are applying to, can help gain insight about the school from the student point-of-view.
For most universities, graduate school applications are located online. Along with the application, students need to complete a statement of purpose.
For the SOP, some universities give students a topic to write about, whereas others do not. In the SOP, be sure to include why you chose a particular university, your plan of study and plans after graduate school. Some universities provide a word limit for the SOPs, so refer to the application instructions.
Another requirement for graduate school preparation is a letter of recommendation. Again, the university you apply to will state on the application how many letters of recommendation are needed. Ask the professors who know your work best to write a recommendation.
For current graduate students, preparing for a thesis or exam is added pressure under their current class load. For the thesis option, alumnus Cindy Torres, who is currently attending classes toward her PhD at Purdue West Lafayette, mentions students need to choose something they are passionate about for a topic. If the topic doesn't interest teh student, the task will be more daunting.
Rachel Miller, another alumnus, discussed taking exams instead of writing a thesis. Miller mentioned that a semester before she took the exams, she took the time to brush up on the literature she read in previous courses to prepare. She recommended current students do the same.
PUC's department of English and Philosophy held a graduate dinner in the Writing Center on Nov. 3. Current and prospective graduate students attended. Prospective graduate students had an opportunity to learn about what is expected in graduate school, while current graduate students had the opportunity to learn about the thesis and exam options that PUC offers toward earning a Master's degree.
English instructors Mita Choudhury, Jade Lee Lynch, Carolyn Boiarsky, Clement Stacy, Karen Bishop-Morris, Colin Fewer and Department Head Dennis Barbour spoke at the event. Successful PUC alumni also attended to discuss graduate school preparation and post-graduate school success.
An undergraduate in attendance mentioned that preparing for graduate school is one of the most stressful events in her life. With the filing of applications and writing the statement of purpose looming over, graduate school preparation seems like a death sentence, however, this doesn't need to be the case.
In order to ease stress, check out the programs of prospective schools first. Check their requirements, visit the campus, and talk to the professors to gain more insight of the school and the programs.
Additionally, finding alumni from the universities you are applying to, can help gain insight about the school from the student point-of-view.
For most universities, graduate school applications are located online. Along with the application, students need to complete a statement of purpose.
For the SOP, some universities give students a topic to write about, whereas others do not. In the SOP, be sure to include why you chose a particular university, your plan of study and plans after graduate school. Some universities provide a word limit for the SOPs, so refer to the application instructions.
Another requirement for graduate school preparation is a letter of recommendation. Again, the university you apply to will state on the application how many letters of recommendation are needed. Ask the professors who know your work best to write a recommendation.
For current graduate students, preparing for a thesis or exam is added pressure under their current class load. For the thesis option, alumnus Cindy Torres, who is currently attending classes toward her PhD at Purdue West Lafayette, mentions students need to choose something they are passionate about for a topic. If the topic doesn't interest teh student, the task will be more daunting.
Rachel Miller, another alumnus, discussed taking exams instead of writing a thesis. Miller mentioned that a semester before she took the exams, she took the time to brush up on the literature she read in previous courses to prepare. She recommended current students do the same.
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