TIP-TOPics for Students
Kim Hoffman and Suzanne Vu
University of South Florida
Happy New Millennium! The world did not come to a screeching halt, although
good wine sure was hard to come by for the celebration, and you are back to the
grind of graduate school. But aren't you glad you didn't have to worry about all
that money you had invested in Wall Street when we entered Year 2000? We know,
secretly you were hoping the hypothesized Armageddon would become reality (at
least a small scale version) so you had a legitimate excuse not to study for
those comprehensive exams (or the thousand other projects you have). While all
the computer specialists are working out the minor glitches, it's time to enter
student mode once again.
The three featured segments will help you assess your second year
experiences, gain perspective on the balance between your personal and school
life and realize the value of peer networking. As promised, our TrIP Through
Time segment explores the major issues surrounding second-year students.
Several "seasoned veterans" share their insights, regrets and advice
for maneuvering through this time successfully. For those of you who are
currently in your second year or will be shortly, take heed of the wisdom and
make life a little easier on yourself. And for those of you who have already
survived this time, take a trip down memory lane and reflect on just how far you
have come!
In Making the Right Connections, we take a unique look at the state of
peer networking at the beginning of this Millennium. In this piece, we share our
"vision" of a SIOP Student Network and the benefits for students and
the I-O profession. Of course, we also provide a few practical suggestions that
you should be sure to use at the next SIOP conference. And finally, TIPs for
Balancing Life and Graduate School emphasizes the role of goals in both
professional and personal life as a means to achieve balance between them. In
other words, too much work on professional development may lead to being a dud
at cocktail parties. And like your mother said, "How do you know if you
like it until you try it?"
Before you dive in, we want to say thank you to and acknowledge all those
students who have provided comments, feedback or editorial assistance in the
development of these segments. Our ultimate goal, besides having fun doing it,
is to make this column a reflection of students' interests and ideas and to take
a lighthearted look at those experiences that bind us together. We are only able
to do that with the help of others and have had the fortunate experience of
learning in the process. With that said, prepare to be dazed and confused, uh,
we mean dazzled and mystified by our inspired reflections. Or, just read and
enjoy!
TrIP Through Time
Required courses, methods, minor, internship, adjustment, thesis, thesis,
thesisthese are the issues that envelope a second-year student. Travel back
with us (or imagine you have made it) to the second year of your graduate
experience. Finally, you emerged from that suffocating nightmare called first
year that threatened to destroy your self-confidence and sanity and tested your
cognitive powers on limited amounts of sleep. Was the second year going to bring
relief from the stresses and strains of the first? For many, the second year
proved to be a catharsis of sorts but not without its own dramas and concerns.
Our trip through the second year will take us on several stops: dominant issues,
unique experiences, and lessons of hindsight.
A group of students from across the country and in various programs submitted
their comments and insights concerning this topic and provided the following
gems of knowledge. We cannot take credit for all or even most (although we have
added our 2-cents worth from our own limited experiences) of the following
wisdomso, those of you who responded to our pleas for help, give yourself a
round of applause (and a big THANK YOU). The rest of you, read on and reap the
benefits of this trip through time.
Our subject matter experts identified a few areas which dominated their
thoughts and experiences during the second year including: developing a thesis,
decisions regarding specialization, issues of structure and adjustment, and
personal life-school balance. Although one size does not fit all, certainly
there is substantial overlap in experiences even between traditional and
nontraditional students and masters' and doctoral programs.
The most pervasive and common issue students grappled with was the illusive
thesis. Time of completion of this masterpiece varied widely but unanimously our
panel agreed that development, no matter how negligible, begins in the second
year. Due to the elephantine nature of this undertaking, we will explore the
thesis process separately in a future segment and therefore restrict remarks to
a few highlights here.
Overwhelmingly, respondents indicated their frustration with beginning the
thesis process and lamented over not having tackled the project sooner.
Specifically, regret centered around not investing more time and energy in
developing the topic early in the second year (or even sooner) or not choosing a
topic for which they felt passionate. The latter would have increased motivation
and desire to work on the project and warded off those darned procrastination
demons. In support of that notion, others suggested setting aside a certain
amount of time each week (estimates varied) devoted solely to discovering,
refining and developing your thesis topic and proposal. If you must, tie
yourself to that chair but make progress early! Or as one person indicated, you
may successfully postpone this journey but you will have to deal with the guilt
of not having a topic! Tune in to the April segment of "TIP-TOPics" to
learn more about the perils, pitfalls, AND successes of the thesis/dissertation
process.
Although the thesis process produced stress for most of our respondents, many
also benefited from improved adjustment and an established knowledge framework.
In the second year, the amount of work does not decline but the stress is
"just different." Perhaps that difference is a result of a shift in
the nature of learning. Learning during the first year consists mainly of
developing a framework for knowledge. In the second year, one begins to flesh
out the framework which is necessarily easier than the former step.
In addition to a structural change, the second year means the end of the
initial adjustment period. In general, respondents conveyed they had a clearer
conception of the role of graduate student, including expectations of faculty,
had acquired certain survival skills and were more familiar and comfortable with
their surroundings, faculty, and peers. In other words, they were simply more
comfortable in the graduate environment and generally knew what to do and/or how
to find out what they needed. The unique adjustment for some was to learn how to
maintain the momentum which carried them through the trials and tribulations of
the first year (because we all know it requires superhuman powers). Generally
the establishment of a framework and the successful adjustment to graduate life
instill more confidence in many students. The result of all of these changes is
that in the second and subsequent years, one may simply be able to cope better.
Determining areas of specialization also occupied the thoughts of some
respondents. Particularly in our field, students need to decide early in
graduate training whether to pursue an academic or applied career and prepare
appropriately. If academic life sounds appealing, you should knock on doors to
find and join research groups that will offer the opportunity for publications
or poster presentations. However, do not make these decisions haphazardly.
Often, selection criteria for new faculty members may include evidence of a
research program instead of a long string of publications (or research projects)
with no unifying theme. If practice fires your engines, then go for those
internships as early as possible, speak to practitioners, and join local or
regional groups that discuss applied issues. And for those of you who find all
of it irresistible, then prepare for both until you decide which path to follow.
You will have to choose eventually but you can still balance your scientist and
practitioner roles in whatever functions you perform (see the October '99 issue
of "TIP-TOPics"). Respondents suggested speaking with an advisor or
upper-level students to get more information and advice about choosing the
correct path for you. Even if you have already chosen, seek out experiences in
both applied and academic settings to add certainty to your decision. Although
she had originally planned to pursue an applied career, one respondent
discovered after an internship experience that she did not enjoy that type of
work and instead chose an academic path.
For most, second year marks the completion of required courses and the
beginning of specializing in a topic within I-O. Of course, this includes the
choice of a minor (if required or desired) and future seminars in which to
participate. It's never too early to begin mapping out what your training will
encompass. Remember you have the power to tailor the program to your desires,
whims and strengthsthe second year is the time to determine what those are.
Personal life-school balance also became an issue, particularly for
nontraditional students who had the added responsibility of family concerns.
Although this issue is not unique to the second year, it seems to be the time
when students became more aware of the necessity of achieving a balance between
the two and developed specific strategies to accomplish that task. And finally,
specific to terminal master's students, one of the central concerns was
finishing on time and qualifying examinations.
Of course, the second year was not all gloom and doom; quite the contrary
actually. Many students indicated they enjoyed a general feeling of
"knowing what they were doing" and could concentrate on applying
knowledge as opposed to acquiring it. Now that they had proven themselves in the
first year, they were free to genuinely start learning. In the second year,
students had improved their skills at reading (and understanding) journal
articles and writing papers. Also, they were able to balance their time with
newly acquired time management skills and just plain survival skills for
graduate school.
But as is always the case, hindsight teaches a variety of lessons. A majority
of our panelists indicated they would have invested more energy in
"professional development." There are a variety of activities and
opportunities that every second-year student should seek that are above and
beyond the requirements of the program. Participation in conferences, both as
attendees and as poster presenters, will have a multitude of benefits, even if
you are not planning for an academic career. For instance, you have the chance
to meet and interact with faculty and practitioners throughout the field (many
of whom you may be reading about frequently) as well as students from other
programs. This is a perfect beginning to networking; you may just meet your
future employer or research colleague. In particular, students should attend the
IO/OB conference which is specifically geared toward graduate students and
provides an atmosphere of support and encouragement.
Of course, conference participation goes hand-in-hand with learning how to
network and cultivating contacts. Practically all of the respondents emphasized
learning how to network and doing it early. Despite what some may think,
networking is not exploitative or underhanded. More than any other profession,
we should realize the value of networking which is synonymous with making an
effort to meet and share knowledge with others in the field who are making
significant contributions. If you do not make your interests, skills, and
talents known to a wide variety of professionals, you necessarily limit future
opportunities. As we mentioned above, don't forget that your student peers now
will be professional colleagues in the future. Make an effort to cultivate
friendships and engage in dialogue with those who are not in your program. The
next time you attend a conference, be adventurous and go to dinner with students
from different programs. You never know, you may just find a research partner,
peer mentor, or a new friend. If nothing else, you will find others who can
sympathize and identify with the highs and lows of the graduate school
experience. And don't underestimate the value of gathering stories of peers'
embarrassing moments that can be shared years later when they take themselves
too seriously. In April, we expect to see and look forward to meeting all of you
at the "Grad Student Night Out" (location to be announced in a future
issue).
A few other comments are also worth noting. First, remember that comps are
not far away so take notes and ask questions accordingly in courses. One
strategy that a student used was to link each concept to a real-world experience
to facilitate learning. Even if you find this difficult to do from personal
experience, ask your professor to give you an example. In your spare time (ha,
ha) or more specifically, make some time to work on projects and topics other
than your thesis; you will benefit from being "well-rounded." In
addition, find an area outside I-O to learn about that will aid your career
development. One example is to take a couple finance courses in the business
school which may make you a more attractive candidate when you begin
job-hunting. And lastly, do not be afraid to communicate the concerns and
difficulties you may experience with advisors, peers, friends, or family who
will support you. Instead of suffering alone and in silence, talk to others
about strategies to overcome problems or simply find a friend with an open ear.
And of course, remember to infuse balance in everything that you do and set
aside time just for yourself to do those things that bring you joy (or
relaxation).
That concludes our regularly scheduled trip through time to the second
year. Wherever you are in the graduate school process, give some thought to the
insight and advice that has been shared. Whether you make use of it or not, at
least you are aware that there are others out there who know what you are going
through. And the good news is, they have made itjust like you will! Good
luck.
Making the Right Connections
The year is 2020, twenty years after the Millennium
As "TIP-TOPics" editors during the turn of the Millennium, we were
asked to return as guest columnists to recount the benefits of and key changes
in student networking opportunities. First of all, we are proud to announce that
the world did not come to end (just in case you weren't aware) and we
survived the excitement and paranoia of Y2K. Luckily, as graduate students at
the time, we didn't have to worry about pulling out our savings (what savings?)
from the banks. Our personal computers, VCRs (video cassette recorders, for the
younger readers) and other electronics were Y2K-compliant so they didn't explode
on us. And since we last checked, our alma mater, the University of South
Florida, is still standing and shaping productive members in the field, as are
many other programs. So our biggest concern at the time was surviving the chaos
of the last New Year's of the millennium.
As expected, we survived both New Year's and graduate school, with sanity in
tact. In the 20 years hence, hindsight has highlighted those experiences which
have made us successful. One of the skills that has been crucial in developing
our careers has been networking. Whether you are in academia, internal or
external consulting, self-employed, or other areas in I-O, it is absolutely
necessary to cultivate and maintain a strong network of colleagues. Academicians
and practitioners alike collaborate within as well as across different
universities and firms. Sometimes, we rely on the expertise of colleagues to
help us with our own research, clients, and projects. If you have goals of
having your own business, a successful firm can depend upon a good reputation
and referrals from your peers. In addition, the pursuit of a good job after
graduate school may begin with knowing the "right" people. Therefore,
an effective network is essential for all the stages of a successful career.
As students and professionals, we developed networking skills which have seen
us through a variety of circumstances. And to save yourself 20 years of work, we
will first share a few tips. First, develop a strategy that includes
setting realistic and attainable goals. Knowing your short- and long-term goals
allows you to pursue research, projects, and opportunities that complement your
interests. Second, learn about these people and firms. Academicians,
practitioners, and firms have certain areas of expertise. Firms look for
potential employees with certain knowledge and skills while researchers seek
collaborative partners. If you are attending a conference or any other organized
event, be sure to obtain the schedule. Know who will be there, when, and where.
Not only are you there to meet people, but people are there to meet you. Instead
of leaving introductions to chance, plan to be in the same place at the same
time as the individual with whom you would like to meet. Before you make
contact, however, do your homework (no, it has never ended for us). Learn about
the current activities, research, or projects this person is involved with and
be prepared to speak intelligently with him or her concerning these topics.
Prepare a list of questions or issues you would like to address. In addition,
maintain knowledge of current issues within the profession by reading journals
and society publications (especially TIP). Be well prepared and informed
about the people and organizations you would like to contact.
Once you have made contact (not of the alien kind), be open-minded and
listen. Lessons of life are often contained in what may seem to be
insignificant interactions. Moreover, meet as many people as possible, whether
they are on your list of contacts or notyou never know who they know and when
they can help you in the future. Sometimes the best people in your network are
the most unexpected contacts. Afterwards, remember to follow-up and keep
in touch with the people with whom you would like to continue contact as well as
with the people who have helped you. Everyone likes to hear that his/her efforts
were worthwhile and appreciated, and with today's technology, there is no excuse
for not keeping in touch. Finally, just like with any relationship, networking
consists of a give-and-take process. If you expect the help of others, be
willing to offer your own services and expertise. However, this also means
that you should never abuse nor take advantage of your resources. The true
benefit of networking is the opportunity to use your own talents to support and
advance your profession and those within. Fortunately, you can begin developing
and practicing these skills while you are still in graduate school (like we
didwith some help, of course). In fact, we recommend that you do the same.
As the technological era threatened to wreak havoc on society with the Y2K
Bug at the turn of the Millennium, advancements in communication technologies
(e-mail, video/teleconferencing, Internet) became the backbone of the student
network initiative. The initiative, which became the SIOP Student Network, was
the single most important development for graduate students as we rang in 2000.
The future of the field is in the faces of your present classmatesthey are
your future professional colleagues. But by classmates, we mean all students in
I-O programs and related fields across the country (and the world), not just the
few you see in the hallways every once in awhile. In 2000, a group of
enterprising students recognized this and motivated the masses to create
opportunities for themselves to communicate and collaborate with others who were
not "co-located." To bridge the physical gap, they utilized existing
technologies (although somewhat primitive by today's standards) such as the
Internet and e-mail. A website provided the forum for students to communicate
research ideas and interests, discuss developments in the field and implications
for students, create peer-mentor relationships and share resources. You see,
before that time certain programs had websites, but only a handful provided
directories of their students. Even then, before the dawn of the fully
interactive Internet, one would be likely to find only an e-mail address for
students (and we all know now the inadequacies of e-mail). Unfortunately, this
meant students were severely limited in their ability to communicate with peers
who were physically distributed. Those limitations have practically vanished now
and students can be instantly whisked into the virtual office of a peer,
professor, or colleague to view and interact with them, their research, projects
or resume. Not to mention, you have the ability to use your intelligent agent(s)
to schedule a videoconference to discuss ideas, ask questions, or collaborate on
research.
Prior to the creation of a networking structure for students, the only
contact they had with each other was at the Annual SIOP conference. And many
became SIOP student affiliates simply to add to their resumes with the
discouraging result that a relatively large proportion did not go on to become
members once they earned their degrees. However, the ability to establish and
participate in a dialogue surrounding our profession (before we became
professionals), encouraged students to make connections with people and ideas
that would not have happened otherwise. For instance, one of the most
controversial issues was the feared breakdown of the scientist-practitioner
model.
The traditional roles of scientist and practitioner seemed to be more and
more exclusive. Psychologists in each camp were focused more on their
differences than on how to unify the profession with a balanced emphasis on both
approaches. One of the effects of the dialogue that was established among
students was to explore this issue and its implications in depth before
anyone had committed to a certain philosophical perspective. Basically, because
students had established a rapport with a wide range of peers while in graduate
school, they were more willing to cooperate in their professional lives. I-O
psychology, in general, also benefited because student networking forged an even
stronger professional foundation and cooperative atmosphere. And, we are happy
to note, the scientists and the practitioners realized they indeed needed one
another and implemented strategies to utilize the products of each in their own
roles.
The students in this Millennium have "little" opportunities that
were not available to us until late in our education. In the dark ages of 2000,
we had to do most of the "leg work" to find an internship or job
ourselves but now with the central placement system, students can locate that
perfect internship/job, send a profile, interview with the manager, and accept
the position with minimal work. Although our peers in the same program provided
insightful and encouraging advice for surviving the thesis/dissertation process,
comprehensive exams, or other obstacles, the student network allows current
students to receive hints and tips from a multitude of peers unconstrained by
physical proximity. And with the organization of student forums on the Internet,
SIOP was able to provide more guidance and be increasingly responsive to student
ideas and concerns. The SIOP conferences, while providing superior opportunities
for career development, were also more fun. Instead of being spread throughout
the host city in the "cheap" hotels, student attendees began staying
in the same hotel. As the network allowed for more organized social activities,
students began to mingle more with one another and fostered partnerships and
friendships alike.
With the growing population of student affiliates in SIOP and their ability
to interact with one another on a consistent basis, students became an active
presence in shaping their own futures and that of their profession. And we are
proud to tell you that the proportion of student affiliates who went on to
become active members of SIOP increased after the establishment of the Student
Network. Now that we have advanced from student to professional status, we
encourage our mentees to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities to
network with their peers. When you learn how to do that, it will be much easier
to make connections with the leaders in your field who can teach you those
things not covered in graduate classes. Networking is a strategy to keep your
mind open to new ideas and to vary your experiences; you just never know who has
the last piece to your puzzle. Go forth and network!
And now we return to the present
TIPs for Balancing Life and Graduate School
The beginning of a new millennium (we know it's not technically until 2001,
but go with it anyway) is the optimal time to make those long talked about,
ne'er realized changes in your personal life. And if ever there's a time to KEEP
those New Year's resolutionsthis is it! In fact, that's our latest gem of
wisdom in trying to foster peace and harmony in your life. Well, peace and
harmony may be asking too much but achieving some balance is feasible.
There are a host of milestones in graduate school that keep you occupied and
focused on certain goalsfirst year: thesis proposal and defense, internships,
qualifying/comprehensive exams, publications, dissertation. At least for some,
they serve to light the proverbial fire under our feet and ward off the
procrastination demons (ours seem to be particularly powerful this year). And
the feeling that accompanies completion of just one of those events is downright
addicting. Let's face itthe real difference between those who attend grad
school and those who don't is the former are addicted to the "achievement
high" (or are gluttons for punishment).
Graduate school is a series of goals stacked on top of one another that
finally lead to the Holy Grail of education. How many of us would actually
realize our potential if the goal was simply"Become an expert in
I-O?" Even with minor missions that logically progress from one stage to
the next and which offer reinforcement and motivation along the way, we often
stumble, wander off track, or even fall flat. The message is simple: Setting,
working toward, and achieving goals in small chunks makes graduate school a more
manageable experience. OK then, why aren't you doing that in your personal lives
too?
A wise professor once required her class of college seniors to submit a goal
statement regarding career development in the 5 and 10 years subsequent to
graduation. But she took it a step further and also required a goal statement
regarding personal development for the same time frame. It took at least twice
as long to develop the personal statement as the professional one simply because
planning for achievement in this arena seems unnatural. Presumably, we would
rather leave this to chance. For the new millennium, we suggest a new game plan
to maintain the balance.
You already have plenty of goals to work toward in your
"professional" life. In this millennium, we challenge you to set and
achieve goals in your personal life. That's right, don't just make New
Millennium resolutionsdecide where you want to be as a person (not a
psychologist) and get on the road!
Similar to graduate school, achieving those goals will not necessarily be
easy or timely but you will at least be on the right path. First, you have to do
some soul searching (gentlemen, you are capable of this too) and develop an
overall goal; a vision of yourself in the short- and long-term. Next, determine
those areas you want to change, improve or develop that support this vision.
Perhaps, you can use a more positive attitude, a boost in self-esteem or
confidence, improvement in social skills or more practical changes such as being
on time or not procrastinating. Whatever it is you choose, remember you are only
human (and a grad student) which means limited time and energy; so choose those
top 2_3 changes that are most important to you.
Now, set up the sub-goals that you can achieve in a relatively short time
frameinstead of frowning all the time and complaining about workload, smile
and tell yourself (and others) you are learning and "expanding your
horizons" or eliminate the word "can't" from your vocabulary
(well, maybe not entirely). The point being you have to be able to make visible
progress, thereby giving yourself an opportunity to experience the
"achievement high" every once in awhile. Set deadlines and keep them,
work on them little by little and celebrate when you accomplish one.
You say this sounds artificialwho plans to develop their personalities or
personal characteristics like this? Easyyou know those people whom you
admire, love to be around, and seem to have it all together; well, that didn't
happen by chance! We all put obscene amounts of time and energy into preparing
for and developing our professional careersbalance it out and use some of
that energy to develop your personal life. We promise you'll be happier in the
end (but we offer no money-back guarantees).
As we have been advocating with this piece, balance is the key to any
endeavor. All those reports that you hear concerning what is and is not good for
your health constantly seem to contradict one another (i.e., drinking
alcohol/coffee is good for you, oh no wait, it's bad for you this week). We
believe that the question should not be whether or not you engage in any certain
behavior but the degree of balance or moderation with which you engage in that
behavior (certainly, there are some "risky" behaviors you should NOT
engage in at all). The same is true in graduate school. If you want to maintain
some semblance of a personality and identity other than as a psychologist then
don't forget to put some time and energy into your personal life. Enjoy (in
moderation)!
To contact the TIP-TOPics columnists:
Kim Hoffman (khoffma2@mindspring.com)
Suzanne Vu (svu@helios.acomp.usf.edu)
Fax: (813) 974-4617/ Attn: Kim Hoffman
Mail: Department of Psychology, BEH 339
Tampa, Florida 33620-8200
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