Full Title: “Alumni” of the Dissertation House, working feverishly to finish — February 2012 weekend sessions

The PROMISE Staff has arranged for alumni of the Dissertation House (students who have participated in at least one Dissertation House week with Dr. Carter-Veale) to continue working on their dissertations during the weekend. You have the “DH” Room — the regular meeting spot on UMBC’s campus. You know the drill. Write your goals, blog in!

Sat. Feb. 4, 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Sun. Feb. 5, 12 noon – 8:00 PM
Sat. Feb. 11, 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Sun. Feb. 12, 12 noon – 8:00 PM

Are you coming? Let us know on the “Winter Challenge 2012″ site.  Limit 15.

Have you missed connecting with other students from PROMISE? Are the great feelings from the PROMISE Summer Success Institute at the Sheraton in Columbia, and the Fall Harvest Dinner at College Park wearing thin from needing more interaction? Then, come on out to the PROMISE Spring Opening Meeting at UMBC and get rejuvenated.

Friday, 2/17/12 
4:30-6 PM

Public Policy, Room 206

Dinner will be served.

Facilitator: Dr. Renetta Tull

Learn about upcoming activities that support graduate students, hear about themes that contribute to success of diverse graduate students from the book chapter: “Successful PhD Pathways to Advanced STEM Careers for Black Women” in the Diversity in Higher Education book series (featuring alumni from PROMISE at UMBC, UMCP, and UMB), authors: Dr. Janet Rutledge (UMBC Dean of the Graduate School), Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale (PROMISE Dissertation Coach), and Dr. Renetta Tull (UMBC Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Development and Director of PROMISE.)

We’ll also give you a glimpse of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the PROMISE Summer Success Institute.  Come and hear updates on funding and jobs from our PROMISE and Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) career partners, and hear an update from the “Why Smart People Suffer from the Imposter Syndrome” webinar.  (You can also read the article on “The Imposter Syndrome and How to Avoid it” in the magazine for theSociety of Hispanic Professional Engineers.)

Come and meet other graduate students from diverse backgrounds!

To read more about PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP, visit the PROMISE AGEP website, learn more about the national AGEP, and see publications that discuss PROMISE and the signature programs. PROMISE is one of 22 AGEP alliances in the U.S. and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 

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Students from UMBC’s campus may RSVP here on MyUMBC: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/10483.

Students from UMB, UMCP, or other campuses may RSVP as a reply/comment to this post.

Please RSVP so that we can order enough food. As with any PROMISE activity, you are welcome to bring friends and family with you.

Have you missed connecting with other students from PROMISE? Are the great feelings from the PROMISE Summer Success Institute at the Sheraton in Columbia, and the Fall Harvest Dinner at College Park wearing thin from needing more interaction? Then, come on out to the PROMISE Spring Opening Meeting at UMBC and get rejuvenated.

Friday, 2/17/12 
4:30-6 PM

Public Policy, Room 206

Dinner will be served.

Facilitator: Dr. Renetta Tull

Learn about upcoming activities that support graduate students, hear about themes that contribute to success of diverse graduate students from the book chapter: “Successful PhD Pathways to Advanced STEM Careers for Black Women” in the Diversity in Higher Education book series (featuring alumni from PROMISE at UMBC, UMCP, and UMB), authors: Dr. Janet Rutledge (UMBC Dean of the Graduate School), Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale (PROMISE Dissertation Coach), and Dr. Renetta Tull (UMBC Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Development and Director of PROMISE.)

We’ll also give you a glimpse of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the PROMISE Summer Success Institute.  Come and hear updates on funding and jobs from our PROMISE and Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) career partners, and hear an update from the “Why Smart People Suffer from the Imposter Syndrome” webinar.  (You can also read the article on “The Imposter Syndrome and How to Avoid it” in the magazine for theSociety of Hispanic Professional Engineers.)

Come and meet other graduate students from diverse backgrounds!

To read more about PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP, visit the PROMISE AGEP website, learn more about the national AGEP, and see publications that discuss PROMISE and the signature programs. PROMISE is one of 22 AGEP alliances in the U.S. and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 

——————————-

Students from UMBC’s campus may RSVP here on MyUMBC: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/10483.

Students from UMB, UMCP, or other campuses may RSVP as a reply/comment to this post.

Please RSVP so that we can order enough food. As with any PROMISE activity, you are welcome to bring friends and family with you.

What is going on?

Work is under way to replace the AV system. The existing system died, for all practical purposes, at the end of the fall semester. New parts are being assembled to get the system operational. It may take a few weeks to complete. This is our number one maintenance priority.

What do I do in the meantime?

We will park a standard mobile projection cart in the space until the new system is operational. The cart has a data projector, PC with monitor, laptop VGA cable, DVD/VHS player, and amplified speaker.

How will I operate the new system when installed?

Users will be alerted in advance via email. The new systems will operate in much the same fashion as in other campus lecture halls. Training opportunities will be advertised to the users. A short youtube video will be posted demonstrating basic operation. Instructions will be posted locally, on the AV web site, and via DoIT FAQ.

How do I get more information?

Please contact AV Services at #52461 (or enter an RT ticket).

Classes at universities in Maryland begin in a few days. Over the past few weeks, there have been questions concerning what can be done to adequately prepare for a new semester of graduate courses.  Part of the answer is in the question itself:  one must “prepare” for the new semester before classes begin.  There are several things that can be done to prepare.  Here are a few suggestions:

1) Remind yourself that you really want this degree.  Think about your career goals. Review job opportunities in the field of your choice so that you’ll know what kinds of credentials you’re working toward.

2) Get your house in order.  Move close to campus, plan your travel times and routes, think about how life at home will run while you’re in school. If you have a family, make a plan for quality time, pick-up times for children, and other items like sharing duties with other family members or friends. If you work while attending school, plan ahead so that you have solid times for work responsibilities, travel between work and school, time in class, and study time.

 
3)  Have a plan for strong performance.  For example, you can re-read the Guaranteed 4.0 book (also available on Amazon) which discusses re-writing notes, talking with professors, and reading chapters before class. During the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, we provided a free copy of this book to all new students. If you have another system, review that system and plan to follow the tips.  Identify what you did correctly last semester and where you might have fallen short according to that plan. Once you identify gaps are, address how you will make changes for the upcoming semester.

 
4) Prepare all of your materials in advance.   Get copies of all of the syllabi. Even if the syllabi online are from previous semesters, they will give you an idea of the load and expectations for the course.  Get all of your books. These days, with Amazon, you can get almost any book without having to wait for materials to be available in the bookstores.

5) Make outlines and timelines. Include a timeline for your classes and study times.  In your timeline, include time for professors’ office hours. Think about the times that you can make yourself available for study groups.  Some courses may require projects and you may need to be flexible. Think, in advance, about your flexible times. Begin an outline for each course now, before the start of class.  Make a list of the concepts that you need to learn by the end of the course, and begin to familiarize yourself with some of the terms and concepts.

This is a short list, and you may have other things that you like to do to prepare. We don’t want students to go into class with a notebook and simply wait for the professor to provide all of the information. That method may have worked throughout undergraduate studies, but in graduate school, one must be a proactive learner. In graduate school, the professor will introduce the concept and will present the material, but you will be expected to analyze and synthesize information outside of the classroom. Employ whatever method works for you. Prepare, be productive, and be consistent throughout the semester.  Good luck and have a great year!

__________________________________________________________

The text content of this post was compiled and written by the staff of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

and may not be copied without referencing the PROMISE organization, as “PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP”.

PROMISE AGEP Online Information by PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Classes at universities in Maryland begin in a few days. Over the past few weeks, there have been questions concerning what can be done to adequately prepare for a new semester of graduate courses.  Part of the answer is in the question itself:  one must “prepare” for the new semester before classes begin.  There are several things that can be done to prepare.  Here are a few suggestions:

1) Remind yourself that you really want this degree.  Think about your career goals. Review job opportunities in the field of your choice so that you’ll know what kinds of credentials you’re working toward.

2) Get your house in order.  Move close to campus, plan your travel times and routes, think about how life at home will run while you’re in school. If you have a family, make a plan for quality time, pick-up times for children, and other items like sharing duties with other family members or friends. If you work while attending school, plan ahead so that you have solid times for work responsibilities, travel between work and school, time in class, and study time.

 
3)  Have a plan for strong performance.  For example, you can re-read the Guaranteed 4.0 book (also available on Amazon) which discusses re-writing notes, talking with professors, and reading chapters before class. During the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, we provided a free copy of this book to all new students. If you have another system, review that system and plan to follow the tips.  Identify what you did correctly last semester and where you might have fallen short according to that plan. Once you identify gaps are, address how you will make changes for the upcoming semester.

 
4) Prepare all of your materials in advance.   Get copies of all of the syllabi. Even if the syllabi online are from previous semesters, they will give you an idea of the load and expectations for the course.  Get all of your books. These days, with Amazon, you can get almost any book without having to wait for materials to be available in the bookstores.

5) Make outlines and timelines. Include a timeline for your classes and study times.  In your timeline, include time for professors’ office hours. Think about the times that you can make yourself available for study groups.  Some courses may require projects and you may need to be flexible. Think, in advance, about your flexible times. Begin an outline for each course now, before the start of class.  Make a list of the concepts that you need to learn by the end of the course, and begin to familiarize yourself with some of the terms and concepts.

This is a short list, and you may have other things that you like to do to prepare. We don’t want students to go into class with a notebook and simply wait for the professor to provide all of the information. That method may have worked throughout undergraduate studies, but in graduate school, one must be a proactive learner. In graduate school, the professor will introduce the concept and will present the material, but you will be expected to analyze and synthesize information outside of the classroom. Employ whatever method works for you. Prepare, be productive, and be consistent throughout the semester.  Good luck and have a great year!

__________________________________________________________

The text content of this post was compiled and written by the staff of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

and may not be copied without referencing the PROMISE organization, as “PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP”.

PROMISE AGEP Online Information by PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.