7 Things to Do the Summer Before Starting Graduate School

7 Things to Do the Summer Before Starting Graduate School Starting graduate school this fall? Like most soon-to-be grad students you’re probably both excited and anxious for classes to begin. What should you do between now and the beginning of your first semester as a graduate student? Relax Although you may be tempted to read ahead and get an early start on your studies, you should make time to relax. You’ve spent years working to get through college and make it into graduate school. You’re about to spend more years in graduate school and face more challenges and higher expectations than you encountered in college. Avoid burnout before the semester even begins. Take time off to relax or you may find yourself fried by October. Try Not to Work This may not be possible for most students, but remember that is the last summer that you will be free from academic responsibilities. Graduate students work during the summer. They do research, work with their advisor, and perhaps teach summer classes. If you can, take the summer off from work. Or at least cut back on your hours. If you must work, make as much downtime as you can. Consider leaving your job, or if you plan to continue working during the school year, consider taking a vacation two to three weeks before the semester starts. Do whatever is necessary to begin the semester refreshed rather than burned out. Read for Fun Come fall, you’ll have little to no time to read for pleasure. When you have some time off, you’ll probably find that you don’t want to read as that’s how you’ll spend large chunks of your time. Get to Know Your New City If you are moving to attend grad school, consider moving earlier in the summer. Give yourself time to learn about your new home. Discover grocery stores, banks, places to eat, study, and where to grab coffee. Get comfortable in your new home before the whirlwind start of the semester. Something as simple as having all of your belongings stored away and being able to easily find them will reduce your stress and make it easier to start fresh. Get to Know Your Classmates Most incoming cohorts of graduate students have some means of getting in contact with each other, whether through an email list, Facebook group, LinkedIn group, or some other means. Take advantages of these opportunities, should they arise. Interactions with your classmates are an important part of your grad school experience. You’ll study together, collaborate on research, and eventually be professional contacts after graduation. These personal and professional relationships can last your entire career. Clean up Your Social Profiles If you haven’t done so prior to applying to graduate school, make some time to review your social media profiles. Are they set to Private? Do they present you in a positive, professional light? Ditch the college partying pics and posts with profanity. Clean up your Twitter profile and tweets as well. Anyone who works with you is likely to Google you. Don’t let them find material that makes them question your judgment. Keep Your Mind Agile: Prep a Little The key word is little. Read a few of your advisor’s papers- not everything. If you haven’t been matched with an advisor, read a bit about faculty members whose work interests you. Do not burn yourself out. Read a little simply to keep your mind active. Do not study. Also, keep an eye out for topics that interest you. Note a stimulating newspaper article or website. Don’t try to come up with a thesis, but simply note topics and ideas that intrigue you. Once the semester starts and you make contact with an advisor, you can sort through your ideas. Over the summer your goal should simply be to remain an active thinker. Overall, consider the summer before graduate school as a time to recharge and rest. Emotionally and mentally prepare yourself for the amazing experience to come. There will be plenty of time to work and you’ll face many responsibilities and expectations once graduate school begins. Take as much time off as you can- and have fun.

Citezenship essays

Citezenship essays To many people a good U.S. citizen should be one who obeys all the laws established. To some, a patriotic person could be a good citizen. Of course not all people think the same thing. Everyone has the potential to be a decent U.S. citizen. All people could be an awesome citizen of the United States. In my personal opinion there is no such thing as a good U.S. citizen. I think that everybody living in the States has the potential to be a good citizen. Everybody breaks a law at some point in there life. Whether it be a small offense such as, going five miles over the speed limit or something to the extreme such as arson. This does not affect whether or not you are a good citizen, this just determines whether or not you are a good person. A veteran of the Korean War would be a prime example of being patriotic. Not only were they willing to fight for freedom but willing to put their lives in danger for their country. This does not mean they are the best candidate for citizen of the year. It means they are brave and willing to put their life on the line for the sake of other people. This person may have no knowledge of the history of the country they are fighting for. But who is to say they are bad citizens. Charles Manson could be another prime example. He killed a number of people over a matter of years while at the same time gaining followers who in turn did the exact same thing he had previously done. Does that make him a bad citizen? It definitely makes him an extremely bad person but not necessarily a bad citizen. This does not justify the morbid things he had done it simply states that he may not be a bad citizen. Charles Manson could have been the biggest history buff of anyone, yet again who can say he is a bad citizen. For the last example I will use myself. I am a patriotic person, not necessarily as much as some other people but I am none the less. Yet I have gone a couple miles over the sp ...

History, Stalin and the first Five-Year Plan Essay

History, Stalin and the first Five-Year Plan - Essay Example The method dealt here is to access and analyze the discussed sources, learning through the sources the viewpoint held by the authors and discussing their utility in providing knowledge about the plan while at the same time critically analyzing the plan itself. Joseph Stalin, Soviet Communist leader, became famous for his ‘flaws’ as much as for his ‘ambitious industrial drive’. Both the characteristics are contradictory as are the views that various people hold about him. As the USSR went through turmoil after WWI and the civil war Stalin’s Five Year Plan ostensibly set out to provide greater strength to USSR in order to keep the Western Capitalist influences at bay. Through the evidence suggested, it however becomes clear that the results of five-year plan were more a ‘fantasy’ than ‘reality’. However, disregarding the plan as complete failure would be a failure on our part to access the plan completely. The plan was implemented with the single objective in mind, that of technically advancing the USSR in order to cut down its dependence on western countries and to provide a means for working class people to believe in the socialist system. The plan was a success in that while the capitalist countries were suffering the effects of the great depression and, mass unemployment, the USSR was going through a rapid change in terms of its industry and agriculture. It is important to note that USSR implemented its plan without the help of foreign investments. There were huge investments in heavy industry as well as light industry. The development programs included the tractor plants of Kharkov and Stalingrad, the AMO 1automobile factory in Moscow, the automobile plant in Nizhni-Novgorod, the Dnieprostroi hydroelectric project, the mammoth steel plants at Magnitogorsk and Kuznetsk, the network of machine shops, and chemical plants in the Urals. The face of Moscow changed in a short span with new buildings, schools, hospitals