Academics

Department News
- New dean TBA!

**Take Charge**
Take charge of your learning and your experience in grad school.
 * **Make a plan** for completing your coursework on time and share it with your advisor.
 * Make sure you complete your degree requirements and fill out the **forms** needed for each requirement (i.e., Completion of Research Apprenticeship Form).
 * **Set goals** for every year of your graduate program (i.e., "I will publish 1 article this year") and take steps to achieve those goals.
 * Don't wait for faculty or the department to send you funding/TA opportunities, go looking for these on your own - the earlier your start, the better.
 * Start thinking about a research topicearly in your program - ask your advisor for advice, read articles in your field, stay up-to-date on the latest theories.
 * Use your class projects/papers to complete work for your thesis/dissertation (i.e., write part of a literature review for your final paper).

**Organize**
Being organized is an essential skill for grad students.
 * If you will be writing a thesis or dissertation, start compiling articles from the beginning of your program (Read: Organizing and Preparing For Research).
 * Attend a Dissertation/Thesis Filing Workshop and read the guidelines before starting your paper (See Thesis/Dissertation Filing Infographic).

**Advisors: Mentoring 101**
Unless you choose to change faculty advisors (which faculty will not feel bad about), you will be with your faculty advisor for several years. Your advisor will help you through all of your milestones, provide sound advice and help when you ask for it, and write letters of recommendation or be a reference for funding and career opportunities. However, building a solid relationship with your advisor takes work. Here are some articles to help you learn more about working with faculty advisors and the mentoring process:
 * The Ideal PhD Mentor - A Student's Perspective
 * Mastering Your Ph.D.: Mentors, Leadership, and Communication
 * [[file:UMaryland_mentoring.pdf]]

You can also learn how to be an effective mentor from the GradPost's, "Get Experience Mentoring as a Graduate Student" article. Also, note that you do not have to stay with your assigned faculty mentor. If the relationship is not working for you, look for another advisor who is willing to mentor you. Don't make grad school any harder than it already is.