Starting a Graduate School Program? Here are a few tips from my experience.
I have recently completed an online graduate school program. Below are a few tips, that I wish someone had of told me at the start, that I believe can help you get the most out of your experience.
1. Pick a theme and stick with it.
Depending on your field of study, you will have flexibility on the types of research that you use for your assignments each semester. If possible, I would focus on an area or theme that you find interesting and use the coursework to become an expert in it. For example in my program I focused a majority of my projects on how technology and communications impact human behavior. So depending on the course I developed communications campaigns addressing: Texting and Driving, Mobile Device use at Mealtime, Adoption of Electric Cars.
2. Pick a tool kit and stick with it.
You can easily get lost in what tools to use for organizing research and online collaboration. At the start of your program I would take some time to research what will work best, set up a functional work flow, and then stick with it during your program. This will save you time over the long haul. This is something I did not do, but I always lost time by trying a new tool each semester. And I ended up with a mess of documents all over the place…
In this post I overview some of the top tools that I used to during my program.
3. Summarize Learnings at the end of each semester.
This takes discipline — but it will pay off in the long run. This will really help you to crystalize the learnings AND to develop a toolkit that will serve you throughout your career.
4. Build a portfolio as you are working.
This depends on your field of study, but the entire way through your program build a portfolio of great work and quotes from professors. This is much easier to build over time than all at once at the end.
5. Network with classmates.
One of the great aspects of education is the relationships that you can build. If your program is online you have to be intentional, but it is still possible to create relationships in this environment. Take time to connect with classmates on linkedin, etc. Get to know them during your program — after your program is over you will have developed a great network that can be both personally fulfilling and helpful.
6. Connect with your Professors.
One of the greatest aspects of my program was the professors. They were a real asset on completing the coursework, gaining insight on my research, etc. But naturally by their position, they are also experts in my field. They have been able to give great career advice and even to help build my professional network.
