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Slide 2 Graduate School Survival Skills Jamika Burge and Rachel Pottinger Slide 3 CRA-W Programs inspire and increase the success of women & minorities in computing 600+ students & PhD researchers every year from 250 U.S. institutions Slide 4 What does CRA-W do? Individual & Group Research Mentoring Undergrads: Undergraduate Research Experiences Undergrads: Distinguished lecture role models Grad Cohort: group mentoring of graduate students Grad Students: Discipline Specific Research workshops PhD Researchers: group mentoring early & mid career @ CMW, CAPP, Grace Hopper & Tapia Graduate Students Undergraduates Academic careers Industry/government labs 600+ students & PhDs a year Slide 5 More information on programs available at table right outside and CRA-W booth in exhibit hall Slide 6 Who are you? How many of you are: Undergraduates MSc students PhD students Others ? Slide 7 Who are we? Slide 8 About Rachel Im an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia (in Vancouver, Canada, eh) I got my PhD at the University of Washington and my BS at Duke Im married to a tenured UBC CS teaching track faculty member, Steve, and we have an almost 7 year old daughter, Naomi Slide 9 About Jamika PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 2007 CS: Human-computer interaction, computer-mediated communication Senior Scientist DARPA Technical Consultant Co-chair, Coalition to Diversify Computing (CDC), cdc-computing.org Programs develop and support a diverse computing research community Change Agents Council of The Computer Science Collaborative Project (CSCP) Brings together key stakeholders in broadening participation in computing across K-12 For fun: laughing, traveling, family & friends Slide 10 Why are you here? Slide 11 No, really, why are you here? Why are you at this workshop? Why are you in grad school? Turn to the person next to you and talk it over for the next 3 minutes Slide 12 Why people are here Slide 13 You cant get what you came for unless you know what you came for Slide 14 If you came to learn how to do research You need to figure out how youre going to learn to do it: Meetings with your supervisor Lab meetings Classes Going to talks Reading papers Slide 15 If you came to get a job when youre done Figure out which job you really want: Do internships Teach Find out how to get the skills you need Research (see previous slide) Writing Public speaking Slide 16 but what if youre not getting what you came for The most important thing is to realize that this is sadly fairly common See if you can figure out how to change whats bothering you. Some common ones: o Advisor problems o You hate your research o You hate your group The biggest thing: find someone to talk to Slide 17 List the 3 most important people in your graduate school career Lets get together in small groups and discuss among yourselves who are the important people in grad school. Be ready to share with the larger group. Slide 18 List 3 important people in your graduate school career Surely, your graduate advisor is on your list? For better or for worse, your advisor holds the key to the next step in your career. If you are getting a PhD, you will be forever linked to your advisor. This is one of the reasons picking an advisor is serious business! Slide 19 List 3 important people in your graduate school career Surely, you are on your list? You are important. You are to be respected and valued. The way people treat you is a function of how you expect to be treated. You have the most to gain and lose in your graduate school career. Slide 20 What to do when you run into trouble? Dont ignore it. The problem will only get bigger. Early detection is the key. Summarize the facts of the issue. Discuss the facts with a trusted friend. Develop a plan of action. Dont be afraid to do whats best for YOU Slide 21 What to do when you run into trouble? Consider the following sources of help. Your graduate advisor if she/he is not the issue. Women groups in computer science and engineering. Professors with whom you have taken a class and have good rapport. A trusted resource from your undergraduate institution. Slide 22 Graduate school isnt all work. You must find time to play. We all know about Oprahs favorite things. Here are ours. Rachels favorite things: Spending time with my husband and daughter, reading, cooking and eating Jamikas favorite things: Spending time with friends, doing *nothing*, making time to laugh, traveling Slide 23 All set? Having said all that, theres one thing wed like to leave you with In order to make the most of grad school, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and be bold In short: You cant be afraid to make an idiot of yourself. So, with that in mind, its time for a sing along! Slide 24 To be sung to the tune of I will Survive At first I was afraid, I was petrified Thinking I could never do research, Id have to hide I spent so many nights thinking all I did was wrong I grew strong I learned how to carry on Now my grooves back! From a dark place. I just walk in and people leave with love of my research taste I have changed the way I work Now I know that was the key And I know for just one second Grad school doesnt bother me And now Ill go! Walk out the door Im turned around now Doubts not welcome anymore I used to feel so very hurt that I could cry I thought Id crumble I thought Id lay down and die Oh no, not I! I will survive! As long as I know how to think Ill make it out alive Ive got all my life to live Ive got all my thoughts to give And Ill survive I will survive! Hey, hey! Slide 25 Private Foundation Unversity Departments www.cra-w.org Thank you to our sponsors