The UC Engineering

Graduate Student Experience

Andrew St. George15 August 2013

Welcome to Grad School

Higher Expectations

Middle School

• Graduate School carries with it a sharp rise in responsibility and freedom

Higher Expectations

Middle School

High School

• Graduate School carries with it a sharp rise in responsibility and freedom

Higher Expectations

Middle School

High School

Undergrad• Graduate School carries with it a sharp

rise in responsibility and freedom

Higher Expectations

Middle School

High School

Undergrad

Graduate School Workplace

• Graduate School carries with it a sharp rise in responsibility and freedom

• The expectations are comparable to any full-time job in the workplace

Higher Expectations

Middle School

High School

Undergrad

Graduate School Workplace

• Graduate School carries with it a sharp rise in responsibility and freedom

• The expectations are comparable to any full-time job in the workplace

• It is NOT simply an extension of undergraduate studies

What are classes like?

• Higher workload, difficult projects and exams

• As a result, one should only focus on 2 – 3 classes per term

• Vast majority of work is done outside of class

• Large amounts of reading and independent study become necessary for success

• Long-term preparationfor a cumulative Qualifying Exam (for PhD students)

Your advisor, your research…

• These are the two most critical decisions you will make in graduate school

• These two things will define your graduate school experience

• Try not to rush into eitherdecision without considering whether or not an advisor and research area is right for you (“shop around” andtalk to older students)

Choosing an Advisor

• Relationship with your advisor will dictate your area of study and research experience

• Some will allow you a great deal of independence, while others like to be more involved in the details

• The ideal advisor should be invested in your success, provide guidance, give you credit for your work, and help you graduate

• Well-respected advisors with many connections can more easily procure funding and carry weight on publications as co-authors

Choosing a Research Topic• Your research topic will become the basis for your

thesis/dissertation: choose early, finish early

• You’ll be spending the next several years working on it, so be sure to pick something of INTEREST to you AND the research community (relevant research improves job prospects)

• It helps to go after a project with funding — this will make affording graduate school less of a challenge

• Make sure you can publish on the research — it does you no good whatsoever to waste your time on a project if you cannot use it in your thesis/dissertationBiomedical Chemical Aerospace Materials

Death and taxes… and rising tuition!• GAS/GIA (Graduate Assistant Scholarship/Graduate

Incentive Award)

• Teaching Assistant (TA)

- Ideal starting position for a graduate student

- Great practice in fundamentals for the Qualifying Exam

• Research Assistant (RA)

- Best for later in graduate school when you’ve already started your research

• Fellowships: Apply early for as many as possible

• Internships

- Real world experience

Forms for everything…

…key requests, adding/dropping classes, travel reimbursements, plans of study, transcripts, annual reviews, etc.

An overview of important places/sites:

• OneStop/University Pavilion (Onestop.uc.edu)

• UC Blackboard (blackboard.uc.edu)

• Graduate Student Association (683 Steger)

• Your Department Office

• Office of Graduate Studies (Baldwin 665)

• The Edwards Center Complex

“Organization is the key to effective laziness”

• Remember that you’re responsible for developing (and following) a long-term schedule

• If your studies and research aren’t rigorously organized within your first year, be prepared to live among large piles of poorly sorted papers for the next several years

• As research projects grow in scope, they become harder to manage if not properly organized

• You can fall behind very quickly without proper organization

Connect yourself with the Research Community

• Join a professional organization (ASME, AIAA, etc.)

• Attend conferences relevant to your field

• Network with your peers and the leading members of your research field

• Submit your research to journals

Find a Hobby, Stay Social

• Graduate School can be taxing and stressful at times, soit’s important to have hobbies and take breaks

• There are numerous clubs, club sports, and campus activities available to graduate students

• Explore the campus and the city, and tryto make friends outside your lab

An exciting time for Cincinnati

Between sports teams, museums, parks, a world renowned zoo, thriving restaurants and entertainment districts, a theme park, and a multitude of city festivals, Cincinnati has a lot to offer

Questions

*Courtesy of William Stoddard, PhD Graduate Student

An Overview of my Research

Sustained Shock Crossover System

Detonation-Driven Axial Flow Turbine

Rotating Detonation Engine

(Shank RDE Design, Courtesy of DeBarmore et al. 2013)