Mason Grad Insider

The Formulas for Checking in with Your Classmates

Cyndi Young — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:49:32 +0000

The Formulas for Checking in with Your Classmates Cyndi Young Wed, 10/12/2022 - 12:49

In This Story

By Cydni Young

Prior to beginning my journey in graduate school, I experienced quite a few moments where the school work seemed to reach the mountain tops, all the while life matters overflowed like never before. All concepts and language no longer processed and the fuse I once had in the beginning, slowly fizzled out. These moments are no less than normal; however, we all are entitled to, what I like to call, “woo-sah” moments to truly set your worries free and form a refreshed you that is ready to take on the world. With that being said, you never know who is carrying this weight. Being a new graduate student, I was quickly reminded that it takes a village to get you through the masses of work and life stressors, which there’s immense beauty in caring for one another through your shared academic journeys. As you begin to develop those new connections in class and form lasting relationships with your peers, take a moment to memorize and apply these three formulas to calculate the most fruitful outcome for academic success and well-being!

Questions + Study Group = Wellbeing & Success!

One of the best ways to develop closer and more fruitful relationships with your classmates is by forming a study group! Study groups provide a safe space for you to unravel challenging course concepts and care for your mental health with peer support, all while keeping yourself on track. This was one of the best decisions I have made since starting my graduate school journey and has provided me with much needed mental clarity and just a space to gain another realm of perspective on assignments. Another success story? In one of our previous posts by Austin A. Deray, “Study Groups: The Thing to do in Graduate School”, he credits his own working/study groups for holding him accountable, creating moments of well-being, and gaining new perspectives from the diverse backgrounds of his peers! Take that first step and connect with your classmates to form this great method of social support, to truly learn and grow with one another. You can even utilize Mason’s fantastic resources to join a group either within your program/department or university-wide.

Events + Friendships = A Breath of Fresh Air

One of the most memorable and refreshing moments I have had so far in my grad school journey was attending my department’s welcome event, where I found my current cohort of peers. We continued to make time during the week to do anything from studying to attending events on campus. Taking these breaths to refresh my mind and renew my strength has helped to keep me on the straight and narrow with my coursework, rather than powering through on my own and burning all of my fuel. Any time that you can attend a campus event, whether that be in your respective department or university-wide, jump in full force and allow yourself to decompress and unwind. We all deserve a break with those we truly aspire to water and grow with!

Rough Days + Kind Gestures = Brighter Days!

Have you ever had a day when all of your energy has depleted and despite this, coursework refuses to let its foot off of the gas? How did that feel? How would you have wanted to be supported? I myself have had my fair share of those days, but it was the simplest of acts that instantly brought my mood and outlook back to center…receiving a simple message of kindness, a “You’ve got this!”, “I am so proud of you!”, or just a “How are you?”, which meant more than anyone could have known. Soon after, I received a burst of energy and inspiration to complete the toughest of assignments, to keep moving forward. The simplest of acts could elevate one’s mood and push them towards academic success and improved well-being. We all have different battles that we face and they all affect us differently, yet we very often remain blind as to what exactly the lives of others’ entails. While still caring for yourself and respecting boundaries, check in with your peers and keep them uplifted as often as you can.

So there are the formulas. No, they may not serve as the answer to each and every social and academic barricade that could form. Please remember that each journey is different and there is no universal formula. However, you have the power to flip each one into a method that works for you. All things take time… I for one am still making peace with that, but know that this time does not have to be endured alone and confide in your tribe! I really hope you have enjoyed this ‘math’ lesson and remember: wellbeing + support = success! Take care of you!

Best of Wishes,

Cydni Young

Deray, Austin A. (2019, October 9). Study Groups: The Thing to Do in Grad School. Mason Grad Insider Blog: Graduate Student Life: ��ӽ紫ý: Study Groups: The Thing to Do in Graduate School.

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The Necessary Evil: Introverts and Academic Conference Networking

Nikita Thadani — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 18:50:20 +0000

The Necessary Evil: Introverts and Academic Conference Networking Nikita Thadani Mon, 04/25/2022 - 14:50

by Bernard Atieme

As an emerging scholar, academic conferences are some of the ways to connect with people who share similar research interests with you in your field. However, being an introvert in a buzzing conference room with people busy chatting, can be scary and intimidating. Networking and building rapport with people you meet for the first time or barely know is hardest to do as an introvert. Notwithstanding this discomfort, academic conferences or social networking events are crucial for building your social capital in academia as a doctoral student. The people you meet at these conferences could become your coauthors, mentors, referees, or even your employers at some point in your professional and academic life; however, knowing the significance of networking for one’s professional and intellectual growth does not necessarily make the dread of navigating the space of academic conferences go away. Here, I share some of the tricks that work for me in my experience networking at academic conferences. These suggestions are not necessarily easy to do, but they will help you use your conference time productively with less stress.

Be a presenter, discussant, or moderator

Being a presenter, discussant, or moderator at a conference puts you in the spotlight, making it easy for you to connect with people and them with you. It makes people feel they know you already, and your presentation becomes the talking point or opening line for them to initiate a conversation. Some may have follow-up questions, while others may want to share their thoughts or resources. Other people are probably interested in getting to know you better, and your presentation is their opening to engage with you. Sometimes there is camaraderie among the presenters, which could be an opportunity for you to build your network with them.

Ask relevant questions

Sometimes it can be petrifying to ask a question in a room full of intellectuals - but ask anyway, because it could open doors for networking! Asking questions is an indication that you are interested in the person’s work or the subject, and that can open networking opportunities for you. Moreover, asking questions may help people find something in common with you. When asking a question, introduce yourself by name, institution, and research interest before the inquiry. That provides people with context of who you are and can help stimulate conversations with you down the line. Someone in the crowd may share your research interest and want to talk further with you about the topic. Remember not to walk away like everyone else after the presentation. Stay back and talk to the presenters or any person who might be interested in speaking with you.

Find a networking ally

Attending a conference with someone who enjoys meeting new people or knows people will make your networking efforts more effortless. They help break the ice during the introductions and allow you to come in and continue the conversation. People get to know you because of them, and you can utilize that to build your network. Sometimes you may need to ask them to introduce you to their contacts or people you want to meet, but some do it anyway, even if you do not ask them for introductions.

For some conferences, you may be the only person from your program or institution attending. When you find yourself in this situation, find someone at the conference whose company you genuinely enjoy and share a mutual interest, become their friend, and hang out with them during the networking events. If the person already knows people in the conference, utilize the person’s wealth of connections; if the person does not, build your network together from scratch.

Prepare a few conversation-starting questions

Before the conference, prepare a few lines of conversation. If you have a list of scholars you would like to meet at the conference, identify what you would like to learn from them and prepare your questions in advance. Do not try to think them up on the spot because that could be difficult to do if you are not used to small talk. The same rules apply even if you do not have specific people in mind, but general networking. You need opening lines for all conversations, and questions are an excellent way to start; however, remember not to turn your discussion into a Q&A session where your newfound friend does all the talking and you ask the questions. Prepare something you would like to share about yourself with your new connections. While it is helpful to write your questions and practice them in advance, try to let the conversation flow naturally.

Make yourself approachable

The posture of your body could draw or keep people away from talking to you. People want to talk to people who are open to it. As much as possible, try to look warm, casual, and smile at people when your eyes interlock. It may motivate them to approach you and initiate a conversation. You do not always have to initiate conversations, but you must make yourself available and approachable.

Overall, always remember that you are not the only one terrified of small talk. There are people like you at the conference who are equally scared to death of talking to new people. Practice your conversations, embrace your fears, and speak to as many people as your stress level can allow. Remember that you have something interesting to contribute as a junior academic, and some people are interested to hear it! It is the reason doctoral programs exist to train emerging scholars to continue the works of the senior scholars.

Moreover, remember that some senior academics will be thrilled to know that you admire their work and will be willing to talk to you more about their scholarship. The worst that could happen is that they might not be interested in your work, and that is fine. You only need a few supporting people in your network. I hope these suggestions are helpful. Good luck with your next conference networking event.

Editor's note: This is our last Mason Grad Insider blog post of the 2021-2022 academic year, and my (Nikita's) last post as the editor. I will be graduating with my M.Ed. in Counseling & Development from Mason this May, and will be finishing up with my Graduate Professional Assistantship with Graduate Student Life. It has been a pleasure being a writer and editor for the Mason Grad Insider and a joy getting to be a part of the Grad Life team. The Mason Grad Insider will be back with more blog posts in the Fall 2022 semester!

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My Cohort, My Community

Nikita Thadani — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:45:45 +0000

My Cohort, My Community Nikita Thadani Thu, 03/31/2022 - 19:45

In This Story

Austin A. Deray

by Austin A. Deray

When moving to Northern Virginia, I was worried about leaving my family and friends in Georgia, my chosen community. However, when I got to Mason, thanks to my program and my work unit, I found my new tribes through the institution and a culture of cohorts.¹

A cohort was originally defined by Merino et al. “as a group of students who begin a program of study together, share the same sequence of classes, faculty members, and instructional activities toward completion of a specific degree or certification,” but “has expanded to include the development of collaborative projects, self-directed goals, and a network of academic and social support.”²

For me this idea of a cohort has been key to not only my academic and professional success here at Mason, but also a sense of well-being in my life. Now I know some of you are thinking, “I don’t have a cohort.” I know that to be true for many programs here at Mason. I would suggest then maybe finding a way to make your own model of a cohort. And, yes, I do plan to share one example of how to go about doing it later on.

In North American universities, three cohort systems tend to be most popular: closed, open/mixed, and fluid. From my experience here at Mason, I’d say we are mostly a mixture of open and fluid systems. The open/mixed cohort is one “whereby students take a core set of courses together and then enroll in additional coursework to fulfill their needs.”³ On the other hand, the fluid cohort is also know as the “course-by-course [cohort], whereby students may enter the cohort at various times instead of only one point of entry.”³

Among my office colleagues, we have experienced both types of cohorts. I am a member of a mixed cohort through my academic program, where all the Cultural Studies PhD students take the same core classes with their admittance year members and generally take similar electives, while trying to begin fieldwork around the same time. My two workmates, on the other hand, have fluid cohorts in their programs. One only knew one other student in her program who had started around the same time and was taking similar classes. The other found, while she started with 4-5 other students, that she would not take a core set of classes with members of her entry class; she would eventually take classes with all the members of her class through the elective course offered in her program. For the graduate students in my office, what was great was our ability to form a work cohort and our ability to rely not only on our program cohorts, but also on each other, creating our own community.

One key component of both a mixed and fluid cohort is sharing meals together.⁴ From the beginning, my academic cohort quickly began to work on readings, papers, and projects together. One member of my cohort, who served as the original ringleader, would always suggest we meet to have lunch, dinner, or just share some shisha while we work. At work, our office has family lunch almost every day, and that is where we began to have a sense of cohort or a sense of our work community.

What is key about the program cohort model and my own description of our work cohort, or work community, is that we have reduced “level[s] of loneliness” and that we “offer support to one another,” which is key to the well-being⁵ and academic success of graduate students. While some suggest that only members of an academic cohort can truly relate to the experience of being in a specific graduate program, I’d suggest I get as much support from my work community as I do from my program cohort.

I think the true essence of the cohort is what is important, not the institution or structure. So, if your program has a cohort system, try buying into the practice. Spend some time with your cohort, get a meal with them; I think you’ll enjoy the support and sense of community they can give you. If your program has a mostly fluid system or does not have a cohort at all, try to find a way to create your own cohort or tribe; invite classmates to a dinner or lunch, study over coffee or hookah. The idea is that graduate school is hard, which we all already know, and having a support system or a group of people to turn to is key to both your academic success and your personal well-being.

As always, have a great day and week.

Best,

Austin

¹ McCarthy, John, Mary Ellen Trenga, and Barbara Weiner. (2005) The Cohort Model with Graduate Student Learners: Faculty-Student Perspectives: Adult Learning: Sage Journals, 22-26.

² Merino, A., Muse, I., & Wright, D. J. (1994). Building graduate school success: The cohort group. The Journal of the California Association of Professors of Educational Administration, 6, 64-74

³ Yerkes, D. M., Basom, M.R., Norris, C, & Bamett, B. (1995). Using cohorts in the development of educational leaders. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 387 858).

⁴ McCarthy, et al. (2005), 24.

⁵ Nords, C. J., & Bamett, B. (1994). Cultivating new leadership paradigm: From cohorts to communities. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 387 877).

This blog post has been edited to reflect updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 3/31/2022.

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What to Look for in a Mentor

Nikita Thadani — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:37:11 +0000

What to Look for in a Mentor Nikita Thadani Thu, 03/31/2022 - 19:37

In This Story

Austin A. Deray

by Austin A. Deray

Last year, I called the library one of the keys to graduate student success. I’d like to change the metaphor to be one of the feathers in a graduate student’s bowler or bob hat. We began our bowler’s feather collection with the green feather of libraries; now let’s add the gold feather of effective mentoring. One of the most important relationships to cultivate in graduate school is your mentor.

Three quick notions to dispel from the get-go: 1) a mentor and an adviser are two different things; 2) your mentor does not have to be found in the realm of academic; and 3) graduate students can have more than one mentor.

Dr. Carol Fierke, Vice Provost and Dean of Rackham Graduate School at University of Michigan, in her discussion on mentoring graduate students, asks graduate and professional students to first consider what makes a mentor. She suggests that mentors:

take an interest in developing another person’s career and well-being
have an interpersonal as well as a professional relationship with those whom they mentor
advance the person’s academic and professional goals in directions most desired by the individual
tailor mentoring styles and content to the individual, including adjustments due to differences in culture, ethnicity, gender and so on.¹

While I do not feel comfortable telling others how to go about finding a mentor (for me, it has been organic experience), I will share my experiences with my mentors and highlight some aspects of the story you may be able to take away and apply as you seek a mentor. My mentors are Dr. Carol Jamison and Dr. Jane Rago. Jamison has been with me since undergrad. The first class I took with her was during a hard time in my life and I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue school or not. Though she taught literature courses, we shared an interest in the medieval period. It was while taking my first steps into an acquisition of both Old and Middle English that I began to see Jamison as a true mentor. She never let us take the easy route, and read the modern translations. I had decided to work on Sin Literature and she suggested/forced me to analyze Piers Plowman’s second vision. I had to work with the literature in its original text and compare it with contemporary discussions of the seven sins, including Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Jamison has helped me develop my skills into becoming a stronger scholar, as well as a stronger professor. She encouraged me to pursue my master’s and eventually begin my PhD. She was never my advisor, but she served as the co-chair of my thesis committee and has always encouraged me and sought to be a light guiding me along my academic career.

Dr. Jane Rago came into my life quite by chance and profoundly changed it. While in my master’s program in World History, my graduate assistantship in the university’s Writing Center happened to be housed across the hall from Rago’s office. She is the director of Gender Studies at Armstrong and a professor in the Literature department, which was going through renovations at the time. Occasionally, Rago would come by and chat with Caroline, the lead tutor, and I about her courses. The next term, Caroline and I took her “Advanced Perspectives in Feminist Theory” course. That course changed my life and put me on a new path. While I started my master’s work in History department, from that point forward I was a member of both the History and Gender Studies units, working towards both degrees. It was our conversations and the course that helped me find a new way to apply my historical training, through a discussion of how and why gender norms have come about. Rago pushed me to present at conferences and to teach my own course, which just happened to be the same course I took with her. Once I finished both programs, Rago hired me for my first faculty position and I was able to teach Gender Studies courses for 2 years at Armstrong State University.

My acquisition of both mentors at the time seemed quite organic; however, when considering our history, I can see how our early interactions followed Fierke’s description of a good mentor. Jamison, while she was first a professor of mine, became much more. It was the fact that we worked outside of class on my translations and on my research ideas, as well as the fact that she was willing to oversee independent and directed readings for a student who was not a member of her department. If I can make a suggestion here, find a professor who is willing to go beyond the call of duty for you. They may not be in your department or field; however, if they take an interest and are willing to give up time, energy, and resources on your behalf, consider them as a mentor who may be able to help guide your academic and professional life.

Rago’s early discussions completely changed my life’s direction and it all happened because her office was across the hall from mine. Proximity can be that vital as well as serendipitous. Had I not had my assistantship or had she been assigned another office while the Literature department was being renovated, we may have not met. Take in your surrounds in your department, your work, or social interactions. If there is someone who encourages you in your pursuits and offers to help along the way,hey could have the makings of a mentor.

For me, though both were not mentors, I had sought out, they are the best mentors a graduate student could have asked for. They helped me develop both academically and professionally. They have guided me directly through a majority of my academic career and still check in – making time for me when I am back home – to make sure I am happy in my current program and that I am keeping to the plan we discussed so many years ago. They have helped me find academic work and written recommendations for my PhD applications. I hope you find as good of mentors as I have.

Have a great day and week.

Until next time,
Austin

¹ Carol Fierke, “How to Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for Graduate Students.” Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, The Regents of the University of Michigan (2015): 3, accessed September 29, 2017, www.rackham.umich.edu/downloads/publications/mentoring.

This blog post has been edited and updated to reflect current changes in information.

Edited by Sydney Glass, 9/25/2018

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The Benefits of Recreational Reading

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 20:27:00 +0000

The Benefits of Recreational Reading Nikita Thadani Tue, 03/08/2022 - 15:27

by Nikita Thadani

As graduate students, we spend a ton of time reading. Whether it’s for homework assignments or finding literature for our own papers, we spend a bulk of our time poring over academic texts, journal articles, and more. Unfortunately, this often means that we end up leaving little time for recreational reading (also known as leisure reading or reading for pleasure).

Growing up, I was an avid reader. By avid, I mean that I often used to finish a book a day! I loved reading, the escape it provided, the stories I could get lost in, and the way it created community with other readers. As I got older, in the later years of high school and the first couple of years of college, my leisure reading took a steep decline. I was buried under mountains of academic readings and papers and felt like I no longer had time to read for fun. However, when COVID hit and I moved home from college and we all collectively moved into a virtual world, I decided to start a virtual book club with a few people I knew in college. Ever since, I have returned to being an active reader, and I love it! I make time to read almost every day and I can’t believe I went so long without it. But, don’t just take my word for it! Here are some of the benefits of recreational reading:

Recreational reading relieves stress. Studies have shown that reading for pleasure is an effective way to manage stress by increasing enjoyment and relaxation.¹ ² ³ ⁴
It’s good for your brain and cognitive development. Recreational reading also can have benefits for your concentration, vocabulary, reading and writing skills, and improving working memory.¹ ² ³ ⁴
Reading can help you be more empathetic. In studies including both children and adults, leisure reading has been shown to increase an individual's communication skills, understanding of themselves and others who are different from them, and develop overall empathy skills. ² ³ ⁴

If these reasons have convinced you to get into recreational reading (or get back into recreational reading), here are some easy ways to dive in to a new book!

Join a local book club. Most local libraries have open access book clubs you can join! For example, Fairfax County Libraries have a book club that meets once a month and has all the titles listed for the year already. Additionally, you can search for local book clubs at your university (you can search “book club” in the Mason Libraries calendar to see the next book club meeting; the Women & Gender Studies department also is hosting a book club this semester). For more ideas, check out this list of options for finding a book club near you.
Use Libby. Libby is a mobile app that lets you connect to your local library to read ebooks for free! I have my Libby app connected to Fairfax County Libraries, and you use the app similarly to how you rent paper books - you can place holds, borrow, and renew both ebooks and audio books.
Check out your local used book stores. Used book stores are a great way to find cheap books, sell your old books, and read in an environmentally friendly way! Here are some local used book stores in the Fairfax area you can check out:
- 2nd & Charles, Chantilly, VA
- McKay Used Books, Manassass, VA
- Reston’s Used Book Shop, Reston, VA
Fall for the Book. Based at ��ӽ紫ý, Fall for the Book is an independent nonprofit literary arts organization that promotes reading by sponsoring a variety of year-round events and activities, the flagship of which is the Fall for the Book festival held each October.⁵ You can check out the Fall for the Book schedule of events here!
Browse Kindle deals. Amazon’s Kindle store has daily deals for cheap Kindle ebooks that often include new books for cheap!
Use Goodreads. Goodreads is a website & app where you can connect with your friends (or not) to find new books, rate the books you’ve read, and see what your friends are reading! Goodreads is one of my absolute favorite apps because I can read reviews of the books I want to read, find books that are similar to ones I’ve liked, and see books that my friends recommend to me! Goodreads also has an annual reading challenge, where you can challenge yourself to read a number of books each year to keep yourself on track.

So, while you continue to devote time to academic and professional reading, I hope this blog post has convinced you (or at least reminded you) of the joys of recreational reading. Recreational reading has brought so much joy into my life and I hope it will in yours too. If you’re looking for a book to get started, a few books I enjoyed recently were The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.

Happy reading!

Nikita

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Enjoying the Benefits of Tuition

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 01:53:17 +0000

Enjoying the Benefits of Tuition Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 20:53

by Andrew J Quillen

Besides all of your classes and a pretty piece of paper on graduation day, what do your tuition and fees actually get you at Mason? This is a question we have all asked, particularly when paying our student bill. Although the number on your bill may come as a bit of a shock, make sure you are considering of all the amenities, services, and activities that Mason has to offer. This post offers a small collection of thoughts, which will hopefully help you more fully appreciate and take advantage of the many benefits that come with paying your Mason bill.

Health Benefits

Gyms Galore!

Mason Recreation has a diversity of athletic facilities and activities for your every need. If you are a full-time student, most-all of these services are free. If you’re part-time, take advantage of some free services and the discounts.

The Aquatic Fitness Center (AFC) is a huge, one-stop complex located in the south-east corner of the Fairfax campus. It features an Olympic swimming pool, a heated pool, hot tubs, a sauna, and a wide array of workout equipment. Additionally, the AFC hosts a variety of classes (e.g.. yoga, Zumba, Taekwondo, etc.) that you can access as a Mason student.

The RAC is located on the west side of the Fairfax campus. Besides having a wide array of workout equipment, it has space for indoor basketball, futsal, tennis, racquetball, squash, and more. Take advantage of the outdoor turf field located right next door; it’s a weekend hotspot for soccer, football, field hockey, cricket, and other pickup sports. There are also outside basketball courts behind the RAC. Keep in mind that West Campus offers additional fields and tennis courts. The Field House nearby offers an indoor track for cold, rainy days.

The Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center in Manassas, located on Mason’s SciTech Campus has a Mason student access deal and discounts. This facility offers a variety of fitness equipment, sports classes and teams, and pool access.

Arlington Campus students can take advantage of a significant fitness benefit at the Arlington YMCA, located just down the street from campus. The $2 daily rate for students to work out at the Y is heavily subsidized by your Mason student fees – Arlington students, be sure to check out this sweet deal!

Activities to Enjoy

Love the outdoors? Mason Outdoor Adventures provides multiple trips each semester to explore the outdoors with other Mason students at a low cost. As an added bonus, take advantage of the Outdoor Education component to learn skills from rock climbing to wilderness survival to wilderness first aid. Additionally, Graduate Student Life partners with Outdoor Adventures for Graduate Outdoor Adventures events each semester.

Mason Intramural Sports are a great opportunity to gather friends, form a team, and have a blast. Each sport contains flexible time brackets for the casual and the competitive.

Cultural Benefits

The Center for the Arts in Fairfax is a hub of art and culture open to Mason students and the community. Sit back and enjoy a concert, take in a play, or hear a speech; Mason students are allowed 1-2 free tickets for almost any performance. Check out the calendar.

The Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas hosts a wide variety of performances free for Mason students. Check out the calendar.

Eagle Bank Arena hosts many top-tier performances throughout the year. They offer priority seating, discounts, and more for Mason students. Check out the calendar.

Campus Events

Stay tuned to the Graduate Student Life, University Life Arlington, and University Life SciTech webpages for information about educational, social, academic, and professional events open to Mason graduate students. Additionally, check out M ason360 for upcoming events across Mason.

Campus Services

Finally, be sure to consider all of the student services available throughout Mason’s campuses. Student services (such as advising, counseling, registrar, financial aid, student health, international student support, diversity and inclusion offices, graduate fellowship advising, and more!) are in large part funded by your tuition and student fees. Aside from the top-notch education you are no doubt receiving here at Mason, be sure to keep in mind the many benefits of being a Patriot!

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A Key to Career Competency: Professionalism

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 01:44:48 +0000

A Key to Career Competency: Professionalism Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 20:44

by Austin A. Deray

Happy Thursday, y’all,

This week I felt was the perfect time to have an important discussion with everyone about a concept, while widely known, can be seriously undervalued and over-looked while preparing for the work force: professionalism. You may be thinking: “Austin, you’re crazy. I know what professionalism is.” And you may be right, a portion of Mason’s graduate students have worked and continue to work in the professional world, while pursuing an advanced degree; however, there is also a significant portion of our graduate population that has gone straight through college into graduate school without professional work experience So, I think it’s important to clear up any misconceptions.

Let’s start with a definition of professionalism: The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) did research on Career Readiness and they defined professionalism as the demonstration of “personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understanding the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. [It is an] individual [who] demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interest of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes” (Career Readiness Defined).

Let’s take a moment and decompact NACE’s understanding of professionalism. College students, whether graduate or undergraduate, who are entering the work force need to be punctual, dressed appropriately for your field or profession, able to work well with others, think long term and for the collective, not just the individual, and behave in an ethical manner. Basically, don’t show up late, wrinkled, with a bad attitude and only looking out for yourself.

You might say, “This isn’t new to me” and “I already know all this.” And again, you may be right. Some of y’all have worked in the “real world” for years and are now going back to school, or some of y’all have had internships. But I ask you then, why did Hart Research relate that “two in three employers (67%) believe most college graduates have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in entry-level positions, but only 44% think they have what is required for advancement and promotion to higher levels” (Hart Research Associates)? This study looked at both graduate and undergraduate success rates in the work setting, after completing their degree and (re)joining the work force. To me, this implies that while students are getting jobs after graduation, they’re not prepared to progress quickly.

When I asked Raechel Timbers, Associate Director of Student Professional Development at Mason’s Career Services, why she thought this was, her response was a lack of professional development: “Those soft skills are what is needed for career management” (soft skills meaning punctuality, attire, manners, work ethic). Timbers continued, “Students need to find a mentor, whether academic or professional, who can help them with the learning gaps and acting as a sort of sponsor who can help them network in both formal and informal settings.” This mentor can be someone you shadow and learn from, emulate, be the standard you compare yourself to — not that I’m saying you have to be exactly like them, do and think what they think. However, they can be the resource to help you gain what is needed to succeed professionally in your given area or field. See how they carry themselves, how they dress, behave, brand themselves. A mentor can be especially helpful when you are using graduate school as an entry point into a new career or field – a mentor can help you learn about the professional norms in your new industry. Speaking from personal experience, this was major drive in my academic career. One of the readers on my thesis had been my mentor for two years, taking me to conferences where I would eventually present, finding me guest lecturing opportunities, helping my find my first lectureship as a professor, and then my main reference for getting into my PhD program.

A discussion of soft versus hard skills will further our look into professionalism. Hard skills are the tools, knowledge, and practices learned in the classroom and internships. Soft skills are the practical skills supposedly developed along the way; again, they are the idea of punctuality, appropriate work attire, the ability to finish tasks in a timely manner, civility… let’s be honest the list is never ending. Hopefully by graduate school, students have realized that showing up 40 minutes late to class, wearing wrinkled clothes/workout/revealing clothes (I am speaking to both men and women here, if you can tell if a quarter is heads or tails in jeans… it’s too tight), popping your gum and disrupting class is a bad idea; a no-no, if you will. But let’s make it clear, this behavior will not be accepted by your future employers. If you walk in late to work or can never make a meeting on time, you will be fired. If your clothes are wrinkled, not appropriate, or revealing, you will be sent to HR and eventually could be fired for repeated offenses. How you interact and communicate will be of the utmost importance. The people you interact with will not be your classmates or teachers, who may be more accepting of outlandish, personal, off-topic, and/or inappropriate communication and interactions; they will be your colleagues and bosses. If your communication and interaction skills are not on point, you will find yourself not being taken seriously and possibly looking for a new job.

You may ask: What’s my next step? Well, I have the answer: Mason’s Career Fair and preparation events. Visit the Career Event webpage for all events and details. All events are open to all Mason students and the Prepare for the Fair Workshop will be a great crash course in professionalism.

I hope y’all can make it to the Career Fair; however, if you can’t, let me leave you with these final thoughts. Find a mentor; let them help shape your professional trajectory. Don’t become one of Hart’s 44% — focus on acquiring all the professional skills and tools you can while at Mason. Take advantage of professional development opportunities designed specifically for graduate students hosted by your graduate program, Graduate Student Life, University Life Arlington, and the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. And please join us here at Mason Grad Insider for new blogs!

Austin

This blog post has been edited to reflect updated information and web addresses.

Edited by Austin A. Deray, 4/14/2021.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 2/21/2022.

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Professionalism for Grad Students: Four Ways to Build Your Career Readiness

Nikita Thadani — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 01:39:10 +0000

Professionalism for Grad Students: Four Ways to Build Your Career Readiness Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 20:39

by Raechel Timbers, M.Ed., Associate Director, Student Professional Development, University Career Services

The National Association of Colleges and Employers identified professionalism/work ethic as one of the 8 career readiness skills most valued by employers. Your ability to effectively demonstrate this skill is vital in your transition from an undergraduate to graduate student. So, what does professionalism mean? Below is how NACE defines these ideas.

Professionalism/Work Ethic: Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes

While it is important for all students to have some level of professionalism, the bar is higher for graduate students because employers assume they are more prepared to take accountability for their education and career journey. What can you do to become more professional? Remember to act like a GRAD!

Get to know your campus community and resources:

Find a mentor– Selecting a graduate program is the first step in building a professional network in your field of interest. A mentor can help you enhance that network as well as prepare you to transition outside of the university community. Your mentor can give you feedback about areas of strength and development, help you identify opportunities to build your CV, connect you to potential employers, and serve as a sounding board for questions that you have during your graduate program and beyond.
Take advantage of professional development on campus – There are many offices, workshops (including the workshops presented by Graduate Student Life, Career Services, and the Stearns Center on professional development), online resources and programs that can help you with your professional and personal growth. Is time management something you struggle with? Participate in a workshop from Learning Services or watch a video from Lynda.com. Don’t know how to write your résumé? Come in for an appointment at University Career Services. Here are a few links to help you get plugged into some career readiness related videos on Lynda.com.
Get to know your classmates and see how you might help them – Your classmates will be the beginning of your professional network, so make sure you are taking steps to cultivate that network now. Share information about your career goals and interests with your classmates and listen to what their goals are as well so you can find areas of overlap and assist each other during your time at Mason. Building mutually beneficial relationships today can be the key to unlocking career opportunities for life after Mason.

Realize you are responsible for your personal brand and career path:

Create a professional brand online– When you apply to a new position it is likely that the employer will do a little research on you before an actual interview takes place. They may do a Google search or look you up on LinkedIn. What are you hoping they will find? Take steps today to create a positive image that reflects the skills and attributes you are hoping employers will find when they research you by doing things such as creating a LinkedIn page, contributing to discussions on Research Gate or starting a blog or website that is relevant to your career goals and research interests.
Dedicate time to career exploration –It can be challenging to think about your job search when you are teaching courses, conducting research, attending class, or completing an assistantship, but your time at Mason will eventually end. Will you be prepared to begin your career after graduation? Meet with members of the Career Services team to discuss your job search and to get tips on how to effectively interview, network, and construct your career documents so you can start your dream career.
Pursue career building experiences – Once you have identified the career path you wish to pursue, and the skills needed to be successful in that path, take the initiative to begin engaging in experiences that will help you be competitive. Have a conversation with a trusted mentor or faculty member to discuss what career building experiences are most relevant to you and remember that sometimes, you may have to create your own opportunity.

Accountability is everything:

Keep your commitments– If you want to be the type of person whom others recommend for positions, research assignments, or leadership roles, you need to keep your commitments. Be careful about overextending yourself so that you are able to successfully meet deadlines, respond to emails/requests in a timely manner and follow through on tasks you discuss with your peers.
Be solution oriented-Unforeseen challenges and situations are sure to arise during your time at Mason that can prevent you from following through on your commitments. If you strive to be solution oriented, you can minimize the negative impact of those challenges. When you realize you will not be able to keep a commitment, develop alternative plans for resolving the situation and proactively reach out to those who will be affected.

Dedicate time to personal well-being:

Take care of yourself– It will be hard for you to be successful during your time at Mason and beyond if you are not taking care of yourself mentally and physically. Strive to eat well, rest, exercise, and take time for personal reflection so you can prevent sickness and burnout. Try to build a support network during your time at Mason and keep an open line of communication with your family, partners, and friends so they can help you take time for wellbeing. When evaluating your priorities as a graduate student, don’t forget to schedule in time for non-academic or career related tasks as well to help you achieve a better work-life balance.

This blog has been edited to reflected updated information and web addresses.

Edited 10/06/2020.

Edited by Nikita Thadani, 02/21/2022.

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Finding Mental Health Resources at Mason & Beyond

Nikita Thadani — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:28:08 +0000

Finding Mental Health Resources at Mason & Beyond Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 12:28

by Nikita Thadani

As I’m sure many of you already know, prioritizing your mental health in graduate school is key. Although it can be easy to prioritize deadlines, responsibilities, and work over your mental health and well-being, if we don’t take care of our minds and bodies first, we won’t be able to complete all of our many tasks & responsibilities at hand. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup (in this case, you are the cup).

At the Mason Grad Insider, we’ve written plenty of blog posts about self-care (here and here), meditation, well-being, and resilience as a graduate student. But what about when that’s not enough? What can we do when we’ve realized that our mental health has declined; when there are issues we’d like to work through; or, simply when we decide we need a little extra support? This is where external mental health resources, such as counseling or group therapy, can come into play.

Mason’s Resources

Mason has a variety of free & reduced fee resources that graduate students can utilize for mental health & counseling, such as:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – CAPS provides free services for students, including individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric consultation/medication management, crisis consultation, workshops, and more. To schedule an appointment, call (703) 993-2380.
- CAPS & Graduate Student Life also collaborate on mental health workshops for Graduate Students. You can find more info about these workshops on our Events page.
- CAPS also offers a therapy group specifically for graduate students! You can find more information about this group on their Group Therapy page.
Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) – SSAC provides free resources & support to students. Some of the resources they offer include Respondent Services for student respondents to Title IX; financial well-being resources and workshops; Patriot Pantry; and Survivor Support for survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence.
Center for Psychological Services (CPS) – ��ӽ紫ý’s Center for Psychological Services provides sliding scale fees for a variety of services, including individual, family, group, and couples therapy; consultation; and diagnosis and assessment. CPS’s services are not only for students, but for the general community as well, and serves children, adults, and families. The majority of their services are provided by graduate students under the supervision of qualified, licensed professionals.
Learning Services – Learning Services provides a variety of free, experience-based learning opportunities for the Mason Community through one-on-one academic coaching, academic success workshops, and online resources.
Disability Services – Disability Services serves to promote equal access for students with disabilities in curricular and co-curricular activities within the university experience, foster partnerships with students, faculty, and staff to create environments that are accessible, diverse, and inclusive, and empower students to participate fully in the university community.

Local & Community Resources

However, many students find that they would like to receive counseling or mental health services outside of Mason – and finding a counselor or therapist is not easy! Here, I’ve tried to lay out several different ways that you can find therapy which fits your needs.

Therapist Locators – These links provide different locator tools for finding a therapist based on a variety of different factors including your zip code, insurance provider, issues they specialize in, or type of services you’re seeking:
Insurance Provider Directory – If you’re seeking services through your insurance plan, most insurances have a directory where you can look through therapy providers who are in your network.
County Resources – Depending on where you live, your local county government may provide free services for specific issues. For example, Fairfax County Domestic & Sexual Violence Services provides free counseling services & group counseling for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. The Fairfax County Community Services Board also provides a variety of free mental health services.
- In Prince William County, there is a Prince William Mental Health Resources page, including information for their Community Services Board.
- For Arlington County, you can check out the Arlington County Mental Health page, as well as their Adult Behavioral Healthcare page.

Apps

In addition to seeking individual or group therapy, a good option for many is using an app. Here are some apps that provide mental health/therapy services:

BetterHelp – BetterHelp offers access to licensed mental health professionals via online therapy, including phone and text therapy that matches you to a professional based on your preferences/needs. BetterHelp charges for these services on a weekly basis, and is usually between $60-90/week.
Talkspace – Talkspace, similarly to BetterHelp, offers access to licensed mental health professionals via online therapy and matches you based on your preferences/needs. Talkspace charges for these services on a monthly basis, averaging $50-60/week.
Headspace – Headspace is a meditation and sleep app with guided meditations and mindfulness exercises. Headspace charges around $6-12/month depending on the plan you choose.
Calm – The Calm app has meditations and sleep stories meant to reduce stress and anxiety. Calm costs around $15/month.
MoodMission – MoodMission is a free app meant to help overcome and cope with feelings of depression and anxiety.

Hotlines

Lastly, there are also hotlines you can call if you are in a mental health crisis and are in need of immediate support. All of the hotlines listed below are available 24/7, unless otherwise specified. Some hotlines include:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- “SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information”
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
- The Trevor Project provides crisis hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth/young adults.
National Eating Disorder Association: 1-800-931-2237
- Available Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm and Friday 9am-5pm
Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline 703-360-7273; TTY 711
Fairfax County Emergency Mental Health Hotline 703-573-5679, TTY 711
Fairfax County Suicide Prevention Hotline 703-527-4077 or Text “CONNECT” to 85511
Fairfax County Child Protective Services: 703-324-7400, TTY 703-222-9452
Crisis Text Line: Text SUPPORT to 741-741
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
- Available Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): 1-800-656-4673
Veterans Association: 1-800-273-8255

Although figuring out how to access mental health support can be challenging, I hope this guide serves as a helpful tool for you or anyone you know in the search for both national and local mental health resources.

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wellbeing

What is Burnout, and How Can You Manage It?

Nikita Thadani — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:21:58 +0000

What is Burnout, and How Can You Manage It? Nikita Thadani Mon, 02/21/2022 - 12:21

by Nikita Thadani

You may have heard the phrase “I’m so burnt out” before. You may have said this phrase yourself – before grad school or during. This phrase certainly pops up more frequently around this time of year, with final papers, exams, and deadlines approaching. But what is burnout? There are several definitions of burnout – let’s take a look at a few of them.

Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”¹
The World Health Organization uses the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition) definition of burnout, which is “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy. Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”²
Psychology Today defines burnout as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships.”³

As you can see, while these three definitions of burnout are similar, they are not all the same. This is because burnout, as a term, has not been designated a clear definition yet, which has been agreed upon by mental health professionals. In fact, the origins of this term “burnout” are relatively recent, dating back to only 1970; and, originally used to describe this state of being for people in the helping professions (therapists, nurses, doctors, social workers, etc).⁴ However, the gist of it is the same; when you’re feeling burnt out, it’s typically because of a chronic state of stress and exhaustion.

Typically, there’s three main categories of symptoms in burnout: exhaustion, detachment/withdrawal from work (or in this case, school) activities, and feelings of negativity, cynicism, or irritability. Exhaustion can look like having low energy, feeling tired all the time, or somatic (physiological) symptoms like headaches or stomach aches. Detachment or withdrawal from work can include feelings of dread about going to work, having a hard time getting started, difficulty concentrating, or beginning to feel numb and detached from your work. Feelings of negativity, cynicism, or irritability can show up as impatience and irritability with coworkers or classmates, feeling cynical about the work you’re doing, feeling negative about the tasks you have to do, or even feeling disillusioned about the work/degree path you’re taking. ^3, 4, 5

So how can you prevent burnout from even happening in the first place while you’re in grad school? The Chicago School lays out 5 tips for preventing burnout: scheduling breaks, establishing a support network, breaking bad habits (such as a bad sleep schedule or not exercising), setting clear boundaries, and practicing mindfulness.⁶ The Society of Behavioral Medicine advises saying “no” to the culture of overworking, consistently prioritizing your mental and physical health, and engaging in hobbies that give you energy (rather than drain your energy).⁷ Other strategies include getting regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet, maintaining good sleep hygiene, and staying connected to your sources of support and social network.⁸

However, sometimes we don’t realize we’re progressing towards burnout until it’s too late and we’re in the thick of it. The first step to managing burnout when you’re already experiencing it is to recognize the signs laid out above. Then, once you are able to identify the source of the burnout, identify any immediate changes you can make –asking for help, saying no to taking on additional responsibilities when you can, taking time off, asking your friends/family for additional support, and examining any other options you have.⁹

Another step that can help you manage your burnout is by getting organized. Figure out what it is you have to get done, and make a list in order of priority. This can help you to tackle what needs to get done first, taking off some of the pressure you may be feeling. Another important step is to be firm with your boundaries–leave work at work when possible, decline any additional meetings or responsibilities that should not be part of your workload, and take time for yourself even if it feels selfish. Additionally, we recommend seeking professional mental health support if you are able to!9 Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free, short-term counseling as well as other resources for mental health support.

Graduate Student Life is hosting a workshop with CAPS next semester (Spring 2022), Coping with Burnout as a Grad Student, and you can learn more about this topic by attending the workshop! I’d also like to add that the Mason Grad Insider blog has a variety of blogs regarding mental health and well-being that you might find helpful as well, including but not limited to the following:

While the end of the semester is often taxing and stressful, we are hopeful that equipping yourself with this knowledge about burnout, how to prevent it, and how to cope with it, will be helpful as you are racing towards the finish line of Fall 2021.

¹ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout

² https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

³ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

⁴ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

⁵ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

⁶ https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/psychology/want-to-avoid-grad-school-burnout-try-these-5-tips/

⁷ https://www.sbm.org/healthy-living/tips-for-beating-burnout-in-graduate-school

⁸ https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#prevention

⁹ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-recovery

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wellbeing