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How To Be Successful In Graduate School

How To Be Successful In Graduate School

How To Be Successful In Graduate School

A lot of times, I have written about higher studies, most of which are about admission and funding. Now I am thinking to write about who has come for Masters or Phd. I’ll share my experience as a student and a teacher. This is basically for America but it can work for all countries for higher studies.

# New way for the study

Need  to lots of coursework, before starting the Masters and PhD program. You have done many courses before graduating, so you can think of this. Not really that different, but some things are totally different.

# No Way to Memorization

There is no place for memorizing option in most of the courses at the graduate level. Rather, the emphasis is on solving problems. If you have a previous habit to memorize anything in the book and putting those in the exam sheet, you need to change this habit. Never think that you will complete your all before exam night like your previous exam when you were in Bangladesh. It will not work because the final exam is lightweight, the importance of assignments and projects or midterms throughout the semester is very similar. Therefore, the habit of reading regularly should be established from the beginning.

# Coming out of the circle

Coming for studying in foreign countries, most of the Bangladeshi students find out where most of the Bangladeshi students are. The main aim to where the most of the Bangladeshi students are, there they can have pasture easily. But if you are always in touch with the native people, you will always be hammer headed- you can never have identity or friends.   So making group in class projects or sit together- all you need to mix with the foreigners along with the native country people. This is same for the University office stuffs or other stuffs. Remind that most of the work is run by the stuff. So, you need to introduce yourself or talk with the department secretary or like these kinds of people.

What you will do in the weekend? Meeting and eating with the same country people again? These may be done but along with these you need to introduce yourself with the local culture and occasion. There will be many local organizations that will come with thanks giving dinner, from many churches you will be invited to join their dinner. “Each religion is for each but occasion is for all” keeping this at least for one time in your mind, join the occasion.  Get introduced with the local people.   Your university will also arrange many programs for the students keep tracking of the news of those programs and attend them regularly. Be mutual with other international students, they have also left their country and beloved persons like you. Students usually get university sports match tickets in a cheap rate, watch them. Not only absorbing in cricket, try to know a little bit about the American football. Try to understand that it is better to know the sports news at least for talking to others. Why am I telling much to mix with others? It is because, this communications and friends will not only be useful for study but also they will be useful for many years in near future.

# Stopping the Silent

According to my previous experience, asking a teacher during a class in Bangladesh is seen as very negative – the questionnaire can get the title of a fool or stupid. In graduate school, rather than asking, it is a symptom of the attentive student – in many classes, there is a regular 5-7% number on the class participation. So if you do not understand or any question comes in your mind, do not keep silent, ask the question.

# Keep The Mind Happy

You have just come from the country, how is your mind at this time? In this time, students mind like a bathtub curve. In the beginning, the mind is very excited to see everything new, it always feels good to see new things. After a few days of mind feel bad for family and friends, it seems that they have left everything in the country. After a few days in this state, the mind slowly becomes better, you can adapt to the new environment.

It is important to follow this bathtub curve. Remember, it is normal to be homesick, but you will soon be able to adapt to new people in a new environment. Nowadays in the age, Facebook, Skype or other video chats with loved ones are being seen every day in the virtual world for the sake of goodwill, so no matter how big a time students are pushed or lonely. So keep in mind, think that you have come to do something important to pursue a career in life. For this reason, need to sacrifice.

# Cooking And Research

 I wish to give graduate students some good tips on cooking. The reason is that many cookbooks or videos would have come from the country, but they are actually long time cooked books. You won’t have that much time. There is no place to write today about how to cook shortcuts and make fun of food, so I promise to write about this in the future. I will write more about how to be successful in research work, from time management to thesis topic writing and writing.

 

Well everyone, be successful in your knowledge.

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