Surviving & Thriving in Graduate School

By Tara Kuther, Ph.D., About.com Guides to Graduate School

Getting in to graduate school opens up a whole new world of opportunities -- and hurdles. Don't just survive graduate school. Instead, thrive in graduate school with these tips.

1. Time Management and Organization Skills
2. Study Skills
3. Relationships with Faculty and Mentors
4. Thesis/Dissertation Advice
5. Professional Development

Time Management and Organization Skills

A large part of whether you make it in graduate school is based on how well you manage yourself -- your time management and organizational skills.

• Time Management for New Graduate Students
• Manage Your Time
• Stop Procrastinating and Complete Your Dissertation!
• Get Organized!

Study Skills

Good study skills will help you learn more quickly and permit you to devore more of your time to what matters -- gaining applied experience.

• Reading: Improve Your Comprehension and Efficiency
• Reading Strategies: SQ3R Method
• Full Text Articles and Databases

• Learn How You Learn
• Back to School Advice for Graduate Students
• When it Comes to Learning Grad School is a New World

Relationships with Faculty and Mentors

Graduate school isn't all about coursework - it's about relationships. How well you get along with faculty will influence your success in graduate school and also your career afterwards

• Grad Student's Guide to Mentors and Advisors
• How to Approach a Professor for Help
• Make a Good Impression on Professors
• Get Research Experience

Thesis/Dissertation Advice

The most daunting hurdle a graduate student faces is the thesis or dissertation. Make it a little easier with these tips.

• Stop Procrastinating and Complete Your Dissertation!
• Getting Started in Research: Your Research Journal

Professional Development

Graduate school is the entry to your career. It entails gaining knowledge but, perhaps more importantly, becoming socialized as a professional. What does it mean to be a professional? How do you beoome one? This collection of advice on professional development will help.

• Preparing a CV
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Public Speaking: Conquer Your Anxiety
• How to Behave at a Presentation

• Grant Writing 101
• Media Interviews - Are You Ready to Share Your Findings?
• What to Do When Your Article is Rejected
• Postdoctoral Research - What's a Postdoc and How do I get one?