December 1, 2006
- Reacting to Criticism
It’s inevitable, really. If you spend time with people, you will get criticized. Not by everyone (hopefully) or about everything (hopefully), but people, by nature, can’t seem to get by without offering (supposedly) helpful advice or feedback.
Let’s get clear on one thing- criticism never feels good. Nobody likes it, especially when it feels unwarranted or [...]
May 15, 2006
- Have a life outside of graduate school.
Tip #5: Have a life outside of graduate school. Creating and maintaining social contacts outside of your program is a really effective way to detox from the competition and envy. If you can’t share your successes within your program, be sure to share them with people outside of your program. Build in a strong support [...]
May 12, 2006
- Be generous in your acknowledgements.
Tip #4: Be generous in your acknowledgements. One of the best aspects of a graduate education is the environment to share views and knowledge. If someone has helped you define an argument or shaped your view, be sure to acknowledge him or her in an appropriate manner. Being supportive of your colleagues now can pay [...]
May 10, 2006
- Focus mostly on your achievements.
Tip #3: Focus on your achievements, not just theirs. One huge source of envy and spite occurs when you constantly (negatively) compare yourself to others. You covet what they have attained without giving proper weight to your own accomplishments. Remember, if you want to achieve more, you can. Don’t drag others down just to bolster [...]
May 8, 2006
- Agree on expectations before sharing information.
Tip #2: Mutually agree on expectations before communicating about fellowships, TA positions, faculty openings. If you are spending time with your colleagues (as opposed to your competitors) you should be able to mutually define expectations. It’s useful to know, ahead of time, how the information you share might be utilized.
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May 5, 2006
- Dealing with competition in Graduate School
Tip #1 for managing competitiveness: Understand who is a colleague and who is a competitor. You’ll generally know this through past experience. There are some people in your program who will want the best for you; others who will want the best only for themselves.
Think twice about sharing details with those in the 2nd [...]
May 3, 2006
- Competition in Graduate School
One of the most difficult aspects of graduate school is the competitiveness and competition that you experience. This happens mainly when there are many interested in the same (limited) resources- in some cases, you might be competing with your class-mates for funding or fellowships; you most certainly will be competing with them for faculty positions. [...]