This Blog is Becoming Awfully Irrelevant...

Realizing that such is the case, I'm going to right now compose my list of important skills for being a successful Penn graduate student!

1. Get sleep! Kudos to all the sticklers who get eight hours a night, but all of you should be getting at least six or seven! Excuses to stay awake = occasional bouts of late-night-paper-itis, occasional social events, and occasionally early AM exercise!

2. Learn to be an effective reader. And no, "effective" is not code for "lazy"...it is, however, sort of code for "wise." Sometimes you'll know before the week even begins that your reading load is crazy. If there's any way to find out where you should dedicate most of your focus, I would recommend doing so...even if it means asking your professor what reading(s) require the closest attention. That's not to say you throw out the rest, but it IS to say that you give the most time (and maybe take some additional notes) on the most important "stuff"!

3. Speak up in class! Some people say that there is no such thing as a stupid question. I don't really think I agree with that (I think I've heard a few stupid ones in my life, and definitely asked a few too!), but I do think that we often underestimate our own intelligence, and that sometimes asking a question or giving a different opinion is a risk worth taking. When the GSE faculty choose the incoming classes here, they do it with an eye for creating a diverse student body, where ideally each student provides a unique perspective. If you and I don't share our unique views, it's at not only our own expense, but that of our classmates and their learning experiences. Sooo express yourself!

4. OUTLINE YOUR PAPERS BEFORE YOU START WRITING. I truly count this piece of advice as one of the top--if not THE top--reason for my academic success as an English and Spanish major, and now as a Higher Education graduate student. You will save precious time by making even a scribbled out outline of your paper, and you will find the actual writing process REMARKABLY EASIER! TRUST me here. As you use this method, you'll realize that the more "stuff" you include in your outline (quotes you want to reference, for example), the more efficient the writing process becomes.

5. Take breaks! Whenever I study or write papers, I need frequent breaks. So when you find yourself restless, or falling asleep in your book, or bored out of your mind, get up and run an errand, or write someone a quick letter, or say a prayer, or just dance around like a lunatic for a few minutes in the privacy of your room. Breaks = more and better productivity. Weird. Oxymoronlike, even. But oh so true!

6. Make time for fun! If you don't have time for fun, MAKE TIME FOR FUN! You must. If you don't, you will wither up and die. Or at least you'll feel like you did. Remember that your cohort members are very likely as stressed as you unless you've gone off the deep end :-) and force them to have fun with you, even if it's just a group dinner after class or a Saturday morning brunch or a run in the local park.

7. Make connections with people who can help you later. I don't mean "be manipulative" or "use people," but I do mean APPRECIATE that you are at the UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA! There are a bajillion genius people within a one-mile radius of you at any point in time! Take advantage of that and learn from them, share your aspirations with them, and acknowledge them as intelligent sources of information!

And it looks like seven is the number. The seven habits of highly effective Penn graduate students. From me to you. Happy Thanksgiving. :-P