Thanks to PERGSS for the opportunity to make a contribution to your grad student blog. Let me start with a brief introduction – my name is Kerry Mummery and I am the (newish) Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation here at the University of Alberta.
I am back in Canada after almost 14 years in Australia where, most recently, I was the acting Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health and CQUniversity in Rockhampton, Queensland.
Australia was a great place to live, and my wife and I thought we would be there for the long term, but an offer to return to UofA, my PhD alma mater, was too good to turn down. We have been back in Canada since mid-June and I am enjoying the challenge of being Dean.
I enjoyed my graduate studies here at the UofA, where I completed a PhD in sport and exercise psychology in 1994. I felt my selection of UofA for my PhD has stood me in good stead over the years, and I tried to give a similar experience to the PhD students I supervised in Australia. When I was asked to write a blog entry for PERGSS I thought I should give some advice to current grad students from my perspective as former grad student, PhD supervisor and Dean. Here, in no particular order, are my thoughts on being a grad student…
Focus on being productive rather than busy – I always think of a 2 (productive/not productive) x 2 (busy/not busy) factorial design. The ideal situation is productive and not busy (if you accomplish this, please let me know how you do it), whereas the worst situation, and the one that leaves me personally in a foul mood if I find myself in it, is busy but not productive. Work smarter, not longer and take time to enjoy your studies.
Teach – I know that the pressure always seems to be on getting your research on track, but make sure you teach during your time as a graduate student. Teaching helps you learn. Learn to enjoy the classroom and the students. One of the most exciting things you can do is excite the next generation of students about the area you are passionate about. Teach enough to make you confident and (relatively) comfortable standing in front of a class.
Go to conferences – First of all, conferences are fun – and it is important to have fun in what you do. Secondly, conferences allow you to put a face to the people who write the articles you read. Seek out the best conferences in the world in your area and get to know the people who attend. This is where you build your networks – and your opportunities.
Publish early, but not necessarily often – The pressures to publish are ever present, but one thing students need to learn is that almost any well-conducted, well-conceived piece of research is publishable – it just depends on where you want to publish it. Get something into submission and learn to defend your work to editors. Once you learn how to publish, carefully consider what to publish. One or two meaningful papers per year that make an impact are, in the long run, much more valuable than more papers of less importance.
Learn to manage your supervisors – Keep your supervisors up to date on what you are doing. Set regular meetings, drop in unannounced, be seen and heard. Learning is a contact sport, and you need regular contact with your supervisors.
Think Big – You are studying at a world-class university, in a world-class program, doing world-class work. You are our academic Olympians, so go out and make a difference to someone, somewhere with your research, your teaching, your leadership and your community service. Universities are great places to study, great places to work and great places to be. We are all fortunate to be in a position to make a difference – make a BIG ONE.
Cheers
Kerry
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