Right now, many grad students are closing out the semester. Depending on where you are in your program, depends on what you’ll be doing over the holidays. If you are still doing coursework, you’re probably finishing up projects and getting ready for finals. These final days to the end of the semester are like a big countdown to the day of your last final. Then you are free until school starts up again next year. Days are spent studying (please no cramming), finishing up projects and turning in assignments. When it’s over you can relax and chill out for a month or so.
Since you’ll have a month or so school free I want you to review some things. Make sure you are on track to graduate. Sign up for the classes you need to advance in your program and check in with those professors you want to do research with. Trust me, it is never too early to start looking for a research advisor. If you have comprehensive exams in your program coming up in the next year or so, get old copies of exams from the school (if you can) or other students. Make sure the notes you took from your core courses you took this semester are clear and detailed enough so you can easily go back and study them for your comps. Comp exams are brutal. It’s never too early to start preparing. Take it from someone who failed hers twice!
But for other grad students, just because the semester is over doesn’t mean the work ends. If you’re a grad student that has finished your coursework, you’re most likely spending your time doing research, writing academic papers and trying to finish your dissertation proposal or dissertation. This doesn’t stop just because the semester ends. Your friends, family and employers may not understand this. I remember having to explain to my boss why I couldn’t work overtime during the holidays. He thought I had more free time to work since the semester was over. I had to explain to him that the work is still there even if the semester is over.
If you are at this stage in your grad program, don’t feel bad because you don’t get a break over the Winter break. There is a bright side to this picture. You probably won’t have to go to school or the lab as often as you would during the normal semester. Also, you’re at the end of your academic career. (Hopefully) There won’t be many more holidays that you’ll have to work through. I do want to encourage you to keep working. Keep doing something every day. I’m not a task master and I advise you to celebrate Christmas (or whatever your faith determines) with your family. Take some time to go to the movies, catch all those great end of the year sales at the mall, go to the spa, and catch up with family and friends – but keep working.
Also, check in with your advisor in early January before the semester begins. If you’ve been working during the break and you haven’t spoken with your advisor since the end of December, you’ll probably need to ask a question or two about your research anyway. So, it’s a good time to check in. The campus is ususally vacant and everyone is still in jovial spirits from the holidays. It will show initiative and determination on your part. Professors may not have office hours over the break but they are usually there once or twice a week for a few hours to check on things. This way, you can get a head start on your new semester. You do not want to grind to a complete stop and do nothing for the break. It will be very difficult to start up again once the semester gets going.
If you’re graduating, CONGRATULATIONS! You did it! Enjoy the holidays.
Let me know what you are in your graduate career and your plans over Winter Break. Write a comment to update me.
