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Studying and Socializing in the US

Studying and Socializing in the US. Jeanine Skorinko, Ph.D. Post-Grad In US. Many schools offer M.A., M.S., & Ph.D degrees How to find a school: Look up schools that interest you Location Reputation Look at the research interests of possible advisors!!!!!!. Postdocs: How To Find One?.

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Studying and Socializing in the US

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  1. Studying and Socializing in the US Jeanine Skorinko, Ph.D

  2. Post-Grad In US • Many schools offer M.A., M.S., & Ph.D degrees • How to find a school: • Look up schools that interest you • Location • Reputation • Look at the research interests of possible advisors!!!!!! Worcester Polytechnic Institute

  3. Postdocs: How To Find One? • Best resource = networking • Talk with PIs whose research you like • Talk with people at conferences • Ask your advisors/colleagues

  4. Postdocs: How To Find One? • Major funding agency websites • NSF,NIH, NOAA, DOE, NIJ, etc. • Professional Societies • Websites, listserves, conferences • Individual University Websites • Research Organizations • RAND, Los Alamos National Laboratories, etc.

  5. Postdocs: How To Find One? • Online Resources • www.findapostdoc.com (Europe only) • www.postdocjobs.com • http://www7.nationalacademies.org/postdoc/ • http://nextwave.sciencemag.org • http://www.naturejobs.com • http://www.chronicle.com(Chronicle of Higher Education)

  6. What to look for in your mentor? • Is this person active in their field • Publications, Grants, etc. • What are his/her grad students, postdocs working on? • Will this person be a good colleague? • What is the funding situation?

  7. Studying In US • Classroom Environment • Be on-time • Classrooms are usually active • Professors ask questions, do demonstrations, many do not just lecture • Want to see you think outside box  not just memorize

  8. Research In US • Ultimate Goal = develop as an independent researcher • Mentor’s Expectation = work a lot & work hard • One big difference from HK = the value of taking initiatives & self-promotion

  9. Research in US • Common Misperception = if do whatever Mentor tells you  Succeed • Problem #1: Mentor will not always tell you what you need to do • Problem #2: Mentor is looking for evidence that you are able to think and do things on your own

  10. Research in US • Advise: • Do not be arrogant • Discuss plans with the mentor how to manage various responsibilities. • Be ready to negotiate with Mentor and others (e.g., authorship, work load, etc)

  11. Socializing in US • Living in US = Big Adjustment • Culture Adjustment Stages: • Honeymoon Stage • Excited and fascinated early on • Hostility Stage • Initial excitement replaced with frustration with differences and language barriers • Acceptance/Home Stage • Feel at home in US, but also at home in HK • Takes time

  12. Socializing & Making Friends the US

  13. Socializing in US • Have realistic expectation about social life • Don't expect to have many American friends in a week, or even a month • At times you may feel lonely or misunderstood. • It is normal eventually you will find friends and a comfort zone. • As any major life transition, it takes time.

  14. Socializing in US • Cross-cultural interaction is hard • Communication styles differ: • Americans keep about 3 feet of personal space • “How’s It Going” is a greeting, not an actual question. • “Stop by sometime” or “Let’s get together soon” is a way to say “goodbye” • You can still call someone to arrange a get-together at a later date

  15. Socializing in US • Topics of conversation: • current events, politics, hobbies, sports, classes, research.. . • Personal matters are not brought up in casual conversation • E.g., financial or family problems.

  16. How Do I Make Friends? Proximity and Repeated Exposure

  17. How Do I Make Friends? • More you see and interact with people more likely they are to become your friends • Familiarity leads to liking

  18. How Do I Make Friends? • Get Active! • Join, seek out, and "show up" for activities • Join clubs, exercise classes, hobby groups • Take advantage of social offerings: • mixers, movie screenings, happy hours, dances, parties • Online venue = meetup.com

  19. How Do I Make Friends? • Initiate Contact & Activities • Ask people to coffee/tea, lunch, dinner, to get drinks • Invite people to show you around or join you on an activity • (a hike, daytrip, shopping, etc)

  20. How Do I Make Friends? • Find Individuals Similar to You: • Introduce yourself to other International Students • Going through similar things • Find people who share your interests

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