Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah

1. Navigating Graduate School and Beyond: Sow Well Now To Reap Big Later Work Ethics: Ownership and Initiative Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

2. Skills • Work Ethics for the Graduate Student • Take Ownership • Take Initiative • Work Hard and Smart • Be Whole Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

3. Work Ethics for the Graduate Student • Poor ethics can ruin your graduate experience. • Take ownership of your project. Good work habits will follow. • Build a trust relationship with your advisor. • Communicate with your advisor about your work hours and if they need to be modified. • Maintain an online calendar and share it with your advisor. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

4. Take Ownership • Think of the project as YOUR project…not your advisor’s project. • Be innovative and productive. • Research and write papers. • Be patient if advisor is slow to hand off ownership. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

5. Think of the project as yours • Many students think of themselves as hired hands on their advisor’s project. • Remember that the proposal was won on the strength of the advisor’s reputation. • The advisor must give up ownership to the student while still providing solid guidance. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

6. If the student thinks of the project as the advisor’s… • The student will not progress. • The student reads papers for the sake of reading and analyzes data for mundane reasons. • The student is listless in meetings with the advisor and has few innovative ideas. • The student simply waits for the advisor to issue the next instruction. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

7. If the student takes ownership of the project… • Excitement grows about the project. • Innovation flourishes. • Productivity increases. • Independence is nurtured. • Graduate school becomes more meaningful. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

8. Food for Thought • What are some ideas to take ownership of a project in your research environment? • What are some metrics for success once you have taken ownership? • What are some challenges for a student taking ownership of a project? Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

9. Take Initiative • Know your end goals. • Don’t allow problems to linger. • Become a resource center. • Create a blog or website for your team. • Present a poster or a talk at a conference. • Write a proposal for a fellowship. • Be in the driver’s seat. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

10. Become a Resource Center • Read the papers your advisor recommends • Read 5-10 papers each week • Write a short discussion about your thoughts for each reading • Stay up to date with the most current research • Organize the papers you read • Create a blog • Comment about recent articles online • Post ideas about recent breakthroughs Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

11. Work Hard and Smart • Publish papers while still in graduate school. • Think of yourself as a resource center. • Read and assimilate at least ten journal papers per week. • Email your advisor about new research and ideas in your field. • Read and familiarize yourself with the classic review papers in your area. • Allocate time to read. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

12. Practical Tips: • Get student memberships to organizations and societies in your field. • Visit the websites of the most common journals. • Summarize your thoughts about each paper in a blog. • Learn to code, analyze, and interpret results and information. • Learn an interactive programming language such as IDL. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

13. Food for Thought • Put yourself in your advisor’s shoes. What work ethics would you want your student to have? • List 5 top-notch research habits. • Do a SWOT analysis on your research habits and formulate a concrete plan to assess these habits periodically. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

14. Be Whole • Manage time effectively • Maintain a balanced exercise regime • Eat healthy and drink plenty of water • Get enough sleep • Take breaks and unwind • Build relationships and bond socially • Remember that productivity is linked to the well-being of the whole you. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu

15. Food for Thought • What are the external stress factors in your life? How can you manage those stress factors? • What are some specific steps you can take to incorporate exercise in your life. • How do your peers incorporate healthy lifestyles (including exercise) into their lives? • How can you help the graduate student community in your department bond? Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu