#studentpanel

[planetcarlosalberto-blog]

The reality of many #WorkersCompensation injuries. #CompLaudeGala #StudentPanel @workcompcentral @complaudegala (at Paséa Hotel & Spa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2xmd5QggHs/?igshid=14rwf7pon5l8b

[shakeit182]

Ready for that panel tomorrow! #whyliteraturematters #studentpanel #wheretheredferngrows #literaryartsfestival #grossmontcollege #speechtime (at Grossmont College)

[polychromicsky]

The trek is long, but it's always nice to be back. | Fun fact: CASNR is the only college that offers faculty advising for all four years. #CASNR #studentpanel #beanosucowboy (at Oklahoma State University)

[ucichemsgsa]

GSA STUDENT PANEL

Thank you everyone for joining us at the GSA Student Panel. We hope you found the discussion helpful and the snacks delicious. 

Here are some questions/highlights from the discussion. 

Rotation: How to choose a rotation or decline an invitation to rotate: - Communicate clearly with potential adviser about funding, whether or not they are accepting students in their lab, what projects they have for you to work on - Judge how you feel and how you communicate with the adviser - Communicate to the professor whether you will accept or decline their invitation to rotate with their lab - Rotate with groups that have funding. Choosing a group based only on an offer does not guarantee you a research position in that lab for your PhD. - Find out how many students advisers will take into their group. - Figure out what professor wants you on which project during which quarter rotation. How much time to commit during your rotation: - Your time commitment in lab translate to how dedicated you are to that lab. - Be present in lab, even if you aren't doing research specifically (i.e. homework, etc.) - Time commitment depends on what your adviser expects. - Establish good relationships with lab-mates and professor (professors and lab mates will talk about your work habits and judge you) - Show that you are trying. Impress them. Can you match with your 1st rotation and not have to do a 2nd rotation? - It can happen, but only with adviser approval. Chemical Engineering is more strict with the 2 rotation policy than Materials Science. - In order to match with 1st adviser, communicate effectively with them about the project you are working on and expectations. - Some students who match with their 1st rotation got in touch with the professor before they started at UCI. They had relevant research experience from undergraduate training to apply in that lab and fit in nicely with the project they were assigned to. They made progress with their project rapidly. How to transition to PhD from a Masters student status: - Find a professor to support you. They will be your advocate. - Once you find a professor to support you, the application is a formality to transition you from masters to PhD student status. - One student spent 2.5 years as a masters student, during which they found a professor to support them in taking their preliminary exam and recommend their application for acceptance into the PhD program. What is the preliminary exam like? - Professors will choose a peer-reviewed journal publication for you to present. Papers will be related to materials science or chemical engineering. You will be able to choose the general topic of the paper (in past years the topics to choose from have been: energy , nano, and bio). - During the preliminary exam, your panel of about 3 professors will ask questions related to your paper, but on topics covered in core courses. - Be able to find flaws in your assigned paper, and be able to answer how to remedy flaws in the paper. - The prelim is an opportunity for professors to test the limits of you knowledge, as well as test your thinking process. - Knowing which professors on your panel can help you predict the questions they'll ask since professors typically ask questions related to their field(s) of interest. - Ask older graduate students to help you rehearse. They can quiz you and know what kinds of questions professors will ask. - Project confidence during your presentation. Do not show weakness. Answer questions with confidence. How can masters students find a job after graduation? (Especially international students) - International students have 3 months to find a job after graduation. It is best to start looking for a job around 6 months before you graduate. - Thesis adviser can help you find a job if adviser has good contacts in the field. - Resources to help you prepare to apply for jobs: career center at UCI, Graduate Resource Center, local professional societies (network, industry workshops, etc.) (resume development, interview practice, etc.) - Summer internships are great for masters students. Attend career fairs to find internships and potential employers. Are internships encouraged/discouraged during PhD studies? - Depends on adviser and project. - It is important to communicate your goals to your adviser and let them know that you are looking into internship opportunities so that there are no miscommunications. - Tell adviser well in advance about internship opportunity. - Some internships help pay for grad school! Professors often are happy with that, especially if your internship pertains to your PhD project(s). - National Lab internships are often encouraged since professors can use these as collaboration opportunities and financial support. How to get involved in GSA in your 1st year: - email GSA! When do intramural sports start? How can one get involved? - GSA will send out an email soon about that. - email GSA if you are interested in flag football ASAP!