Surviving as graduate students: what can you do to help yourselves?
John A. Venables (Director of Graduate Studies, Physics and Astronomy, ASU)
Abstract
In this seminar, I am planning to initiate a discussion with and between
graduate students. An alternate title would be "Graduate studies in Physics
and Astronomy: why are we here?" Either way, graduate study corresponds to
a very important stage in our lives, where we make the transition from
general education to professionally certified competence, ready to take on
the world in our chosen field.
The Graduate Program Committee (GPC) has made some changes to the curriculum
over the last few years, and has written a report that is on the web at
http://phy.asu.edu/news/Currev04.pdf.
Some of the issues that arise from these changes can form a basis for discussion,
amongst of course many other issues. My thesis is that we may make better/ faster
progress if we spend some time reflecting on where we have got to and where we
want to go, both as individuals and as a department. Please bring your Graduate
Student handbooks, and be ready to contribute to the discussion!
You may download the slides from this talk
(ppt 59 kB), or return to my Graduate talks index, or to the department's
Research Seminar list.
Latest version of this document: 23rd February 2005.