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November 23, 2021In this issue: Tips for when you just can't write, campus mask order extended, and more.
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Tips for Grads: When you just can't write: The A/B/C List method
As the semester begins to wind down, the need to write ramps up. But sometimes, you just. Can’t. Write. And that’s OK. It happens. Words are hard. The A/B/C List method is one way to keep your momentum going when writer’s block strikes.
First, divide your tasks into different categories according to the level of focus and time that they require:
- “A” list work is intellectually demanding, requires a high level of focus and often a significant chunk of undisturbed time. This list includes “writing-adjacent” tasks, like outlining, translating sources, making substantive revisions, and constructing statistical or textual analysis.
- “B” list work is more administrative, does not require your full attention, and can be completed in smaller chunks of time. Examples of “B” list tasks include transcribing sources, citation management, constructing bibliographies, and career planning tasks such as updating your CV, drafting teaching or research statements, and applying for funding.
- “C” list work is ultimately satisfying because there is a shorter gap between starting, finishing, and receiving feedback, and might be academic-adjacent. Miscellaneous administrative tasks such as submitting Interlibrary Loan requests, making travel arrangements for research trips or conferences, and emailing collaborators are some of the items on my “C” list. If you are teaching this semester, grading assignments, answering emails from students, and attending your course’s lecture might be on your “C” list.
Once you have divided your work into these lists, figure out what you need to be most productive in that moment. Do you have the time and energy reserves for “A”-level tasks? Or do you need the tangible rewards of “C” list tasks keep you motivated as you work your way back up to more open-ended tasks? Keeping track of how you are spending your time will help to ensure you get to a useful mixture of “A,” “B,” and “C” tasks, as well as to your writing.
Remember, the A/B/C designation primarily relates to the time and level of focus required and does not necessarily indicate level of importance. Cleaning house, walking the dog, and checking in with a medical or mental healthcare professional could also belong on the “C” list not because they aren’t important (especially to the dog), but because they are discrete tasks that offer immediate feedback. “C” list tasks can be essential for setting yourself up for success on your “A” and “B” list tasks and, ultimately, your writing projects.
This column is based on an activity presented at the event, “Grad School After Coursework: Tips for a Successful Transition,” on October 26, 2021.
GradConnections Weekly is looking for fresh perspectives on the graduate student experience.
If you have advice, counsel, or tips for UW grad students, you’re invited to write a guest column for Tips for Grads.
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DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW–Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Review the eight facets of professional development, complete a self-assessment, and get a customized report and recommendations.
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Upcoming Professional Development EventsAll event times and deadlines are listed in Central Time.
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In this webinar, Dr. Aurora Chang addresses the state of immobility and powerlessness when writing feels impossible - also known as writer’s block. She focuses on the stories we tell ourselves about who we are as academic writers and how that narration deeply impacts our perceived ability to write. She asks the broad question: how do we revise our self-narratives so that writing feels freeing rather than confining? She also asks, what are simple, practical ways to overcome writing blocks?
As a busy graduate student or postdoc, it can be tempting to delay preparing for a career until after you’ve completed your degree or postdoc. But did you know it can take 6 or more months of active job searching to land a job? This is why it’s important to schedule time in your schedule to lay the foundation for a successful job search starting today. In this webinar, L. Maren Wood, PhD (Founder, Beyond the Professoriate) will help you design a plan for a professional job search for 2022.
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To register, first set up your Handshake account: Sign in to MyUW, add the Handshake app to your homepage, launch the app, and fill out your profile and interest survey.
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This course combines hands-on experiential learning with multimedia resources to give an overview of recent educational theories and their intersection with promoting inclusivity and justice in the classroom.
Use the principles of improv theater to improve your communication in multiple contexts and audiences, including talking with colleagues, presenting your research, and teaching in the classroom.
Your time as a TA is a superb opportunity to prepare for the teaching you will do as a future faculty member or in other careers. This learning community of TAs will help you develop as an effective, inclusive teacher, while meeting the challenges of teaching throughout the semester.
How can we create change toward more inclusive teaching, classrooms, and higher education? Join a participant-led blog and journal club to get an overview of change theories and consider how to apply them to achieve greater impact and sustainability in your current and future work.
Research has shown that, when students write more in a course, they learn course content more effectively and engage more deeply with the material. Learn how to use writing to promote students’ active learning, while maximizing your own time, in any disciplinary or course context.
Based on a nationally-recognized curriculum, this course gives you space to explore strategies to become a more effective, culturally responsive mentor and discuss mentoring challenges as they arise.
This course offers an introduction to quantitative chemistry education research and the theories that underpin it as we move beyond 'p value' to explore the quality of the study design and thus the evidence put forward for a particular claim.
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- JavaScript 1
- Excel 2: Data Visualization
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Special Events & Symposia
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Join for a keynote and Q&A titled “Breaking Down Barriers” by Malú Tansey, PhD, Norman and Susan Fixel Professor of Neuroscience and Neurology at the University of Florida. It will be followed by a panel discussion and awards announcement.
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Transportation Services holiday changes
Transportation Services will suspend many parking restrictions on Friday, November 26. Campus bus routes (80, 81, 82, and 84) will not operate on Nov. 25. Campus bus routes will operate a recess schedule on Nov. 26 and 27. Other Madison Metro Transit routes will operate holiday schedules on Nov. 25, and Saturday schedules on Nov. 26.
Enrollment dates and deadlines
- Thursday, November 25: Deadline for Graduate students to request pass/fail or credit/audit options for a Fall term course
- Thursday, November 25: Deadline for Graduate students to change variable credits (after: need instructor permission & dean approval)
- Friday, November 26: Deadline for students to drop a Fall term course (after: need academic dean approval)
- Friday, November 26: Deadline for students to add a Fall term course with department permission (after: need academic dean approval)
- Wednesday, December 15: Deadline for Graduate students to withdraw from the Fall term
Find all enrollment dates and deadlines on the Registrar’s Office website.
Fall 2021 tuition and fee payment deadlines
Campus mask order extended to January 15UW–Madison’s requirement that masks be worn in indoor spaces has been extended to January 15, 2022. All students, employees, and visitors to campus are required to wear masks when inside campus buildings and indoor common areas, unless working alone inside an office or lab with the door closed or while actively eating and drinking. This policy will be reviewed again in mid-January taking into consideration current public health guidance and COVID-19 prevalence on campus and in the community.
The mask order extension to mid-January will help reduce health concerns during a time when many members of the campus community are traveling and when COVID-19 cases are rising again in other parts of our state and region. This also provides time for employees and students with children ages 5 to 11 to have their children vaccinated.
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Protect yourself and others from COVID-19
All students, employees, and visitors to campus are required to wear masks when inside campus buildings, unless working alone inside an office or lab with the door closed or while actively eating and drinking. Employees and students who have not shared proof of COVID-19 vaccination with UHS are required to test weekly on campus. University Health Services continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to all students and employees. For more information, see the COVID-19 Response FAQs.
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UHS services available remotelyUniversity Health Services is committed to supporting you. Many medical, counseling, and wellness services are available by phone and accessible online. Find out more on the UHS Remote Health and Connection webpage.
Mental Health Resources for Grad StudentsAccording to the 2019 Healthy Minds Survey, 93% of UW–Madison graduate students do not think any less of a peer who seeks mental health care, and 89% of UW–Madison graduate students who used mental health care found it helpful.
- Let’s Talk. Sign up for a free, informal, and confidential consultation about any topic at locations across campus. Common concerns include stress, sadness, relationships, academic performance, financial struggles, and family problems.
- UHS 24-hour Crisis Services. On-call crisis counselors can help address your most pressing concerns, address your safety, and help you connect with follow-up service needs. It’s available every day, including weekends, holidays, and semester breaks. Call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600. For situations that are immediately life-threatening, call 911.
- SilverCloud. This online, self-guided resource provides treatment options 24 hours a day through evidence-based modules on anxiety, depression, body image, and stress. SilverCloud is designed to help students manage day-to-day stresses and improve resilience.
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| Graduate Student Support and Assistance
The Dean of Students Office provides resources to students struggling with a variety of issues and can be your go-to spot for assistance as a graduate student. To contact the Graduate and Professional Student Assistance Specialist Elaine Goetz-Berman directly, email egoetz2@wisc.edu.
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Please note: Some graduate students may be ineligible to hold graduate assistantship appointments. Be sure to check with your graduate program coordinator about your eligibility before applying.
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The primary purpose of the fellowship is to support and enhance the area of women’s engagement in physical activity. The recipient must be a full-time graduate student in a doctoral program at the UW-Madison. Preference will be given to students in the School of Education. A major criterion for selection will be the potential research contribution of the candidate(s) to the area of women’s physical education, movement, activity and the female body in culture. Nominations may be from a department, a faculty member, or the candidates themselves. This is an academic year award with a stipend of $23,727 as well as tuition and fees.
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