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July 27, 2021In this issue: Intentionally building mentorship into your assistantship, reduced cost parking options, and more.
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Tips for Grads: Intentionally Building Mentorship into your AssistantshipBy Olivia Gacka, PhD student
There are many areas of higher education where you can find a mentor to work closely with - through the courses you take, your department, and even other institutions that house people in your field - but your graduate assistantship is a particularly ideal place. Your assistantship is how you earn money and gain experience, but it also keeps you in consistent contact with a supervisor who can do more than give you assignments every week. They can help you grow as an employee, a student, and as a person.
I have been very lucky for the mentors I’ve had over the course of my academic career. But the funny thing is, no two of them have looked the same, or had even remotely close resumes. One is an archivist, another is an associate dean, one a business manager, and finally a retired FedEx employee-turned-theatre director. Despite their varying backgrounds (or perhaps because of them) they each passed along lessons, skills, and connections that I wouldn’t have necessarily gone looking for, but that have fundamentally impacted the person I am today.
My guiding principle is this: everyone has something of value they can teach you. Try to keep these things in mind as you consider what you’re looking for in a mentor:
- Mentorship doesn’t have to mean finding the carbon copy of the person you want to be after graduate school. Mentorship means finding a person you connect with who is interested and invested in helping you grow.
- Of course, the right fit is crucial. If the person you’re working under happens to be involved in the specialty you’re interested in, great! That connection is a no-brainer. But even if they’re not, or if the assistantship isn’t in an area you ultimately want to be in, you can find something of value to take away from the experience.
- You may find that your supervisor’s research, while different, lends itself to yours, or that their perspective or even their management style as a boss pushes you to be a better employee, or teaches you about the kind of boss you want to be someday. They might even open your mind, and help shape your resume, to new job opportunities and new perspectives.
- There is value and possibility in even the seemingly most unlikely of places if you open yourself up to it.
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."
If you’re interested, check out our infographic for details and email gspd@grad.wisc.edu to let us know.
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DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW–Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Review the nine 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 Daylight Time (CDT).
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Creating an individual development plan (IDP) encourages you to think about what you need to do next -- and over the next few years -- so that you achieve your goals. We will discuss how to define achievable goals, identify resources, and develop strategies for implementing and sustaining your plans. Participants will begin to create a personalized plan that takes into account career interests and addresses the development of knowledge and skills for professional growth. This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development and the Delta Program. To participate, please complete this registration form.
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- CSS 1
- Excel 1
- Illustrator 1
- Introduction to Stata
- Data Wrangling in Python
- Introduction to R
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Special Events & Symposia
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| International and Areas Studies Video Series on Library Collections
This summer, the International and Area Studies (IAS) Unit of UW–Madison’s General Library system has embarked on a video series project to showcase special elements of IAS collections in the libraries. In response to limited library access during the pandemic, the IAS librarians have chosen to highlight facets of these distinctive collections to safely bring them to researchers, faculty, students, and community members. The benefits of this video series, however, continue even as access to library materials opens. Another purpose of the series is to exhibit and broadcast unique items that campus and community members may not know exist in the libraries’ collections. Each video features an extraordinary item or set of items in the IAS collections along with informed explanations by IAS librarians. The series launched in July 2021 with the inaugural video featuring items from the Russo-Japanese Relations collection. A new video will be posted to the Libraries YouTube channel every other week in an International and Area Studies playlist. To learn more, visit the Libraries’ news page.
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| Reduced-cost parking options available for 2021-22
UW Transportation Services has extended its temporary reduced- and low-cost parking options for graduate students to the 2021-22 academic year. Availability will vary and may be limited to a greater degree due to the anticipated increase of on-campus employees. Permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reduced cost permits do not require a parking application. Annual parking permits will be available to purchase starting Aug. 1; semester parking permits will be available starting Aug. 2; and monthly parking permits will be available in October. Read more about 2021-22 parking options on campus. Transportation Services also provides updated information on other commuting options.
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Protect yourself and others from COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccination is readily available on campus for everyone age 12 and older. Vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. Unvaccinated individuals are urged to continue wearing face coverings when indoors and maintaining physical distance outdoors on campus. If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and safety measures, check out these top 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.
- 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.
- Individual Counseling. University Health Services offers individual counseling conducted remotely over phone or video, with bilingual mental health providers available in Mandarin or Spanish. Counseling topics can be any issue that causes distress – emotional, psychological, interpersonal, or academic.
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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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