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May 10, 2022In this issue: Being a lifelong learner, Pet of the Week submissions now open, and more.
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Editor's Note: GradConnections will now switch to an every-other-week schedule for the summer. The next newsletter will be May 24.
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Tips for Grads: Being a lifelong learner
Some of you will be graduating soon, and this will be one of the last GradConnections newsletters that you’ll receive as a UW–Madison graduate student. If that’s you, CONGRATULATIONS! You did it. But some of you, like me, have a ways to go. And we too can do it! Whether you’re finishing up your formal studies for good or still have years left, it’s important to remember that learning should be a lifelong project.
In that spirit, I’d like to ask you to take out a piece of paper or pull up a blank document on your computer and list out the following things:
- What’s one thing you learned this semester that blew your mind? Sometimes, there’s nothing more exciting than that one tidbit of information you learned in a class or a talk that just knocks you off your feet. For me, it was finding out that my favorite playwright, modernist writer Samuel Beckett (who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969 and is perhaps best known for his play “Waiting for Godot”) was also apparently a very accomplished athlete. I can’t tell you why that rocked my world so hard, but it really did.
- What’s one thing you learned this semester outside of school that blew your mind? Learning is not limited to the lab or classroom. A couple of months ago I learned from a news segment my parents were watching that climate change is making it such that France is becoming an increasingly less hospitable temperature for growing grapes to make wine, while England is starting to average at the ideal temperatures to do so.
- What’s one thing you want to learn more about in the near future? Whether it’s through a class or on your own, lifelong learning really just means curiosity. So, what are you curious about? This summer, I’m hoping to learn more about the history of restaurants. Will I use it as an excuse to eat at more restaurants? Almost definitely. But hey, I’m a hands-on learner!
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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Do you often start the summer with high hopes for your writing projects, but end disappointed by your actual productivity? Do you desperately want (or need) to write a lot this summer? Do you want to figure out how to be more productive AND enjoy your life this summer? Join the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity for a hands-on planning webinar focused on ensuring writing productivity this summer. Before you can register, you will need to create a (free) NCFDD account.
Beyond Prof’s online career conference is for you if you want to learn: About nonacademic career opportunities for PhDs and explore your options; How to leverage your education and launch a nonacademic job search with confidence; What it takes to build a successful nonacademic career as a PhD.
Research Mentor Training from the Delta Program
Mentor training can make the difference between a mutually beneficial and productive mentoring relationship and one that’s draining for the mentor and discouraging for the mentee. Based on a nationally-recognized curriculum, Research Mentor Training from Delta gives you space to explore strategies to become a more effective, culturally responsive mentor. Multiple sections are available this summer:
- Section 1: Tuesdays, 9 - 11 am, for 5 weeks starting May 24
- Section 2: Wednesdays, 9- 10 am, for 10 weeks starting May 25
- Section 3: Wednesdays, noon - 2 pm, for 5 weeks starting May 25
- Online Section: Thursdays, 9 - 11 am, for 5 weeks starting May 19
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Teaching
Explore more teaching-related professional development events from the Delta Program.
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- Introduction to Stata
- Introduction to R
- Data Wrangling in Stata
- Data Wrangling in R
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Special Events & Symposia
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Monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19
It remains important to monitor yourself daily for COVID-19 symptoms. If you develop symptoms, stay home and get tested. At-home antigen tests are available for pickup at no cost on campus and PCR tests are available by appointment in MyUHS.
Given the current state of the pandemic, mandatory, on-campus testing of unvaccinated individuals – employees and students – is paused effective April 4, 2022.
UHS services available remotely
University 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 Students
According 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.
- 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.
- Healthy Minds Program app. Train your mind to be more focused, calm, and resilient through meditation with the Healthy Minds Program. This program is informed by research from the Center for Healthy Minds at UW–Madison and is free to use.
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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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| Hostile and Intimidating Behavior
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is committed to preventing hostile and intimidating behavior (HIB) and will take prompt and appropriate corrective action whenever it learns that it has occurred. If you have experienced HIB, there are resources to help and staff available to talk.
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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 inaugural semester of Pet of the Week was a roaring (or, rather, woofing) success! Thank you to everyone who shared their pets with us. We received over 90 submissions – I only wish we had space to feature them all. Here are some of the wonderful canine companions, feline friends, avian amigos, and other cuddly critters we got to know over the course of the semester, as well as a few new faces:
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