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September 3, 2019In this issue: Beyond the Tenure Track series, UHS Support Groups and more.
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Tips for Grads: Personal EffectivenessBy Kirby Livingston, PhD student
As a graduate student, striking a healthy work-life balance can feel nearly impossible, especially with the constant pressure to work and produce more. However, we can control the way we think about and approach our mental health.
Westerhof and Keyes (2009) offer a promising approach that challenges traditional conceptions of mental health and illness. Mental health has long been thought of as the absence of mental illness. Instead, the researchers recommend thinking about mental health as “flourishing.” With flourishing as your goal instead of simply preventing mental illness, you can better promote and protect your own emotional, psychological, and social well-being. You can use the following list of elements of psychological and social well-being to check in weekly or monthly during the semester and work towards truly flourishing.
Elements of Psychological Well-being
- Self-acceptance: a positive and acceptant attitude toward aspects of self in past and present.
- Purpose in life: goals and beliefs that affirm a sense of direction and meaning.
- Positive relations with others: having satisfying personal relationships with empathy and intimacy.
- Environmental mastery: the capability to manage complex environments according to one’s own needs.
- Personal growth: reflection on one’s own potential for self-development.
Elements of Social Well-being
- Coherence: making meaning of what is happening in society.
- Acceptance: a positive attitude toward others while acknowledging their difficulties.
- Actualization: the belief that one’s community has potential and can evolve positively.
- Contribution: the feeling that one’s activities contribute to and are valued by society.
- Integration: a sense of belonging to a community.
If you would like to know more about mental health resources available for UW graduate students, visit the UHS Mental Health website, and check out the wellness section every week in GradConnections.
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 Events
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Join Latino Professionals Association president, Nicole Sandoval, and Multicultural Graduate Network to learn how to craft a winning elevator pitch. If you want to be ready when networking or funding opportunities present themselves, and feel more confident presenting your work, this workshop is for you!
Do you struggle to share your writing at early stages because it’s not perfect? Do you find yourself devastated by criticism of your work? If any of these things sound familiar, congratulations! You’re a perfectly normal perfectionist! This webinar will explain the causes and consequences of perfectionism, features of academic life that may exacerbate it, strategies to identify perfectionism, and the secret to finding real satisfaction in every step of the writing process.
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During this session, participants will explore the career landscape for PhD graduates, highlighting the myriad of employment opportunities across business, government, non-profit and non-tenure track academic jobs. Students will reflect on their interests, skills, and talents and how to connect them with a job that aligns with their values. Participants will learn about the importance of identifying mentors in potential career fields, and a panel of PhDs in diverse professions will share top tips for preparing for careers beyond the tenure track. This session will be useful for students who want to get a better sense of their career options, as well as reassurance that support is available as they consider job opportunities across sectors. Lunch will be served with gluten-free & vegetarian options.
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| This week's Social Science Computing Cooperative (SSCC) courses:
- Data Wrangling in R
- Introduction to Stata
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Special Events & Symposia
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Applications are open for Department of Energy graduate research program
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is now accepting applications for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program 2019 Solicitation 2. The SCGSR program provides doctoral dissertation/thesis research opportunities for graduate students at DOE national laboratories. Details about the program, research areas, and an online application can be found on the U.S. Department of Energy website. Applications are due 5 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 14, 2019. Campus officials remind students of policies on free speech and protests
As the new academic year gets underway, university officials are reminding students of guidelines that will help keep them safe and in good standing as they exercise their rights to free speech and free expression. The bottom line: Protesting is fine, disrupting others' free speech and interfering with campus operations is not. Read more about campus protest guidelines. Apply for the 2019 Future Faculty Development Program
Virginia Tech is now accepting applications for the 2019 Future Faculty Development Program, an intensive three-day program for advanced doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars traditionally underrepresented in their fields who are interested in entering academic careers in the next year. The program will be held Nov. 10-13, on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus, providing 40 participants with the opportunity to engage in professional development and have candid discussions with department heads, deans, and current faculty members in an all-expense paid pre-faculty interview visit. For more information, visit the InclusiveVT website. The deadline for applications is Sept. 15. On-campus language courses open to anyoneThe Division of Continuing Studies offers fun language classes in seven languages. You can learn a new language or brush up on one you already know without leaving campus. Classes are one evening a week and open to anyone. Check out the language class offerings with over seven levels of Spanish, four levels of French, and courses in German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Swedish.
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Wellness Spotlight: UHS Support Groups
By Elaine Goetz-Berman, Graduate Student Assistance Specialist
As the school year begins, the importance of taking care of yourself and finding work-life balance is critical. University Health Services (UHS) offers many opportunities to do just that. One opportunity is through the graduate student support groups offered each semester. Group counseling provides students with the opportunity to connect with others in a safe, confidential and supportive space. Groups allow students to share about their experiences with others who can understand and relate to their concerns, connect across differences to learn new perspectives, and experiment with new ideas, behaviors, and ways of being or interacting. It is also a wonderful opportunity to build a supportive network of students outside of you program.
Some examples of the groups offered are:
- Graduate Students' Group
- Dissertators' Group
- Graduate Women’s Group
Several wellness groups and workshops are also offered, including yoga, meditation, and mindful living.
These groups fill up quickly. To join a group, log in to your MyUHS account to schedule an Access Appointment or contact the Mental Health Services reception desk by dialing 608-265-5600 (option 2). During your consultation, let the counselor know that you're interested in joining a group.
These groups are free to students, and there are no session limits.
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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 Dean of Students Office's Graduate 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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| Student Research Grants Competition
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Have you been invited to present at a conference or do you need travel funds to conduct research towards your dissertation? The Graduate School’s Student Research Grants Competition (SRGC) is accepting applications for both conference and research travel support for the current academic year. Awards of up to $1,500 are available to all eligible UW–Madison graduate students in programs supported by the Graduate School. Award levels vary depending on the demonstrated need.
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Follow us on social media to connect with more opportunities and resources:
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