Reality check

A m e r i c A n c h e m i c A l S o c i e t y

Graduate School
Reality Check
4 Prepare Yourself for the Challenges
You Will Likely Face
4 Receive Tips and Strategies from
Faculty and Graduate Students
4 Tap into ACS Resources

Table of ConTenTs

Strategies for Success
The Graduate School Process By James Batteas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Reprinted from inChemistry, September/October 2008, pp. 9–11.

Personal Statement Pointers By Holly C. Gaede . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Reprinted from inChemistry, November/December 2010, pp. 22–23.

Navigating the Ups and Downs of Graduate School By Burt HollandswortH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Research Projects: A Matter of the Right Chemistry By Kelly BoatriGHt sexton . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Teaching Assistant’s Guide to Success By amy m. Hamlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mastering Graduate School Acrobatics By allison Proffitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Voices of Experience ComPiled By lori BetsoCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

toc Voices of Experience ComPiled By lori BetsoCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Voices of Experience ComPiled By lori BetsoCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ACS Resources
What We Do for You: A Closer Look at
the ACS Undergraduate Programs Office By lori BetsoCK & audley BurKe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Reprinted from inChemistry, April/May 2010, pp. 22–23.

ACS Resources for Undergraduate Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Informing and Preparing Young Chemists:
How the ACS Office of Graduate Education
Can Help You By Joe Z. sostariC & Corrie KunyosHi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Reprinted from inChemistry, September/October 2010, pp.22–23.

ACS Resources for Graduate Students
and Postdoctoral Scholars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

On the cover:
top left: Jerald Cody Martin
Photo CourteSy of the Weitzel GrouP

top right: Alexandra Severino
Photo by elizAbeth WoodWell.

Bottom: Ryan Biczo
© Copyright 2010 American Chemical Society Photo CourteSy of the
ColleGe of NeW JerSey (eWiNG)

strategies for success

eciding to go or not to go? work with prospective
students, so drop them
The first step, of course, is deciding if graduate
a note! Sending form
school will further your career goals. This will
e-mails to faculty, how-
depend on what you see as your long-term career
ever, should be avoided.
plans. If you think that academia is in your future,
then a Ph.D. is a must. If your career plans are focused What should
on entering the chemical industry, you might take a job
right after completing your B.A. or B.S., but an advanced go into your
degree may become important for potential advancement. applications?
In many industrial settings, only those with advanced Luckily, most applications for graduate
degrees will be considered for management tracks and schools are about the same, so you will be able to recycle
other leadership roles. some of what you prepare for every school. Pay attention to
Let’s assume that, whatever your reasons may be, you do the deadlines… and APPLY EARLY! Why? Many programs
want to go to graduate school. Now what? You probably have have additional fellowship funds to award, depending on
many questions, and a limited amount of time to plan your the program, and when you apply early you have a better
way forward. If so, here are a few answers and pointers to chance of being considered for these fellowships. At the
help you through the process.

How to choose which
schools to apply to

The
Once you have decided that graduate school
is part of the career path for you, the next

Graduate
step is to pick the schools to which you want 1
to apply. But how should you choose? At
present there are approximately 170 schools
that offer advanced degrees in chemistry.
Depending on your situation, many factors

School
may influence where you consider attending
school, including family obligations or work
constraints that place geographical restrictions
on you (e.g., your company is paying for you

Process
to attend a graduate program, etc.).
However, the single most important factor
in deciding those schools to which you should
apply is the research focus (or foci) of the fac-
ulty. For each school you consider, you need
to ask: “Are the faculty engaged in the type of By James Batteas
research that I am interested in doing?” If you
are not sure what area of research you want to For many students, the prospect of going
pursue, then probably a bigger school is better to graduate school can be daunting.
for you, since it will tend to offer a broader
range of opportunities. Here I discuss some simple guidelines to
How do you find out what faculty at the help you through the process of making
schools are investigating? Go to graduate
school fairs, carefully look through depart- decisions about graduate school.
mental websites, and call or e-mail the depart-
ment to request information on their graduate
programs and faculty. It is good to do your
homework at this stage, because once you
decide to go to graduate school, you (and the
school) are making an approximately five-year
commitment. You want to make sure you are going to the very least, apply on time. Graduate recruiters and admissions
place that is best for you. By the way, it also wouldn’t hurt committees may regard late applications as a lack of com-
to e-mail the specific faculty members with whom you are mitment or organization on your part, and these intangibles
interested in working. Most faculty love to talk about their may make your application less competitive.

The Graduate School Process continued

Fees Personal statement
Be prepared to pay, as you will encounter fees Every school will require you to submit a per-
along the way. Each time you take the Graduate sonal statement, in which you should succinctly
Record Examination (GRE) costs around $140, for describe what you have done to prepare for gradu-
example. On top of these costs, there may also be appli- ate school. You should take this part of the application
cation fees for the graduate programs you are considering, very seriously. Here are a few tips for success:
meaning that applying to six or seven schools could cost you Articulate your personal goals. Explain to the admissions
as much as $600! If you can’t pay the fee, ask the program if committee why they should make you an offer to come to their
the fee can be waived or reduced. It never hurts to ask. school. Describe your career goals and what area(s) of research
you wish to pursue. Take the time to outline the relevant
Grades coursework you have taken to prepare for advanced studies.
Almost all graduate school applications will require Describe your undergraduate research. Many places will
transcripts from ALL schools you have attended. not strongly consider applications from students with no
That includes that the local community college where research experience, so if you have not been involved in
you may have taken classes while home for the summer. research yet, do so. This research can come in many forms,
Make sure that you request all of the transcripts in time to ranging from participating in research at your home institution,
arrive by the application deadline (or earlier), as applications to going away for the summer to participate in a Research
may be considered incomplete without them, and thus not get Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) program. The National
reviewed. In terms of grades, most graduate programs require Science Foundation maintains a list of schools with active
a B average or better (3.0/4.0) to gain admission. Your applica- REU programs on its website. Also, many schools, companies,
tion will be especially strengthened by good grades in your and national labs offer summer programs that are internally
upper division courses. In fact, many places consider these supported, so check with them. No matter how you get it,
grades more heavily than those in your first two years. research experience is a must for getting into a good graduate
2 school. In your personal statement, you should relate your
Entry exams overall experience to the committee.
You will also need to submit scores from the Explain your extracurricular activities. In addition to
GRE. Check to see which exams are required by research, if you have been involved in clubs or other activities
the schools to which you are applying, and learn their that have allowed you to develop leadership skills (e.g., serving
typical score requirements for admission. Not all schools as secretary of your local ACS Student Affiliates chapter, etc.),
require the subject test, but some do. Plan accordingly to have this is also useful to describe to the committee.
these exams completed in enough time for the scores to be Research the faculty. Take the time to tell the admissions
reported before the application deadline. committee under which faculty members you are most
If you are applying for admission in the fall, you should really interested in studying. This shows the committee that you
target taking these exams by September of your senior year. have done your homework and that you have thought about
If you are applying for spring admis- what you want to do. As a rule of thumb, you should be
sion (i.e. January or February), then sure there are at least three faculty members whose research
you will need to have your GREs interests you, since admission to a doctoral program does not
done by May of the year you guarantee you admission into a particular faculty member’s
graduate to receive your group.
scores in time. Check
with the schools Letters of recommendation
to which you are Most programs will request at least three letters
applying to see of recommendation in support of your application.
whether they will These letters should come from faculty or employers
consider applications who can speak to your experience in chemistry. You
for spring admission should include letters from faculty who have taught you in
(some may not). If class or with whom you have done research. Make sure that
you are an international you ask for these letters at least a month in advance.
student, you may also Take the time to sit down with any letter writers who don’t
be required to submit know you well to discuss your career aspirations. Prior to
scores for the Test of your meeting, give them a copy of your current résumé. If
English as a Foreign you don’t have a résumé, learn how to create one now. As
Language (TOEFL). you begin to enter the professional workforce, an up-to-date
Again, you want résumé is a must, and many schools have services to help you
to make sure that prepare one (see the sidebar about resources, below). This will
these scores are help your letter writers provide a more meaningful assessment
reported in time of your background and goals to the admissions committee.
im
AG
eS
for the applica- Also, don’t hesitate to bug your letter writers and remind them
er
J uP
it
tion deadline. of upcoming deadlines.

Check out these
resources from ACS the school have gone after graduation, especially the
students of the faculty with whom you are interested
Graduate Education in Chemistry— Information about in working.
resources, planning for graduate work in chemistry, and more!
www.acs.org/education and click on Graduate Education. Understand the program
requirements
DGRweb— The ACS Directory of Graduate Research, an online
How many and what types of courses
resource on faculty and their research programs in institutions
will you need to take? Since doctoral
throughout the U.S. and Canada. www.acs.org/DGRweb
programs are research-intensive, it is
Experiential Programs in Chemistry— A one-stop source unlikely that you will take many classes, but
for information on summer research, internship, and co-op requirements vary from school to school. Are there
opportunities. www.acs.org/epic cumulative exams or oral exams that you will need
to pass? Many programs require students to teach a
minimum number of courses. What is that require-
ment for the programs in which you are interested?
Which school is right for you? While requirements vary, you will find that much of
If you are lucky enough to be admitted to the overall workload is generally comparable, with
more than one program, then you face the probably the largest variations coming in course-
tough task of narrowing down your options work. Talk with several students at the school when
to one program. How do you decide? you visit, and see how they feel about their course/
workload. Individual impressions of the school can
Visit the school vary, so get a balanced opinion. If you hear the
JuPiterimAGeS

Many programs will offer same things from several people, then the informa-
3
you the opportunity to visit tion is probably more reliable.
their school (and will pay for it)
either during a visitation weekend Carefully evaluate your offer
or set of weekends. If you can’t make one of the scheduled Most places will make you an offer that
dates, ask about individual visits. You should take advantage includes a teaching and/or a research assistant-
of this, as it gives you the chance to see the school and meet ship. To fairly compare offers between schools,
with faculty and students to determine if you can see yourself you must determine what your take-home pay
in that program for the next five years. will be, as well as what tuition and fees you will need to pay.
This is not the time to geographically restrict yourself. At many places these costs may be waived; at others, tuition
Graduate school can be an opportunity to live somewhere dif- and fees are paid by the students, while the schools pay the
ferent for a few years; and even if you don’t like a particular students a higher salary. Don’t be fooled by hidden costs!
area that much, you will only need to be there for a finite What types of health benefits are available to you as a student?
time. Ultimately, of course, just as with your decision about What is the local cost of housing?
where to apply, you need to ensure that there are faculty All this being said, don’t let the stipend be your sole guide
members at the school with whom you would like to work. By in choosing between schools. You are not going to graduate
visiting, you will have the chance to meet with these faculty school to make money immediately; rather, you are going
and their students to get the ‘real scoop’ on what it is like to there to enhance your future career and overall earning poten-
go to graduate school there. tial. Everyone in graduate school ‘lives on peanuts’— so ulti-
mately, you need to be working with faculty whose research
Evaluate your career support interests match your own.
When you visit, take a close look at the facili- Once you have decided, sign your offer on the dotted line
ties that the program offers. You want to make and prepare to work hard. The next step is choosing a research
sure that you will have access to the equipment you advisor, a process that is addressed in this issue’s editorial by
need to conduct your research in a timely fashion. For Marjorie Caserio. Earning an M.S. or Ph.D. is not easy, but it
example, if you are going to be doing a fair amount of synthe- will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your early
sis, find out whether you will need to send your samples out career. Revel in the challenge! iC
for NMR or X-ray diffraction or mass spectrometry analysis, or
will be able to have such procedures done on site.
In terms of your long-term career goals, try to evaluate
how the program assists students in obtaining jobs once they
graduate. See if they offer career assistance such as helping stu-
dents prepare résumés, and whether companies actively seek James Batteas is an associate professor of chemistry
students from the program for employment. Does the school and graduate recruitment coordinator at Texas A&M
have on-site interviews? Find out where the graduates from University in College Station, TX.

Ck
to
iS
trategies

ck
isto
Personal S at
t ement
4 Pointers By HoLLy c. GAede

RITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT
RITING A PERSONAL STATEMENT write about participation in thehavingNational Chemistry Olympiad
Science Talent Search. However, U.S. a great high school AP
can be the mostthe most daunting part of preparing
can be daunting part of preparing a or the Intel Science Talent Search. However, having aand high
chemistry teacher isn’t all that unusual (thank goodness!) great
a graduate school application. Your grades and
graduate school application. Your grades and GRE school APabout the teacher than it does about you. (thank good-
says more chemistry teacher isn’t all that unusual
scores areGRE numbers, just numbers, but the personal
just scores are but the personal statement is, ness!) and says more about the teacher than it does about you.
well, personal. The whole purpose personal. The whole purpose of
statement is, well, of this statement is to reveal Describe your research experience
this statement is to reveal something about you. Discuss your research experience. Most admissions commit-
something about you. Describesee that you understand the nature of research.
Your aim should be to reveal not only that you are well- tees want to your research experience
Your aim should be to reveal not only that you are well-
prepared for graduate school in general but also that you are Discuss your researchprovide you with basic laboratory skills,
While coursework can experience. Most admissions committees
prepared for graduate school in generalfor which you are applying.
particularly suited to the program but also that you are
inchemistry

it rarely gives you a good idea about the (sometimes frustrating)
particularlywhile you can have a common essayyou are applying. So, want to see that you understand the nature of research. While
So, suited to the program for which framework that you pace of research. No program wants to admit a student who
while you can all your applications, you framework your applications
use for have a common essay must tailor that you use for coursework can provide you with basic laboratory skills, it rarely
is going to quit the first time an experiment doesn’t work. For
all yourfor each school. Because of the customization that’sfor each
applications, you must tailor your applications required, gives you aundergraduate research (sometimes frustrating) pace of
this reason, good idea about the is practically a prerequisite
school. preparing of goodcustomization that’s required, preparing
Because a the statement takes some research, which in turn research. No program wants to admit a student whocangoing to
for graduate school. Fortunately, undergraduate research is
a good takes time. Begin working on yourwhich in turn takes time.
statement takes some research, essays early in the fall semes- quit place in several different settings, including at your this reason,
take the first time an experiment doesn’t work. For home
ter of your senior essays early canthe fall semester of your
22 working on your
Begin year so you in meet the graduate school undergraduatesummer Research Experience for Undergraduates
institution, at a research is practically a prerequisite for graduate
senior year so youdeadlines without pulling all-nighters that interfere
application can meet the graduate (REU), or through an industrial internship.undergraduate research can
school. Fortunately, Some students are
with your grades.
school application deadlines without pulling even lucky enough to have experienced more
take place in several different settings, includ-
Most graduate school programs ask for a
all-nighters that interfere with your grades.
statement that describes your research expe-
Don’t make the
Don’t make the than one your home institution, case, summer
ing at of these options. In any at a talk
about the overarching goals of the project(s) (REU),
Mostrience and school goals in one to two apages.
graduate career programs ask for
statement your essay, then, you researchtalk a little
that describes your need to experi-
mistake of beginning and what you specifically for internship. Some
mistake of beginning
Research Experience
or through an industrial
Undergraduates
contributed. Point
In out uncommon skills that you acquired
ence and career your pastone tolittle bit about your your essay with a state- through your research luckysoftware, methods,expe-
bit about goals in and a two pages. your essay with a state- students are even
(e.g.,
enough to have
In your future. However, don’t make theamistake of
essay, then, you need to talk little instruments, or reactions that most undergrad- In any
rienced more than one of these options.
bit about your past and a little bit statement along
beginning your essay with a about your
ment along the lines of uates wouldn’t havethe overarching goals of the
ment along the lines of case, talk about practiced).
future. However, don’t make the mistake of
the lines of “I have been interested in chem- “I have been interested
“I have been interested
project(s) and what you specifically contributed.
Address how this experience influenced
beginning your essay with a statementor “Being a
istry ever since I was a little kid” along your desire to attend graduate school.you acquired
Point out uncommon skills that If appro-
the lines of “I havealways interested in chem-
chemist has been been a dream of mine.” in chemistry ever since priate, comment on any obstaclessoftware, methods,
in chemistry ever since through your research (e.g., or difficulties
Such trite approaches don’t or “Being a use-
provide any you surmountedor reactions that most the
instruments, to show that you have undergradu-
istry ever since I was a little kid” I was a little kid” or
I was a little kid” or
chemistful information to thedream of mine.”
has always been a reviewing committee, perseverance necessary practiced). in graduate
ates wouldn’t have to succeed
and believe me, they have read it before.
Such trite approaches don’t provide any useful
Include only extraordinary pre-college sci-
“ Being a chemist has in a formal setting orthis experience influenced your
“Being a chemist
school. If you have presented your research
Address how
expect to have it pub-
information to the reviewing committee, should and desire to attend graduate school. If appropri-
ence experiences. For instance, you always been a dream lished, provide theon any obstacles or difficulties
appropriate references.
has always been a
Photo credit

believe definitely write about it before. Include U.S.
me, they have read participation in the ate, comment
Publications and presentations show the com-
only extraordinary pre-college science experi- of mine.” you surmounted to show that you have the
National Chemistry Olympiad or the Intel
ences. For instance, you should definitely dream of mine.” mittee that you can communicate your science
perseverance necessary to succeed in graduate
inChemistry • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 • www.acs.org/undergrad

school. If you have presented your research in Obviously, this section of your essay also
a formal setting or expect to have it published, requires customization. You are wasting the
provide the appropriate references. Publications admissions committee’s time (and your own)
and presentations show the committee that you if your interest lies in bioinorganic chemistry
can communicate your science and that you can but you apply to an institution that doesn’t
bring projects to completion. have a single bioinorganic chemist on the fac-
If for some reason you haven’t had an under- ulty. Aim to list two or three faculty members
graduate research experience, you will have to whom you’d like to work for, and highlight the
convince the committee that your other experi- aspects of their research that appeal to you.
ences have sufficiently prepared you for gradu- Don’t go overboard, though; you don’t need
ate school. Possible approaches include writing to rewrite their research brochure. (The admis-
about any projects you may have completed sions committee should be quite familiar with

iStoCk
within the context of an instructional laboratory. their own faculty members’ research interests!)
Alternatively, you may be able to discuss what Once you have Of course, your research interests should sup-
you learned from attending research seminars port your career goals. When your stated goal
or conferences. There really is no substitute for explained what you is to work in a pharmaceutical company, the
research experience, so try your best to get some
before you begin your application.
want to study, you admissions committee will be puzzled if you
express interest in working for a gas-phase
need to explain physical chemist.
Discuss your career goals why you want to Relevant extracurricular activities can
be briefly mentioned, especially if used to
Talk about your career goals. You may not have
firm career plans yet, but if you are already set study it there. illustrate a specific point. For example, if
you completed an honors thesis as a varsity
on an academic or industrial career, explain how
athlete, you know something about time
you came to that decision. More importantly,
management! Teaching or tutoring experience may show the
you need to explain why you think this program will prepare 5
committee that you’ll be able to handle the first-year teaching
you best for that career path. Make sure your goals align with
assignment. Leadership in the ACS student chapter will show
the education the institution provides. For example, if you are
that you have an interest in chemistry that extends outside the
convinced that you want to become a professor at a research-
classroom or laboratory. Involvement in other activities may
intensive university, it doesn’t make much sense to apply to a
show the committee that you are a well-rounded person with
school that sends all of their graduates to industrial careers, or
interests outside of science.
vice versa. Doing so will show the admissions committee that
you haven’t done your homework — not a great argument for
admission to a research program! If you are uncertain about your Proofread, proofread, proofread
career goals and would like to keep your options open, say so. Once you have written your statement, you should proofread
Explain why you think this institution and their curriculum will it carefully. Essays with grammatical, spelling, or typographical
enable you to do so. errors will reflect poorly on you. Statements that mistakenly refer
Tell the admissions committee what type of chemistry you’d to schools other than the one to which you are applying are
like to study. If you want to study, say, bioinorganic chemistry, especially embarrassing and may convince the committee that
explain how that interest developed. Is it because you really you lack attention to detail. Particularly if you are not a native
loved both inorganic and biochemistry courses, and see this field English speaker, ask someone else to read your statement. While
as the perfect marriage of your interests? Is it because you’ve confusing or muddled statements may not sink your chances for
done research or an internship in the area? Have you taken a admission, they certainly won’t improve them! Your college or
special course in the area? Show the committee that you have university writing center may be able to help you improve your
given some serious thought to this question. However, don’t be application essay.
worried that you are painting yourself into a corner. Admissions Preparing a thoughtful personal statement can be a useful
committees understand that your interests are evolving and that, exercise that helps you clarify your goals and narrow your gradu-
even as you apply for graduate school, you still have a semester ate school choices. Remember, the personal statement is just one
of your undergraduate curriculum left to explore. Many students piece of the application puzzle. Once you are admitted, you’ll
indicate one interest area (or more) have the chance to visit the campus so the faculty can meet you
in an application but ultimately in person. At that point, the admissions committee has already
decide to pursue another spe-
spe decided that you are a good fit for their program, and you will
cialty when they begin gradu
gradu- have the chance to decide whether you agree! iC
ate school the following fall.

Explain program fit
Once you have explained
what you want to
study, you need to Holly C. Gaede. Gaede is the undergraduate advisor
explain why you want and a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at
Texas A&M University in College Station, TX.
to study it there.


Navigating
the Ups
of and Downs
Graduate School
Eight Common Pitfalls… and How to Avoid Them
6 By Burt HollandswortH

T
HERE IT IS. IT’S SITTING IN YOUR MAILBOX.
You glance and see that it’s a thick envelope from
the well-respected, top-notch chemistry graduate
school that just happens to be your first
choice. Your friends make you open it, and after
a suspenseful moment you exclaim, “I’m in!”
You’ve just experienced your first
graduate school high. Of course,
there could just as easily be a
letter that politely thanks you for
your application, mentions that
it was an especially talented class
of undergraduates that applied
this year, and wishes you the
best with your other applications.
Unfortunately, this is the start of the
“ups and downs” of graduate school.
Even the best students will
experience high and low points in
their graduate careers. Here are
some of the major pitfalls that you
might encounter, and how to avoid
them in most cases. PhotoS.Com

Choosing the wrong advisor even though you may be tempted, don’t spend every waking
Four or five years of working for the wrong person will wreak hour in the lab, especially if you are in a more competitive
havoc on your mental condition. Advisors come with all sorts of research group. Working too hard will cause a quick burnout,
managerial styles, most of especially if your research is not producing results
them learned from their commensurate with your effort. It is not a pretty
own Ph.D. and postdoc- sight when graduate students burn out. They
toral advisors. Try not to become irritable when small things go wrong or
pick a Ph.D. advisor solely when they perceive that other group members
on reputation, number are not working as hard. They sometimes become
of publications, group discouraged and start to work strange hours to
size, or by the advisor’s avoid other people. Schedule some leisure time in
research description in a your day that will get your mind off of chemistry.
catalog. Soon after arriving Join some friends for a regular walk or workout
on campus, interview the and encourage each other. It’s a great idea to take
advisors and get a feel for at least one of the days of the weekend off to
their personalities. Narrow recharge your energy level.
your focus to two or three

iStoCk
potential candidates, and
then spend a considerable
amount of time talking to their graduate students and postdocs.
Get a feel for their managerial style by asking questions like,
“How often is this person in the lab?,” “How often are group
meetings?,” and “How much of the day-to-day tasks and training
are handled by the postdocs and senior members of the group?”
If you are the type of person who needs creative space, don’t 7
join the group of a micromanager or an advisor who sets strict
work hours. Conversely, if you feel like you need guidance and
direction and will need an advisor who is continually challeng-
ing you with new ideas and checking up on you throughout
the week, then go with someone who will keep you focused.
Picking a not-yet-tenured faculty member is one way to ensure
that you will get plenty of personal attention and will be chal-
lenged to produce results quickly and often. A personality mis-
match with your advisor is a pitfall to avoid from the start.
iStoCk

Having too many advisors
Another situation to avoid is having too Spending too little
many advisors. It’s not uncommon to work
for two research groups at the same time on
time in the lab
a collaborative project. These collaborations Avoid being the group worka-
expose students to different types of experi- holic, but also avoid being the
ments, give increased access to instrumenta- slacker who spends the least
tion and other equipment and personnel, amount of time in the lab. Put
and also give students two potentially strong yourself on a schedule, even if
recommendation letters instead of one. you are producing steady results.
However, in some cases, neither advisor One unfortunate aspect of work-
keeps track of “shared” students, and over ing for busy advisors is that they
time the students might fall off the map. If don’t spend much time in the
you choose to work with two Ph.D. advisors, lab. If you are never there when
be intentional about maintaining a strong they happen to be walking
relationship with both of them. through the lab, then it is easy to
fall through the cracks and out
of favor with your advisor.
Spending too much
time in the lab
Letting results dictate
Graduate school will be the best time
of your life to focus solely on chemical
your outlook
research. Take advantage of the time that Every graduate student goes
through both productive and
PhotoS.Com

you have to learn new lab skills and enjoy
the thrills of frontline research. However, slow times in the lab. The nature

Navigating the Ups and Downs continued

of chemical research dictates that there will be reactions
that do not work, computations that need to be redone,
and instruments that need to be fixed. Most graduate stu-
dents will tell you that interesting results typically come
in small bursts when several components of the research
come together all at once. It’s important to maintain some
emotional distance from the process. Celebrate when things
go well, but don’t let your research success be the only
source of joy in your life. When the results are lagging,
keep in mind that a temporary stall in one area of research
might yield unexpected results in the future. Think of every
unexpected side product or instrumental glitch as another
paragraph in your thesis.

Painting yourself into a corner
Consider adopting the strategy of working on two separate
lines of research at the same time. For instance, if your main
research problem is the synthesis of a protein inhibitor, do
some computational work on the side modeling the active
site-inhibitor complex. If your synthetic work hits a snag, at

PhotoS.Com
8 Most graduate
students will Being afraid to say “no”
One of the hardest lessons to be learned is how to say, “No.”
tell you that There is nothing wrong with politely declining to be a gradu-
interesting results ate student council representative, teaching a course as an
adjunct, reorganizing your group’s chemical inventory, rede-
typically come in signing the group webpage, or running the summer softball
league if you need to focus on your lab work. None of these
small bursts when activities is inherently bad, but they will all detract from your
primary mission in graduate school, which is to contribute a
several components body of original scientific work to the field of chemistry. You
of the research may be tempted to pad your résumé with all sorts of extra-
curricular activities, but remember that no item will carry
come together all more weight than a strong recommendation from your Ph.D.
advisor.
at once.
iStoCk

Remember, too, that you are not alone— so do not isolate
yourself. Build a network. Great places to start are joining
least you will have some computational results to fall back the ACS Graduate Students Facebook group or a LinkedIn
on. If your computations become frustrating, then maybe group.
you can make a breakthrough with an interesting synthetic As you progress through graduate school, keep an open
intermediate. In this way, you can avoid putting all of your mind. Don’t become too discouraged when the going gets
research “eggs in one basket.” tough, and keep yourself open to suggestions on better ways
to carry out your research. Try not to get too high or too low
Living an unhealthy lifestyle when the results roll in or dry up. Avoid the common pit-
falls…and your graduate school experience will be as enjoy-
Hopefully, you will look back on graduate school as the
able as it is productive. iC
most productive time of your life. For some chemists, gradu-
ate school was also the time when they picked up some of
their worst habits. Binge drinking or drug use is not a good
response to failed research efforts. Drinking may help you
forget your research troubles for a night, but they will still be
there the next day. Stimulants may help you work all day
Burt HollandswortH graduated from The
and night on Monday but will cause you to crash on Tuesday.
Ohio State University in 2004 with a Ph.D. in
Keep a healthy and responsible attitude toward stress relief, inorganic chemistry. He is on the faculty of Harding
and surround yourself with friends who do the same. Take University in Searcy, AR, and is a member of the
time to exercise and to otherwise take care of yourself. ACS Younger Chemists Committee.


Research Projects:
The

A Matter of
Right
keNt StAte uNiverSity, GrAduAte SChool of ChemiStry
Chemistry
By Kelly BoatrigHt sexton

est in my success. I received excellent technical advice from

N
those around me and began churning out data in no time.
As it turned out, the results that I generated were exactly the
opposite of what we had anticipated, and my side project
9
quickly became my main project. My research led to a con-
troversial hypothesis that eventually became the cornerstone
of my thesis and the springboard to several first-author papers
in respected journals.
Fortunately, my story had a happy ending, and I was able
to graduate in just under five years, despite the fact that not
one single experiment from my first two-and-a-half years of
research ended up in my thesis. But we have all heard horror
stories of the seven- or eight-year dissertation and, while you

N
OT SO LONG AGO, I WAS A GRADUATE can never completely control for this scenario, you can take
STUDENT slogging away in the laboratory, with no precautions to avoid having it happen to you.
light at the end of the tunnel. The project that I had
been working on for the past two years was a high-profile Take care in selecting a lab
project that aimed to open up a whole new field for my
laboratory. It was the type of project that seems to draw For starters, it is crucial that upon entering graduate school
young idealistic graduate students in droves: exciting, risky… you select the right lab. Do your research! Find out how
and going nowhere. many graduate students your potential advisor has trained.
A big problem was that my project was outside of the core Where are they now? How long did it take them to get their
expertise and focus of my lab, with the end result being that Ph.D.s? Give them a call and find out first-hand what they
I wasn’t able to benefit from the guidance of the more senior thought of the lab. Of course, if you are considering train-
graduate students and postdocs. ing with a new professor, you can’t rely on their past record,
Fortunately, midway through my third year in gradu- but you can inquire about their expectations of a graduate
ate school, a postdoc in my lab proposed that I work on a student working in their lab. If a potential advisor expects a
small side project that would answer some questions that minimum commitment of six years in order to complete your
had resulted from his work. At first glance, my new project graduate studies, you should at least know that up front.
did not seem to be terribly exciting, but by this point I just
wanted to get my hands on publishable data. The thought Evaluate potential projects
of standing in front of an almost completely data-free poster Once you are in the lab, you should choose your main proj-
at yet another conference, talking about experiments that ect carefully. Ideally, this would involve hours of discussion
I planned to do (once I got the project working) was more with your advisor and other members of your lab, during
than I could bear. Since I had little to lose except my time, which your technical skills and scientific aspirations are con-
I decided to give it a try. sidered and carefully matched with potential projects.
With my new side project, I was working in an area that In reality, the scenario may fall somewhere between your
fell within the core competencies of my lab for the first time advisor telling you exactly what project to work on, or your
in my graduate career. Additionally, the postdoc who had advisor taking off for a few weeks to go on the conference
proposed my side project was an advocate with a vested inter- circuit while you figure it out yourself.

Research Projects continued

coffee, take them out to lunch. You might be amazed at the
new directions that they had in mind for their project that
they will not be able to follow up on. An alternative source
for side project leads is to read the dissertations of some of
the recently minted Ph.D.s from your lab.
An additional benefit of a side project is that it will
also allow you to retreat from your main project during
periods of frustration. When you feel like setting your lab

notebooks on fire, you can take a break and work on your
side project for a few days (or weeks). Sometimes this can
allow you the distance to frame the problem in a new way,
resulting in a better approach when you return to it.

Either way, if you have any choice in the matter, I would
advise against selecting a risky project, particularly one that

is of interest to no one in your lab except you and your
advisor. It is great to be independent as a postdoc, but your
job in grad school is to graduate!
The most efficient way to gain new technical skills and
10
develop into an independent researcher is to learn from the
more experienced members of your lab. By having a proj-
ect that is synergistic with the overall research focus of the
lab, you are setting yourself up for success.

Take on side projects Make lemonade out of lemons
A wise researcher once told me, “You should always be Finally, what should you do if you find yourself stuck with
doing 10 things at once — one of them will work!” While I a project that is turning out to be a lemon? I would advise
don’t advise overextending yourself, I do think it is a good sitting down with an experienced and objective researcher
idea for most graduate students to have a side project or and going over your progress to date. If they can’t advise
two. In fact, if you have decided not to heed my warning you on a new approach, perhaps they can help you to
regarding risky main projects, having a safe side project is identify portions of your data that could be turned into a
even more crucial. In addition to providing a backup plan small publication. It may not be the splashy paper that you
should your main project fizzle, a side project can allow had envisioned, but even a modest publication can help
you to pick up additional skills and techniques that you you to gain the closure you need in order to move on.
might not have encountered otherwise. Sometimes you just need to cut your losses. After a
I would recom- point, you do not learn anything more from beating your
mend that your head against the wall over and over again with a failing
side project be project. Time spent on a project that is later abandoned is
one that is almost not wasted. Those years spent laboring at the bench while
guaranteed to pro- nothing worked? You were learning how to do research
duce publishable and gaining the skills that would allow you to take advan-
results; try to pick tage of the opportunity when you finally had a project wor-
the “low hanging thy of your devotion. iC
fruit” of your lab.
Often, a great
opportunity for a

side project is cre-
ated by an exiting
graduate student Kelly BoatriGHt sexton BoatriGht
or postdoc. If pos- Sexton obtained her Ph.D. from the University of
sible, spend a few California, San Diego. She completed postdoctoral
training at Stanford University in 2005 and is
days chatting with
currently a Senior Licensing Associate in the Office
them before they of Technology Transfer at North Carolina State
leave. Buy them University.


The
Teaching
Assistant’s

By amy m. Hamlin

T
HE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF GRADUATE SCHOOL CAN OFTEN BE OvER-
whelming; between adjusting to living in a new area, taking several graduate
courses, and researching possible Ph.D. advisors, you will probably feel like you are
being pulled in too many directions at once. Along with these responsibilities, many 11
first-year graduate students are expected to serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for a
laboratory course or discussion section. This responsibility is often one of the top worries
for an incoming graduate student. But even though teaching can be stressful, it can also
be one of the most rewarding experiences of your first year.

Surviving the first day
You may feel nervous about your first day of teaching. With intimidating eyes staring
back at you and students expecting you to share your knowledge with them, you may
be asking yourself such questions as, “Am I qualified to teach other students?,” “Will
the students take me seriously and listen to what I say?,” “Will I be able to answer the
students’ questions sufficiently?,” or “Can I take command of a classroom or laboratory
when needed?”
Yes, it may feel strange to be the one standing in front of the room teaching a course
that you took only a year or two ago. But remember, you are teaching a subject that
you love and excelled at as an undergraduate. Share some of that enthusiasm with your
students! If you take your teaching responsibility seriously, your students will take you
seriously. Having a sense of responsibility and being prepared for each class will help you
to gain your students’ trust and respect and will give you authority in the classroom.
The students have confidence that you know what you are teaching, so have confi-
dence in yourself. You do not have to know everything. If you do not know the answer
to a question, be honest with the students and admit that you do not know. Have the
students help you as you work through the problem, or look up the answer after class
and return to the question at the beginning of
the next class. The students will probably learn
more this way than if you just immediately spit
out the answer to them.
Learn your students’ names; it will help you
to gain their respect and also help you feel more
comfortable in front of them. Be sure to prepare
the material for each class beforehand; the more
CourteSy of NeWberry ColleGe

prepared you are, the more comfortable you will
feel in the classroom. Brainstorm possible sticking
points in your presentation or techniques that
students might find difficult during experiments,
and be prepared to respond to these situations.
iStoCk

The Teaching Assistants Guide to Success continued

Seek help
Remember that you are not alone as you embark on your
first semester of teaching as a graduate student. There are
many resources available to you as a new TA, including on-
campus teaching resource centers and professors or instructors
in the department — but one of your greatest resources will
be your peers.
Older gradu-
ate students were
once in your shoes,

iStoCk
teaching the same
course as you.
Begin preparing now
They can be full of
useful advice about There are also several things you can do as an
how to handle undergraduate to prepare to teach. The first is to
situations you may pay attention to the teaching style of your profes-
encounter, such as sors during your courses. Notice how they keep
a rowdy classroom the students’ attention and how they respond to
or a cheating stu- questions. You can also gain some teaching experi-
dent. They can also ence by working as a tutor for other undergradu-

iStoCk
help you figure out ates. Some colleges will even let undergraduates be
how to balance Your first-year classmates can also be TAs alongside a graduate student or professor.
your time among a great resource to turn to as you
12
your many respon- develop your teaching skills. Strive to be your best
sibilities. You might No one is a perfect teacher the first time they step
even be able to get up to the board. It is a skill that is continuously
an embarrassing teaching story or two out of them. developed over years and years of practice. To be a great
Your first-year classmates can also be a great resource to teacher, you must be able to evaluate yourself and adapt to
turn to as you develop your teaching skills. Just as you studied what works for your group of students.
in groups to understand the material you learned in under- One technique that really helped me was to keep a teach-
graduate courses, you can team up with your graduate school ing journal. At the end of every class, I wrote down what
classmates as you learn how to teach. Find the other gradu- went well and what I could improve upon. This helped me to
ate students teaching the same course as you. Discuss with evaluate what techniques worked for me and what areas of
them that week’s material and how best to present it to the teaching I needed to work on. I would use my notes as I pre-
students. After each week, sit down together and discuss what pared for the next class to improve upon the weaker points.
went well and what you could do to improve. If your section Throughout the semester, I was writing down more and more
meets later in the day or week, it is also very helpful to ask things that went well and less about what I needed to fix for
someone who has just taught the class about what problems my next class. Using this technique, I saw a great improve-
(if any) they encountered. ment in my confidence as the semester progressed.
After the first few classes, you will feel more comfortable
Solicit feedback in front of your students and you will start to realize how
Consider sitting in on other TAs’ sections to observe their rewarding teaching can be. It is very encouraging to help stu-
teaching styles. Everyone explains concepts in a slightly dif- dents understand concepts they previously struggled with and
ferent way, and by observing different ways of presenting the to watch students gain an interest and appreciation for the
same material you will be able to improve your own skills. subject that you love. You will also gain confidence in your
They might even have a trick or two that you can use to ability to share your knowledge with others— a quality that
help your class run more smoothly. It may also prove helpful will help you greatly throughout your graduate school career.
to ask one or two of your fellow TAs to sit in on your class Remember to enjoy teaching: it is a great learning experience,
while you are teaching and have them suggest improvements and it can also be a lot of fun. iC
that you could make.
Your students can also be a great resource. After a few
classes, survey your students to ask them what they like and
what topics they are still confused about. The students are
there to learn, so they will be honest with you about what
worked for them and what did not. Each group of students is amy m. Hamlin is a first-year graduate student
at the University of California, Berkeley, studying
unique, so it is important to adapt your teaching style to what
synthetic organic chemistry. She received her B.S.
best fits your students. Be sure to use a variety of teaching from the University of Detroit Mercy, where she was
styles so as not to favor one type of student. involved with the ACS student chapter.


n s hi p
io s

t
ela

,H
ith R

ob
bie
rk w

s,
an

s
O

st
e

d
r

wo
th e
s e a rch rI nte
g Re

se
and r
n cin Cou
a
Mastering
l
Ba

Graduate School
Acrobatics 13

By allison Proffitt

W
HILE IN CHINA recently, But most successful
I saw the Shanghai graduate students
Acrobatics Troupe per- recommend striving
form. One of the acts for a little more variety
was a group of women spinning than that.
plates. It was surprisingly beautiful. Chemists with whom I spoke
They held up to eight long, thin encourage students to spend
poles — four in each hand — each time building relationships, both
topped with a whirling plate. With inside and outside of the university,
the tiniest flicks of the wrist, they kept all to prioritize healthy activities such as
eight discs spinning, all eight poles gracefully exercise or sports when possible, and to
splayed, dancing all the while. At the end, lest remain flexible and open with advisors
you thought it was all a trick, they dropped for when (not if!) surprises pop up.
the plates, then the poles, and everything “One regret I have heard from others
came crashing to the ground. and that I also feel is that many people
Graduate school can be like that. put their life on hold while in graduate
Keeping even two plates aloft and spin- school. In my own case, I purposely wait-
ning (your coursework and research) is ed until I had an exit date before I even
hard enough! Anything else — including considered marriage and the possibility of
relationships, hobbies, and other inter- a family. Now I wish I’d started sooner,
ests — seems like an impossibility. If you catch or at least while in graduate school,” says
a glimpse of someone doing one chemist.
it well, you can’t help but Of course, relationships can be
wonder if their plates are tricky. While another chemist notes
somehow attached to the that many married graduate students
poles. It may be tempting seemed more stable and secure than
to dig in and focus solely on their single colleagues, the stresses of
coursework and research; after graduate school can undoubtedly strain
iStoCk

all, that’s what you’re there for. relationships. Not every nonstudent part-

Reality check

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Semelhante a Reality check

Semelhante a Reality check (20)

Reality check