Know the requirements and deadlines for degree completion and maintain your momentum

In order to complete your degree on schedule, ensure that you have fulfilled your program's course requirements, and are aware of the thesis submission procedures and deadlines. Also, it is imperative that you maintain your momentum to the end.

Often graduate students who are nearing completion of their degree will have multiple opportunities to become involved in additional research or professional activities. Faculty members may approach them to help with various interesting projects. As well, students have typically developed a circle of friends. This graduate lifestyle - tackling new projects and socializing- can become a pleasant habit. As a result, however, some students begin to drift away from their planned timeline as they move through their graduate programs.

As you near the end of your graduate studies, it is important to keep your eye on the finish line. This means that you make completing your degree your top priority and begin planning the next step in your life. Graduate school should be a time-limited phase in your life, not a substitute for life.

If you find that you are losing momentum and are concerned about finishing on time, seek your advisor's advice on how to regain your momentum. You may also tap into your support system for advice.

Have a support system in place to strengthen and encourage you as you work towards finishing your degree

When working towards completion of your degree, it is very important that you establish a support network with others who will encourage you to finish your graduate degree. Family can be a great support network, but often family members may not understand what the student is going through, and so students will make informal connections with other students who are in the same situation. Sometimes, students will create formal support groups with other students and meet on a regular basis. Both of these forms of support can be very beneficial.

If you are not able to establish such a support group (or just aren't comfortable with doing so), a great alternative is Phinished.org. This is a forum where you can chat with other graduate students from all over the world. Many students have benefited from this fantastic site.

You may also want to tap into the support services of the Student Counselling and Career Centre.

Attend and present at academic conferences

As a graduate student, it is important to attend academic conferences because conferences:

• Give you the opportunity to present your research and therefore strengthen your presentation abilities.
• Are great learning experiences, because they showcase cutting-edge research in your field of study.
• Give you the chance to meet and network with many interesting people, including leaders in your field of study.
• Are great sources for job leads.
• Encourage you in your research work.

Ask your advisor about which upcoming conferences you may attend. Aim to present your work at the very best national and international conferences. Presentations at prestigious conferences will advance your career. Furthermore, by attending those conferences, you will hear about current research being conducted by the top people in your field, and you may have the opportunity to meet them.

Don't let the cost of conference attendance discourage you from attending! Ask your advisor for details on any travel or conference assistance your department may be able to provide you. Also, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Students' Association offer conference awards to eligible graduate students. Consult each of the FGS travel award information and the GSA conference grantapplication forms to determine your eligibility, and to apply for funding.

Once you have decided on which conference to attend, work with your advisor to write a conference submission. Determine whether you are more interested in presenting a conference paper, a poster session, or an interactive discussion symposium.

During the conference, take the opportunity to introduce yourself to others to receive constructive feedback on your research, to widen your professional networks, and to make new friends. Social events are a great way for getting to know people in a relaxing and fun atmosphere, so take advantage of them!

Write your research or scholarly work for publication while you are at U of M

It is important to publish your research because having research publications will increase your career prospects, whether you are seeking a career in academia, government, or the private sector. In addition, publishing your original work establishes your expertise and professional identity in the research community.

Tips for writing and publishing your research:

• Seek advice from your research supervisor about the types of journals that may be interested in your research. Find out whether your supervisor is willing to be involved in developing your scholarly work for publication in peer-reviewed journals, edited scholarly books, or other types of publications. Be proactive in discussing issues like order of authorship, who takes the lead in writing the article, and the division of responsibilities for writing and submitting the article.
• The best time to begin writing is immediately after your research is complete. A delay in beginning to write for publication- even as short as one month - will make the task more difficult.
• To establish an appropriate format and style for your writing, use articles in your research area, and those written by your advisor and by his or her students, as guides.
• Recognize that a scholarly publication goes through multiple drafts. Don't freeze up by expecting yourself to write a final version on the first try. Just get something down. It's easier to edit a written document than to begin from scratch. Circulate your drafts to your advisor and to other grad students for discussion. This is particularly helpful when you find yourself stalling out.
• Learn about the publication process by reviewing articles. Ask your advisor if you can work with him or her on journal reviews. Faculty members are often happy to have another opinion. Learning how to review other people's work helps you to develop a critical eye for your own work
• Learn from journal reviewers' comments. Don't be defensive about critical feedback; consider it an opportunity to learn from experts. Try to incorporate suggestions for improvement. Most people who review articles genuinely want to help young scholars develop and strengthen their work.
• Don't be discouraged if your initial attempts at publication get turned down. Everyone - from Nobel Prize winners on down - have had papers rejected. Consider whether you submitted your paper to the appropriate journal and how the paper could be improved for publication elsewhere.