Grad School: The Secret Syllabus
Looking for The Tenure-Track Program Syllabus? Click here.
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Absolute Beginners
- Welcome to the Course π
- The Summer Before Grad School Begins π
- Phd Application Statement of Purpose: A Metaphor β©
- PhD Applications: How to Choose a Writing Sample π
- First-Year Chaos β©
- Helping Your Potential Advisor Advocate for You π
- How to Research Potential Advisors (Proquest Trick) π
- No One Remembers Your Application π
- Moving from a Non-U.S. to a U.S. Institution π
- Starting Attending Job Talks Now! (Hereβs Why) π
Working with Your Advisor
Jumpstarting Your Research
- “That Was Then. Diss is Now.” (Read as many dissertations as books!) π
- One Note, One Card: Back to Basics β©
- Meet a Librarian (Now) β©
- Figuring Out How to Speak about Your Research (before you know what it really is) π
Coursework
- How to Choose Courses in Grad School π
- Methodological Promiscuity π
- Credit Loads: Why NOT to Max Them Outπ
- Transferring MA Credits β©
- Language Training β©
- Summer Courses β©
- Start Reading for Orals… Now β©
- Your First Research Paper β©
- From Proposal to Final Paper π
- Independent Study/Directed Reading Beware β©
- Critique Like a Writer β©
- Getting Feedback from Profs (“You Need to Learn to Write Better” story) β©
Orals and Comps
- I Failed Orals: Let’s Be Honest about the PhD Process π
- Auditioning Faculty to Be on Your Committee β©
- Why You Need to Prepare Briefing Memos π
- How to Practice for Orals π
- How to Begin Every Orals Exam Answer π
Emotional and Mental Health
Your First TAship
- Creating a Section Syllabus β©
- Working with Your TA Course Faculty β©
- Your First Course Evaluation β©
- Paying the Price for a Crappy Prof: What to Do with Bad Evaluations β©
- Unionization β©
Social Media for Grad Students
- TikTok for Grad Students π
- Creating a Professional Website β©
The Second Year
- The Summer Before Year 2 β©
- Sophomore Slump β©
- How (and If) to Start a Secret Life π
- On-Campus or Off? Where to Live π
- Doubts β©
Networking and Relationships
- Having a Child in Grad School β©
- Dating in Grad School β©
- A Death in the Family β©
- Physical Fitness β©
- Mental Health Redux β©
- How (and Why) to Avoid Cliques β©
- Meet a 6th Year and Ask Advice β©
- Activism, On and Beyond Campus β©
Conferences & Writing Groups
- When to Apply for Your First Academic Conference? π
- How (and Why) to Form a Writing Group π
- Honoraria: How Much Money Do You Make Giving Talks?
Fellowships and Grants
- How to Write a Statement of Purpose β©
- Letters of Recommendation: How and When to Ask for Them π
The Dissertation
Filing and Defending
- The Defense β©
- To Embargo or Not to Embargo? β©
- Do This Right After Your Defense π
- When and How to Approach Editors π
Tenure: The Secret Syllabus
Looking for The Grad School Syllabus? Click here or scroll up.
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Getting Published
- Publishing 101: How the Process Works, Start to Finish β©
- How and Where to Meet Editors and Publishers β©
- “Simultaneous Submission”: What Is It, How to Do It, and Why It Matters β©
- How to Write an Author Response Letter β©
- Negotiating Better Book Contracts β©
- What if a Press Rejects Your Book? β©
- Edited Volumes and “Special Issues” β©
- How to Interpret and Respond to Criticism β©
- Writing for Magazines and Newspapers (and Getting Paid Doing So!) π
Teaching
- Don’t Launch that Shiny New Course! β©
- Your Slides Suck: What Profs Can Learn from Graphic Designers β©
- The Secret to Better Evaluations β©
- Course Evaluations Matters (in Ways Your Students Don’t Realize) π
- How to Run Office Hours (Hint: Stop Calling Them “Office Hours”) π
- Course Evaluations are Biased (and We Should Our Students So) β©
- Working with TAs Effectively β©
- How to Treat Student Athletes with the Respect They Deserve β©
Mental Health
- Where and When to Seek It Out β©
- Leaves of Absence β©
- Enemies (ugh) π
The Minefield of Informality
- Hallways, Lunches, Dinners…π
- First-Name Basis or “Dr. So-and-So”? π
- Power: When Do You Know You Have It?π
Fellowships and Grants
- Sabbatical Grants β©
- Multi-Year Grants β©
- Conference Grants β©
- Small Grants β©
- “Mid-Career” Grants and Fellowships: When’s the Earliest You Can Apply? β©
- Residential Fellowships β©

Promoting Your Research
- No One Knows Who You Are π
- Book Awards β©
- Securing Blurbs β©
- The “Author Questionnaire” β©
- Social Media for Academics β©
Advising Students
- Young Professor, Older Graduate Student: The Complex Dynamics of PhD Advising β©
- Don’t Give No Advice: The Basics of Good Mentorship β©
- Mentoring Students is the Hardest Job You’ll Ever Have β©
- How to Help Your Students Find Their Thesis and Dissertation Questions β©
Reappointment
- What is Reappointment Review? β©
- Getting (and Interpreting) Feedback β©
- Preparing Your Reappointment File β©
Sabbatical
- What Should Your Sabbatical Goals Be? β©
- Where to Find Funding for Your Sabbatical? β©
- Should You Do a Residential Fellowship? β©
- Protecting Time and Getting S*** Done π
Work-Life Balance
- Childcare β©
- Dating β©
- How to Have a Social Life β©
- Parental Leave β©
- Leaves of Absence β©
- Activism: On and Beyond Campus β©
Department Meetings
Tenure
- Preparing Your Tenure File π
- Who Will You Be Compared To (the “Comparison Set”)? β©
- Should You Go Up Early for Tenure? β©
- What If? What Happens If You’re Denied Tenure? π
- What Have You Done for Us Lately?: How Will Your Institution Count Work You Completed at Your Previous University? π
- Who Will Write Your “Outside Letters” β©
Applying for Jobs
- Should You Apply for an Outside Offer? π
- How to Negotiate Contracts (without Losing Your Soul) β©
Money
- Honoraria: How Much to Expect for Giving an Invited Talk β©
- Reviewing Articles and Manuscripts: How Much Will You Get Paid β©
- Other Ways to Make Money on Campus β©

Conferences
Climbing the Ladder
- Becoming Chair β©
- Treating Administrators and Office Staff with the Respect They Deserve β©
- What Kind of Career Do You Want to Have? β©
- Committee Assignments π