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January 25, 2009
Certificate Programs
I've been getting a lot of group emails about certificate programs here at UofM, so I thought I'd post about it. Certificate programs are sometimes offered by department as an add-on to your degree. These are often hosted by a particular school or department but open to students all over the University. Certificate programs allow students to focus their SI work on a particular study theme and experience a bit of extra interdisciplinary instruction in their graduate studies, without adding a full second degree. On average, certificate programs require an extra semester of study.
Two of particular interest to SI students are the Museum Studies Certificate (popular among ARM, PI and LIS students) and the Science, Technology and Society Certificate (of particular interest to CI, IPol and HCI students).
You can see a full list, AND read more about programs of interest to you on the Rackham web site.
Posted by messelti at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2009
Stating Your Purpose
For some of us, "selling yourself" is easy. For the rest of us, it's downright uncomfortable. Job interviews and cover letters make our palms sweat and the prospect of writing 3-6 pages that may determine make or break our chances of getting into the school of our choice is a bit daunting. But really, is it that bad? Not really, and here's why:
When applying, it's important to remember that the Admissions Committee reviews everything holistically, so no one peice of your application should "break" your chances. Instead, any questionable spots in your materials are verified elsewhere, so that a bad quantitative score on your GRE can be buoyed by good grades in statistics, work experience that required quantitative analysis, or the word of a former employer about your wonderful quantiative skills.
With the Application Essay, you get a chance to "talk" to the committee, to guide them through your resume and experiences, and explain to them just why your path has led you to this point, what you want to do now that you're here, and why SI is the place to do it. It's your opportunity to really sink your teeth into the Mission Statement and show why it fits into your own academic philosophy. Think about it as a one-sided Admissions interview. Two important parts of the SI Admissions process are 1-Finding students who are capable of performing at the level expected of UofM graduate students, and 2-Finding students who are a good fit for the academic work and environment provided by SI. This essay is your opportunity to really introduce yourself and explain why the SI community is right for you.
A note on the Personal Statement for Rackham: If your Admissions Essay is a chance to answer the "Why SI?" question, look at your Personal Essay as a chance to answer the "Why graduate school?" question.
For more information on writing your Admissions Essay, check out Laura Elgas' post on the subject, or email me with any questions.
Posted by messelti at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2009
So...What's The Deal With Textbooks?
You're registered for all of your classes, you're paid your tuition, you've even bought a fresh notebook-what about textbooks?
As a former History major, I'm used to spending hundreds of dollars on textbooks each semester. However, as a poor graduate student I'm relieved to know that texts are a significantly smaller portion of my budget this time around. Since so many courses pull from scholarly journals or interdisciplinary sources, course readings are often posted in PDF format on a CTools course site.
When full books are required, information will be available on the course syllabus. Though it is sometimes necessary to wait until the first day of class to get this information, some professors will post the syllabus on a CTools site before class begins. Also, some classes have textbook information posted on Wolverine Access under Enrollment->My Textbooks.
Professors will often wait a week or two to assign any readings from assigned books, or put them on reserve, so that students will have an opportunity to find the texts either at the campus book stores or online. I find that it is a good practice to stop by the book store if possible and price the new and (if available) used copies, then do some comparison shopping on Amazon or Alibris. Consider the cost of shipping and handling (for example, buying new on Amazon for $2 more than used can actually save you money if you can get free shipping), and order the most affordable copy you can find. Even if that book is in the assigned reading for the following week, you should be able to get by with reserves until it arrives in the mail.
Posted by messelti at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)