1. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Navigating Graduate School and Beyond: Sow Well Now To Reap Big Later Your Advisor and You

2. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Your Advisor and You What your advisor expects Manage your advisor

3. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu What your advisor expects from you Thrive academically Show initiative Manage time wisely Go the extra mile

4. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Thrive academically Show strong work Be on time for classes Make an effort to understand the material Pass qualifying/preliminary exams

5. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Show Initiative Take ownership of research project Be available during office hours Have a plan of action for meetings Develop Program of Study

6. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Manage Time Wisely Arrive on time for appointments and classes Prepare for meetings Bring all necessary information for meetings Communicate if you need to be out of the office

7. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Go the extra mile Create a blog summarizing journal articles you have read Volunteer to present at conferences Write a paper on your research results Be a proactive student!

8. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu If you were the advisor, what would you want your student to be and do? Think about your weak areas and what you can do to fix them. How can you proactively manage graduate school?

9. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Manage Your Advisor Consider your advisor when choosing a university. Realize that your advisor is at a different career phase than you. There are different stressors. Appreciate that your expectations for your advisor may be too high.

10. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Advisor vs. Mentor Advisor guides the student through research and academic affairs only Mentor does that but also takes responsibility for shaping the career of the student Mentor keeps up with the student after graduation and throughout the student’s career Not every advisor is equipped to be a mentor

11. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Tips to manage your advisor Know your advisor’s schedule and work rhythms. Try not to disturb peak work and research times. Take initiative and go the extra mile. Be proactive in your education. Initiate meetings with your advisor regularly. Communicate with your advisor and respond promptly to emails.

12. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Tips to manage your advisor (con’t) Have a plan for meeting discussions. Don’t ramble. Share your research results with your advisor. Try to see things from the advisor’s perspective. Draw from your advisor’s research and experiences.

13. Dr. Sundar Christopher sundar@nsstc.uah.edu Do a S.W.O.T. analysis on your advisor (for your use only!) What are five strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that prevent him or her from being a better advisor or mentor? What are some concrete steps you can take to minimize their weaknesses through effective communication? What can you learn from your advisor’s strengths to help you in graduate school?