Finding the PERFECT Graduate School!- Kellee Britt

As a busy and graduating senior at the University of Florida, I’ve been trying to figure out my future beyond the undergraduate world. With hopes to complete my Ph.D. in Plant pathology, I encountered a frantic spring semester, brimming with graduate school visits and interviews across the nation. Selecting the perfect graduate program comes with many important factors, especially how happy and successful you think you’ll be in that certain city or on that certain campus. Yes, the research and graduate advisors are extremely important as well, but by flying out to these various regions, you have to wonder if you could ultimately grow and thrive as a scientist in that region.

During my individual journey of graduate school visits, I interviewed at three different schools. All were different and wonderful programs, offering phenomenal hospitality and striving to impress me more than I would have to impress them. Of course, throughout these trips, I was quite nervous myself, hoping to find a university that I would love and scientifically flourish at.

I went on tours of the campuses, cities, labs, and home buildings of my classes, loving all the new sights and different historic architecture. All three graduate schools had such welcoming faculty too, and were within cohesive environments with family-like dynamics. I instantly felt like a part of their program, which would make this decision that much more difficult. The process of choosing would be quite challenging, to say the least, and denying any one of these programs would definitely not be enjoyable.

However, after many weeks of careful deliberation and frequent weighing of the pros and cons of each graduate program and Ph.D. offer, I finally decided on my graduate school! Hooray!

Remember: this decision is for you and you only. I, of course, thought of the strong feelings the potential advisors had in wanting me to join their labs, but I could only choose one of the three, which obviously left two denials in my future. It took some heart to say no, but I believe I truly made the best decision for my future! Good luck, future Gator graduates!!!

The steps to Graduate School- Caitlin Cribbs

I always knew that I wanted to go to graduate school; I just did not know for what! During my first semester at the University of Florida, I was sitting in my first Family, Youth, and Community Sciences class and my teacher, Dr. Kate Fletcher started talking about where FYCS could take me with job opportunities. Knowing that I have a passion for education, when she said “Guidance Counselor” I knew that would be the perfect career path for me. That day, I went home and started researching what the requirements were for graduate school and set up an appointment with my advisor to make sure I was on the right track. I went to all of the websites of schools I was interested in to compare their programs and to see where I thought I would have the best fit. I started to become overwhelmed! The GRE, applications, resumes, letters of recommendation, transcripts and the list continued. Then I told myself to take one step at a time, it was important to see when the deadline was for each school, since each one may differ. Applying to grad school is something that you do not want to rush; make lists and more lists to know what steps still needs to be completed.

First things first, I decided that the GRE was the first thing I needed to tackle. The GRE stands for Graduate Record Examinations. Each school requires a certain score for admissions; it is usually a combined score of 300 – a minimum of 150 points for both Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning. It was important to do this test as soon as possible for a few reasons. It takes months to study and prepare, time needs to be allowed to retake it just in case you are not happy with your first outcome, and the scores have to be sent into the school of your choice. That alone takes a few weeks, it is important all scores are in before the application deadline.

The application is completed and sent to the program online. This is something that you can take your time with, you can save your work as you go and come back to finish at any time. This is where you put in all of your personal information, resume, goals and personal statement. This is very important because it is a chance for the committee to get to know who you are. You want to make sure that it is done to the best of your ability and to make yourself stand out from all the rest. Define who you are and show why you would be a great asset to the program! Always remember to read over your work and let an extra pair of eyes look over it to make sure everything is perfect!

Three to four letters of recommendations are required along with the application. If at all possible, ask your employers or professors to write the letters for you. Get someone who knows your work effect and has seen your academic performance.  Along with asking them, provide your resume, personal information and graduate school information so they know exactly what is expected.  This is something that you want to ask them of them a few months before the deadline so they have plenty of time to write the perfect letter for you!

All transcripts also have to be sent in to the program of your choice. If you first went to a Community College then transferred to a major university, both transcripts are required. The transcripts show them you’re current GPA, performance in certain classes and how close you are to graduating. You can order these on your school website and have them sent to your program with a few easy steps!

Once the application is sent in and received, some programs require an interview with the applicants who have made the first cut. If your program does, it will be stated on their website admission requirements. All of this information will be sent out a few months after all applications are in. The program will explain to you what is required on that day such as times, parking, dress code and the interview process. This is a time to really explain your experiences, strengths, and to be yourself!

When the deadline for your application approaches, you will feel such a relief when you push the submit button! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication all while going to school full time. It is important to never give up, and just remember everything will work out the way it is supposed to. I am so proud to have received the news just a few weeks ago that after graduation in May, I will be attending the University of Florida in the College of Education for their School Counseling Program. I made my goal of graduate school a reality and you can too!

Gators Spring Sports!

Are you still suffering from post-football season blues? Well, I have some good news. Even during the Spring semester the University of Florida has some great sporting events for students and Gator fans to enjoy. So unpack all of your orange and blue fanatic gear and practice those Gator cheers!

To start, if you haven’t been to a single Men’s basketball game, go sign up now! They are some of the rowdiest, most competitive, exciting sports to watch on campus. It compares to a Saturday in the Swamp but with air conditioning! Just as exciting are the Women’s basketball games. Plus, both are free to students. Also going on in the O’Connell  Center we have the impressive Gator gymnastics team and swimming and diving. Make sure to keep checking what games will have free T-Shirts!

If you enjoy watching a good sports game while soaking up some rays there are plenty of outdoor sports going on every weekend. Baseball and softball always draw a crowd so get there early if you want a close parking spot. We also have track and field, lacrosse, soccer, and golf matches. Check out a calendar of all upcoming competitions at www.gatorzone.com/schedule.

For those of you who want to be in the action instead of on the sideline, Rec Sports offers a variety of intramural sports that you can join individually or create your own team. There are the typical sports such as softball and ultimate Frisbee. But to make things more interesting, UF also offers some fun competitions that would never make it in the Olympics. For example, on April 12^th there is the ultimate board game brought to life- Battleship. To play battleship, each team piles into a canoe, then paddles around a pool while trying to sink other canoes. There may not be a lot of skill, but there is a lot of fun! For a complete list of upcoming sports visit www.recsports.ufl.edu/intramural-sports/spring-schedule.

Go Gators!

Tiffany

The Job Hunt: Suzy Rodriguez

As college students, when we stop and think about applying for a job or internship, it can be a bit intimidating. Here are some quick tips when it comes to the job market. These are not boring instructions on how to write a resume but tips, on what to say, focus on, and how to make yourself memorable.

While in an interview, with a potential employer it’s important to share about yourself! When you are asked questions, do not answer with a simple “yes” or “no”, but try to gracefully expound upon the questions, and share a little about yourself. When going into that important interview, or job fair, you want to have done your homework. Knowing the company's purpose and vision will give you a competitive edge. Often times a potential employer will ask you if you have any questions for them. Asking them a question is mandatory; it shows that you are interested in the company. And you get to dazzle them with all your hard preparation.

During an interview it’s important to not over share. When an employer asks the question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years”, you want to be sure to keep your answer strictly professional and very business focused. They do not want to hear about your personal or life goals; not yet anyway. It is intimidating to race for a position you know many others are competing for. So often we want to make ourselves remembered. Just remember to be yourself and do this according to your style. For example, if you are not funny, don’t tell a joke. In short don’t try to leave an impression of someone that you are not.

Another way to be memorable is to follow up with the employer. Sending them a letter thanking them for their time is a great idea. Be sure to include where they met you and your contact information! All these tips will help and look great to a potential employer. Happy job hunting!

A Fun Weekend at the Ambassador Summit

From January 18th through the 22nd , we hosted the 2014 Ambassador Leadership Conference, which gave us the opportunity to connect with other ambassadors from all over the country.  The schools that attended included The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Auburn University, University of Arizona, University of Kentucky, University of Georgia, and University of Florida.

On Saturday, we participated in seminars given by professionals from Dow AgroSciences, and we toured the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie.  It was a great day for a walk on the trail, and it was really awesome to show all our guests one of Gainesville's hidden treasures.  There were a ton of huge alligators everywhere!

We left Gainesville Sunday morning to head to St. Augustine.  The bus ride was a great opportunity for us to get to know students from other institutions.  When we arrived in St. Augustine, we did a scavenger hunt on St. George Street, which is the historic downtown of the city. It was neat to see so much history. After that, we toured the Castillo de San Marcos, which is one of the oldest forts in the country.  We were able to watch the park volunteers fire the cannon.  The entire fort tour was like a step back in time; I recommend everyone going there for a visit.

On Monday, we got a behind the scenes look at the Anheuser-Busch plant in Jacksonville and a tour of EverBank Field. At EverBank field we were able to actually go out on the field, and we probably spent a good half hour just playing around on the field and taking some awesome pictures! I really can’t decide which one was my favorite of that day.

Finally, on our way back to Gainesville, we stopped in Hastings at UF’s Research and Extension Center, where they do all kinds of research with potatoes.  It was fascinating to hear the researchers talk about all the potato varieties they test for production.  Did you know a potato variety has to go through 10 years of testing before it is released for farmers to use? 

Overall, the trip was a really rewarding experience.  We walked away with first hand knowledge of the agriculture industry, complete with behind the scenes looks.  Of course, lifelong friendships were made with students from the other colleges, and plenty of new Facebook friends.

- Brian Skipper

Spring Back!

There’s nothing like the start of a new year. A fresh start. A time to start off on the right foot this time. We often use the excuse of a new year to finally start doing the things we know we should. I hate to say this but January is the honeymoon month. It’s almost like the free month trial that Netflix offers. Before you know it, you’re stuck paying $8 to further your procrastination. I think we all have this idea that we need to make drastic changes in our lives to finally reap the benefits that life has to offer. However, it is in this pursuit towards superhuman that we start to lose sight of what’s really important. Are we making changes for ourselves or for others?

Backtracking a little bit, my winter break was exactly what I needed. I finally had time to do the senseless things I love to do. If you couldn’t tell by my Netflix reference that I am TV junkie, then I am letting you know now that I am. When I wasn’t glued to my TV screen, I spent time with my family, visited the beach often, and really had time to reflect and take an introspective look at my year. As my break reminded me of all the great opportunities I’ve had thus far, I couldn’t help but ponder about what was to come.

For me, this semester marks a milestone in my life, since this is my last semester as an undergraduate student. Of course I want to make the most of this semester. Spending every moment with my best friends, trying all the local restaurants, going on spontaneous trips, this is my idea of having a last hoorah. As my time here at the University of Florida comes to a close, I can truly say that I’ve had an enriching college experience. I am no longer that unsure high school senior but a soon-to-be college graduate with a unique perspective on life.

My advice for my fellow college students this semester is this: Push yourselves enough to break free from your comfort zone. Challenge yourselves in every aspect of life. Be the person that you would want to spend your time with.

A dash of confidence and pinch of faith can go a long way.

- Sherin Thamarasseril

Happy Holidays!

Now that finals are over, I’m sure you are realizing that the holidays are fast approaching! During this time of year, there is a lot going on, but there is also a lot to be thankful for.  For example: finals are over and you have defeated another semester. Your loved ones are home awaiting your arrival. You have a few weeks to relax and enjoy life. Be grateful for all of these things and remember to enjoy them.

Every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family puts out all of the holiday decorations together. This may seem like a very little thing, but it is a tradition that we have held to for as long as I can remember and it makes it very special. It is something I can always count on and look forward to every year. After hanging all of the lights and wreaths and putting up and decorating the tree, we can all sit back as a family and admire the decorations… And, shortly after, we pass out from exhaustion. These traditions and memories are things that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. This holiday season, be thinking about things like this that you will carry with you for years to come.

Another thing that I am thankful for is that I will be kicking off my winter break with a 10-day trip to Ecuador with the CALS Leadership Institute. While in Ecuador, my cohort and I will have the opportunity to work on service projects, enjoy the beach, stay in the mountains with Ecuadorian families and immerse ourselves in a new culture. After returning, we will have the remainder of the break to enjoy home with our families. Getting to travel the world with the University of Florida and my college is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that not all people get and for this, I am very thankful.

With all of this traveling, it is important to keep in mind that this is a busy time of year. There is a lot of traffic on the roads and in airports. While you are traveling home, be cautious and safe as everyone will be just as anxious as you to get home.

That being said, enjoy the break. Spend time with your family… Snuggle up with your pets… Sleep in… And most importantly, be safe!

Happy Holidays and GO GATORS!

Casey Parker

Don't Let Finals Get You Down!

It’s that time of the semester again: the dreaded finals. Of course stress always seems to accompany finals. For many students, stress affects not only our exam performance, but also our health. It’s important that we, as students, find a way to use the stress to our advantage and manage it in a healthy manner. I could bore you with useful study tips, but I’d rather tell you about some fun ways to manage the stress.

The Reitz union has an event called De-Stress Study Fest which is occurring December 6^th-12^th. It gets kicked off with a Smash Bash that includes carnival games, walk a gator, a moon walk, a giant slide, and more. Restlessness to Relaxation is an event where you can enjoy free chair messages and playing with therapy animals. Go back to your childhood with Old School and Blast from the Past Holiday Crafts. De-Stress Study Space will be offered the entire duration of De-Stress Study Fest. The Study Space is additional group study space at the libraries. Also being offered nightly are De-Stress Movies from 7pm-12am. For more information and the schedule for all of finals week, you can follow this link: https://www.union.ufl.edu/Resources/DeStressStudyFest.

It’s important to have fun during finals week and not let the stress consume your life. Having a supportive group of friends and family to help you along the way helps too. Before you know it, winter break will be here along with some much needed relaxation!

-Rebecca Lee

Advice for Applying to Graduate School

                  When I first arrived at Gainesville Regional Airport three and a half years ago with nothing but two suitcases and the phone number to a local taxi company, graduation was the furthest thing from my mind. I had four years ahead of me to make the most wonderful best friends, get addicted to caffeine, struggle my way through general chemistry, fall in love with Gator football, and ultimately discover my true passions. Now, here I am nearly four years later faced with the biggest decision of my life since I decided to become a Gator: where to attend graduate school. Of course, the first steps were easy: compile an updated resume, write a personal statement, take the GRE, Google “where should I go to grad school,” waste approximately 45 minutes looking at funny pictures of cats. But after I’d done the easy part, I realized that I now had to narrow my list of basically every graduate school in the country that offered my program down to four or five to which I would actually apply. This is when things got serious.

                  Of course, everyone will have their own criteria when choosing their ideal graduate school. Still, I can offer some advice in making this daunting decision, stemming from personal experience. First, be sure to talk to your faculty advisor. If you haven’t taken the time to get to know them yet, start now. They have worked and taught in the field that you aspire to be a professional in, and they are a perfect resource for you in your quest for a graduate program that will help you achieve the future you want. While you’re at it, talk with your professors, other faculty in your department, or local professionals who have held positions you aspire to hold yourself, achieved things you hope to achieve, or have been places you’ve always dreamed of going. They can tell you what it took for them to get where they are today.  

                  Secondly, don’t be too quick to rule out schools based on location, “rank”, or price. Sure, these are easy criteria to help you easily narrow down your initial list, but try to keep an open mind. Moving away from UF or away from home might seem terrifying and impossible, but living on your own in a new, unfamiliar place can be one of the most enriching and exciting experiences of your life. As for rank, those statistics are definitely important and should be considered for some graduate programs, but it is more important to find a program that really fits your interests at a school that meets your needs and wants. Graduate programs can be very specific and individualized, even within the same major designation, and finding one that is as unique as your career aspirations and learning interests will make you more satisfied with your choice. Lastly, when it comes to price, the bottom line is that college is expensive and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be getting any cheaper. However, before I would rule out any program based on price, I would be sure to check and see if the university offers research or teaching assistantships- something that in my personal experience I have found that colleges often do not openly advertise,. Oftentimes students who are awarded these competitive positions are able to greatly reduce the cost of graduate school, making previously-unaffordable programs affordable.

                  Finally, my last piece of advice is to start early! For programs that begin in fall, many graduate schools see the largest influx of applications in mid-to-late November through the end of January. During this period, it can take much longer for your supporting documents (transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters) to be sent and matched to your file and for your application to actually get reviewed. Applying early ensures that you will have plenty of time to send or resend missing documents and perhaps even receive a decision earlier than the majority of other applicants. Plus, no professor wants to be asked for a recommendation letter in the middle of January when your program’s deadline is February 1^st. Applying early will lessen the stress associated with this big decision as well as make you look more prepared and responsible as a student and future professional.

                  Once you’ve finished all your applications, it’s time to wait! The decisions will pour in one by one, and then you’ll be faced with another big decision: which one should you pick?! I’m not quite at that stage yet, but when I get there I’ll let you know how it goes! In the meantime, good luck on your own graduate school applications and, as always, Go Gators!

- Kendra Harmon