by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School, Self Care Ideas
It’s inevitable, really. If you spend time with people, you will get criticized. Not by everyone (hopefully) or about everything (hopefully), but people, by nature, can’t seem to get by without offering (supposedly) helpful advice or feedback. Let’s...
by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School, General Tips
Tip #5: Have a life outside of graduate school. Creating and maintaining social contacts outside of your program is a really effective way to detox from the competition and envy. If you can’t share your successes within your program, be sure to share them with...
by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School
Tip #4: Be generous in your acknowledgements. One of the best aspects of a graduate education is the environment to share views and knowledge. If someone has helped you define an argument or shaped your view, be sure to acknowledge him or her in an appropriate manner....
by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School
Tip #3: Focus on your achievements, not just theirs. One huge source of envy and spite occurs when you constantly (negatively) compare yourself to others. You covet what they have attained without giving proper weight to your own accomplishments. Remember, if you want...
by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School
Tip #2: Mutually agree on expectations before communicating about fellowships, TA positions, faculty openings. If you are spending time with your colleagues (as opposed to your competitors) you should be able to mutually define expectations. It’s useful to know,...
by Dr. Rachna Jain | Competition in Graduate School
Tip #1 for managing competitiveness: Understand who is a colleague and who is a competitor. You’ll generally know this through past experience. There are some people in your program who will want the best for you; others who will want the best only for...
