Running head: PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT THE GRADUATE

Preparing for Academic Success at the Graduate Level

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PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT THE GRADUATE

Preparing for Academic Success at the Graduate Level

Even though the creativity that is used when writing a paper ultimately results in
insightful writing that effectively analyzes the different dimensions of the thesis and ultimately
results in profound and meaningful statements regarding the nature of the conclusion. , Writing
skills become a more fundamental aspect of attending graduate school than they ever were while
an undergraduate. Because the graduate student must engage in rigorous research that attempts to
fully explicate the thesis. , The Composition of the Paper Demonstrates Original and Critical
Thinking. , and the graduate student must be adept in using different types of citation styles. .
Characteristics of Graduate Writing
As the student prepares for graduate level courses, there are many variances between a
paper written at the graduate level and a paper written in undergraduate level courses. The skills
required for a graduate level paper requires an understanding of the following characteristics;

Critical Thinking - When the student reaches the end of their undergraduate level
of studies they should have the capability to think critically. The student should
also be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of an argument. When
showing critical thinking in a paper the student should also organize their
thoughts and establish concise connections from one idea to another without
leaving the reader guessing. The most important rule in writing any paper is the
use of citation to support your ideas.

Research In graduate level writing the student must prepare themselves to

conduct research. This is done in order for the student to familiarize themselves
with up-to-date knowledge in their field of study. As a graduate student, you are
expected to join in the academic dialogue in your field. You should therefore

PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT THE GRADUATE

become familiar with research in the field and know the topics of current
discussion (University of Ottawa, 2007).

Academic integrity Students must always ensure that they uphold the
Universities stance on academic dishonesty. This includes all forms for example
plagiarism, harassment of classmates and faculty and cheating on exams.
Although all students should abide by this rule it is important for all graduate
level students demonstrate a high level of integrity.

Academic style The University of Ottawa (2001) suggests that academic writing
is not meant to be complicated it should be a well-thought-out paper that is easily
understood making the students ideas valued.
Strengths and Weaknesses.

The weaknesses that I have come to notice in my writing can be due to rushing my
assignments. When reviewing the reading materials this week I consider myself as a binge
writer. According to (Dunn, 2011) Bingeing is writing under pressure. College students are
notorious for bingeing in their writing. A deadline suddenly looms large, leading to false or
forced inspiration and a rushed, if finished paper. This always seems true especially for me with
a full week of work and errands at home I at times hold things off till the last possible moment.
This is when I make a mad rush for the assignment to be completed. This is where most of the
errors derive. The other weaknesses I have come to know are citation errors this includes in-text
citation as well as direct quote citation errors. My issues come from not understanding the proper
way to cite information.

PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT THE GRADUATE

My strengths that I am comfortable with are my ability to conduct research and multitask. In the field of social services it is important to work on several tasks simultaneously while
still keeping a cool head.
Managing time and stress associated with balancing graduate school and other life
responsibilities.
I find there are several key points in managing time and stress with balancing graduate
school and your personal life.

Willingness to succeed (DEDICATION).

Support from family and friends.

Support from your job.

University Support.

The most important key point in my succeeding is my own personal obstacles. I at times
unknowingly build obstacles that take me off track from what I am supposed to do. These come
in the form of Facebook, texting and taking phone calls. I tend to rationalize these obstacles by
calling them my brain breaks. What I have done to reduce and ultimately extinguish these
obstacles is to draw up a contract with my family and friends that states in detail the days and
hours that I am not to be disrupted. I have also had a net nanny installed on my computer that
blocks certain web sites from my computer within these hours. Just to mention I requested that I
not know the password to make any changes. If I need a web site unblocked my partner is
responsible to make the adjustments, and it better be a good reason for the adjustment to be
made. It may seem a bit restrictive but at this time I may need to have some restrictions placed
on me so I can achieve my goals.

PREPARING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AT THE GRADUATE

References
Dunn, D. S. (2011). A Short Guide to Writing About Psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection
database.
University of Ottawa. (2007). Essentials of Graduate Writing. Retrieved from
http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/kit/grad-writing-essentials.pdf