10 hacks to help you succeed in Grad School and College

After spending so much time in study abroad applications, you want to ensure that you succeed in grad school or college. What does success mean? – Making the most of what your program offers + landing a great internship/job in the end. So, how to do this? Read on.

While you will be taking many jobs after this and spending next 30-40 years in professional life, the freedom and opportunities of student life shall never be back; even if it does, it probably will be the two years you spend in a business school. And the worst part is that the time in school flies by. Before you know it, the school will be over and hopefully, with a job offer in your hand. But, if you just land a job and never really bonded with your classmates, I feel it is an opportunity wasted.

You need to make efforts to ensure you achieve what you had set out seeking when you entered the school.

How to succeed in Grad School and college?

1. Start early

Between settling in an alien setting, dealing with the course load and making new friends, first semester will fly by and before you know, you will be standing clueless at career fairs. Focus early on, get a hang of recruiting calendar and be prepared for a long and grueling internship and job hunt. This is where our Internship Masterclass program positions you perfectly to succeed in Grad School and colleges.

2. Seek what you want but respond to opportune moments

There is a reason why good schools ask you to write an essay on your short and long term goals. If you do this part diligently, you will be more grounded in the school. With various people recruiting for different fields, it is easy to fall for herd mentality. Knowing what you want is very important so that you don’t start chasing things that seem lucrative but are not what you want.

On that note, a good career is a balancing act of planning and serendipity. There will be opportunities coming your way which may not be part of your plan but if they look right for a reason and appeal to your passion, perhaps you can give it a try. Now, this may sound contradictory to what I said in the previous paragraph but if you follow closely, you will understand.

For example, there comes an opportunity where a team is looking for one more member for a startup pitch contest. You meet them and let’s say you like their idea – you can try it out. Who knows what it might lead to? Grabbing opportunities on the way ensures you expose yourself to what is out there but it does not mean trying things which will suck all your resources and may cost you your original dream. The key is to be nimble and only you can find the right combination for you but you get the idea.

3. Have a hearty breakfast before starting your day. Never eat alone

Expect long days out and getting a healthy fulfilling breakfast will ensure you have the stamina required for it. For your other meals, try to always go out with other person or a group. Preferably try to meet at least one new person every three days. Lunches are a great way to help you make friends!

4. Do not take menial jobs to pay bills that do not add to your skills

A lot of students end up taking demanding on-campus jobs and assistantships that do not add much to their learning just because they pay something. You are already spending time and money to attend the school. Understand the value of your time and resources. Make sure you spend those on something worth engaging in.

5. Work for free if you get to learn

You are here to learn and grow. If an exciting opportunity is knocking on the door but it is not paying you, work for free. Yes, working for free in a research lab or an unfunded project is better than cleaning cafeteria tables.

6. It is okay to feel lost

Many students feel overwhelmed in first few months so much so that they lose track of what matters and what not. They put so much pressure on themselves to find the right assistantship or the courses or friends that it becomes disheartening when things move slow. Remember, it is okay to feel lost. Give yourself time to settle in the new surroundings. You will be fine, don’t panic.

7. Invest in relations. Connect with people from diverse backgrounds

You will probably never make as good friends as you can find in your classrooms. Go, talk to people. Hang out with those who are interesting, inspiring and make you think. Meetups are a good way to do this. Build bonds that can last a long time. Of course, you have to nurture every friendship and relationship but to start with college friends is way easier than making friends in professional circles. This is also the time to widen your lenses. Talking to people from other backgrounds will give you humility and lessons in open-mindedness.

8. Experiment in your internships. Take those jobs that will teach you helpful skills and not the highest paying ones

Another big mistake students make is to choose the highest paying job after graduating. Remember, you are recruiting your employer as much as he is recruiting you. The cost you will pay by taking up a job that will not help you advance in the direction you wish to go is way higher than what any employer can ever pay you. Do not give yourself away for a salary. Your future is worth much more. Do you dream of being an executive of a tech company someday? If so, do you think that job in a big MNC with no hands-on learning is the best way to learn how a company is operated? If not, think what will get you closer to your dream and take jobs where you can develop those skills.

9. Engage in clubs and extra curricular activities. Travel and have fun

A lot of learning comes from outside the classroom – learn on street, hone new talents, experience life because this time will never come back. While a lot of emphases is on building good relationships and connecting with people, it is useful to spend quality time alone to introspect and reflect upon this splendid journey.

10. Take classes with Professors who teach well as opposed to a course that looks great on paper but has an uninspired Professor

Ask your seniors for recommendations. You can learn more from a good professor even if the subject is slightly off track. I have personally experienced that being knowledgeable and a good teacher are two separate things. Look for people who know how to teach and communicate a concept. Choose your electives wisely. Engineering Professors can be quite drab and what seemed a relevant curriculum is reduced to awkward lectures and tiresome assignments.

And, those are a few easy hacks in a nutshell that will help you succeed in the Grad School without breaking much sweat. Which ones resonate with you the most? Reply in comments!

Img credits: Trusty Joe

Top 10 Essential Books every student must read before graduating

Top 10 Books every Student must read

All students don’t have the money to travel or take every course they are interested in. That is why reading books is such a great idea. Every student can afford to read books and that can teach you so much more than you can ever imagine.

So without further ado, here is our list of Top 10 Essential Books that every student must read before they graduate.

1. How will you measure your life? by Clayton M. Christensen

If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you’ll never become that person.

Especially if you are ambitious by nature, your vision can be clouded by the biased definition of success prevalent in our society. So much so that you might completely lose track of what is important and what is not for being happy. A good book, simply written with good case studies. The fact that it is written by HBS Professor shows how badly MBAs need a reality check.

2. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you

I wish I read this earlier. We think we can change the world by ourselves, in our isolated identities. But later you realize, life is about people and relationships. Even professional success is determined more by your ability to connect than pre talent. Everybody must know how to make friends and how to be agreeable. Period.

3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.

Either you understand money because your Dad was good at it and taught you or you will struggle rest of your life trying to find it. Our education trains us to be good employees, not successful. Money comes from a different mindset and Kiyosaki does a good job at setting the stage. What this book does well is piquing your curiosity in personal finance.

4. Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest & Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt

Everything we get, outside of the free gifts of nature, must in some way be paid for. The world is full of so- called economists who in turn are full of schemes for getting something for nothing. They tell us that the government can spend and spend without taxing at all; that it can continue to pile up debt without ever paying it off, because “we owe it to ourselves.”

It debunks some of the most widespread economics beliefs. Whether you intend to work in a related field or not, I feel you must possess a working understanding of money, finance and economy.

5. Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail

Today, if you’re not disrupting yourself, someone else is; your fate is to be either the disrupter or the disrupted. There is no middle ground.

Highly relevant in the world of fast moving tech startups that you cannot ignore.

6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.

Because everything cannot be rationalized. Do not lose touch with magic as you move into the world of adults.

7. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

The heaviest of burdens crushes us, we sink beneath it, it pins us to the ground. But in love poetry of every age, the woman longs to be weighed down by the man’s body. The heaviest of burdens is therefore simultaneously an image of life’s most intense fulfillment. The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become. Conversely, the absolute absence of burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant. What then shall we choose? Weight or lightness?

Because everyone craves for love and struggles with keeping it. It is a sublime novel on humans and love and how things are anything but simple. And language is decadent. My writing improved after reading this, I swear.

8. Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That’s what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul — would you understand why that’s much harder?

Because there is a time to think irrationally and be driven by your inner fire. As you grow and mature up, you will realize how impractical this book is. Nonetheless, when you are touching your twenties, you want to change the world. And you should read what Howard Roark did.

9. A book from your geography

Then I would recommend reading a good book that talks about the economy and current state of your the society wherever you hail from. Know what is happening and why. It is good to know your roots well.

10. HBR articles and booklets

HBR gives you wisdom in nuggets, easily digestible format. Pick your topic and dig in. I loved their series on Communication.

A good starting point could be — https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-must-read-Harvard-Business-Review-posts-articles

High School, College, Grad School — these are the best times of your student life. Reading these 10 books can make it all the more rich and rewarding.

We showed you 10 hacks to help you thrive in school and college last time. Life is more than a degree or a job. Books are timeless and someone said it rightly – those who do not read are not better than those who can not read 🙂

Why every Grad Student should have a website?

One thing that baffles me is that only a few people going to pursue Master’s put serious efforts into building their own website. You are overlooking a lot of advantages if you do not yet have your website!

Why should you blog?

A lot of companies and recruiters search for your name online before the interview. While a good LinkedIn profile is a must, additionally having a website can put you at edge especially when you are looking for a job at startups. I got my startup job in NYC mostly because of my blog. Yes, you read that right. Writing online showcases-

  1. You are knowledgeable – writing about a topic requires researching and fact finding. If you are writing informational posts, it shows you are an active reader and know about your field.
  2. You are confident – showing your work to the public requires having confidence in yourself. Whether righting informational posts or opinions, you project yourself as someone who is ready to take charge.
  3. You are intelligent – yep, if you write well, most people correlate it to a higher intelligence and IQ.

Employers value your knowledge, creativity, and intelligence. A good weblog is a great way to show that. 

And more importantly, once you start writing, you will be forced to learn more so that you can write better. It is a very rewarding exercise.

Blog or website?

Now, the question is some people find writing to be a very daunting exercise. It is okay. As I said, you can gradually build upon it. But even if you are not actively blogging, you can still create a static website with your updated resume (even a creative version to grab your employer’s eye!), list of projects with details, references and any interesting things you are up to. It can be your online diary and the good thing is half of it can come from your LinkedIn profile anyway. Secondly, your university is giving you free server space anyway, so why not create a quick page there?

But I do encourage you to start blogging about your field little by little. There are many ways to start it and I will post a new article on it soon. It always helps to have other websites link to you and this is where we can help you. If you write a good article related to grad school life or your field, we will be happy to guest post it on Scholar Strategy website. Already have something? email us at scholarstrategy@gmail.com 🙂

Show me an example!

I like this simplistic website of Mr. Joel Jean who I hope won’t mind me using him as an example. He is focusing on the text and work rather than making it flashy. And if someone is really interested in peeking inside his mind, he has a separate link to the blog. Looks professional, to the point and seriously impressive!

 

Find your dream career first

I was talking to a prospective candidate today who wanted to find out the options about studying abroad. After talking for a few minutes, I realized that he was going on the same route I ask students not to. He was brainstorming what course to do and what major to go after and whether his profile is strong for it or not but not once did he mention what is that he wants to become in life. What is his dream career profile?

What’s the point?

You don’t pave the path to your destination and discuss if the path should be covered by marble or grass without knowing your destination first. If you just start paving the path in any direction, you may have a good path that leads to nowhere. The point is you don’t decide the path first. You decide what is your destination first and for that I again plead you to INTROSPECT. Once you know what it is that will make you happy, you figure out what path will take you there. Simple, no?

So, I asked the student to do some introspection and then we can figure out how to reach there. This post is not to find fault with anyone’s thinking but just to drill down the importance of introspection. Most of us Indians think like that and I hope I can encourage students to not fall into that trap. You will be amazed at how easier it is to reach your goal once you have defined it.

For specific reasons why you should do MS, check out our bestselling MS Book: Smart Engineer’s Complete Guide to MS in USA.

For our paid professional counseling, check out our counseling packages.

Introspection is the key to happy money

There is a big problem with Indian society – they interfere too much in a child’s life. The decision of what a child should become professionally is unfortunately decided mostly by parents and not the child himself.

The bigger problem is that parents’ decisions are driven by social norms.

Therefore, they will try to coerce their children into becoming socially acceptable professionals like engineers, doctors, lawyers, CAs instead of something which the child would enjoy more.

I encourage our student readers to go for a profession they would enjoy. As someone has said, you should be doing what you do when your mind wanders off studies or work. Understanding what is it that you like is INTROSPECTION.

  • Do you love socializing and get people excited about something – you could be a great sales person or a HR manager!
  • Did you love assembling PCs for your friends and families? – Great, get into hardware consultations.
  • Do you want to play games all the time – why not be a game engineer?

That’s very simplistic but I hope you get the drift. Find out what excites you and you shall never have to work a boring job again.

It is never too early to introspect. It is ideally done before Class XI but even if you do it before joining college, it’s ok. Forget that, it is even beneficial to do this while you are in college because you still have time to choose your first job.

Lack of exposure in our schools and colleges has aggravated this problem many fold and I see students following herd mentality instead of listening to their inner voices. I have covered this topic more extensively in this article-

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Once you can do a thorough introspection, you can figure a career path that will keep you inspired. We cover this in our career counseling service as well as help incoming Grad Students get more clarity on what career to pursue in Grad School.

I don’t want to earn my living, I want to live

Oscar Wilde

Now, we are not blessed with automatic means of survival and livelihood, so we do need to do some work. But work doesn’t have to feel like ‘work’, you can enjoy what you do. So, find out what is it that you will enjoy doing 🙂

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