GRE Preparations

Between the courses, graduate school considerations/applications and necessary moments for free time, my preparations for the GRE continued in spurts through Fall quarter, Christmas break and into the new year. Like many national organizations and institutions, the Educational Testing Service has its policies and procedures for all students to conform to unwaveringly in order to receive their "stamp of approval."  First comes the application.  Anyone who is blind was instructed to acquire and then fill out the printed document to apply for taking the GRE with accommodations.  Never mind we can't do this ourselves.  Second, a form for requesting special accommodations had to be completed, properly certified and sent across to the East coast for consideration.  Assuming acceptance, a date would be negotiated at the host institution.  Such a date was not left to the student to decide.  Then came the selection of testing location, a jewel reserved for the need-to-know. 

Happy Saints Day

Happy Saints Day!

November has arrived and today we honor the generations of soles who have come before us as the saintly mirror to Halloween's wild madness and mischifthe.  It is the calm after the storm, the quiet stillness after a torrent.  Yesterday we all flocked out for a celebratory dance of costumes, trickery and gaiety.  We dressed up ourselves and made mythical creations from the big orange pumpkins.  Indeed the week of parties came to a climax with the trick-or-treaters.  A few photo highlights are posted for the record.  Today the inner sanctity of peace and wisdom is honored from within.  It is fitting for the duality to come back to back in this season of holidays.  From a spirit of individuality and selfishness we look inward to the timeless truths and turn our attention outward to the charity and welfare of our kin.

May your light shine bright from within upon our world.

Preparing for the GRE

My preparation for the GRE began during the sultry months of summer.  In hindsight, I should have begun months earlier.  In this one way the GRE differs from the SAT.  Most students may not have to worry about scheduling and preparing for the general records examination because the standard procedure is streamlined for the masses.  Had I only known the norm especially does not apply to students like me when it comes to the Educational Testing Service (ETS) policies for the GRE.  While one can always squeak bye cramming for a test, you can not even hope to take the GRE without jumping through the hoops of scheduling a test date.  So the challenge with the GRE is more one of navigating the bureaucracy and bending to the strict format of test taking rather than insuring complete competency of all subject matter.

With the beginning of the school year just weeks away, after returning home from a wonderful summer vacation, I began my GRE saga on the ETS website, while September baked the Earth outside my window.  Who can think of deadlines and policies during a tropical heat wave?  I sure enough can't.  So I didn't take very seriously the stern ETS messages I read in the files I saved from their site onto my PC.  OK, sure, any testing accommodations need to be requested officially with proper documentation of eligibility.  I'll ask DSP once I get back to school.  If letters of request and certification of disability are needed from Diane or Dr. Dobbs, it's easier to request them in when I am there in person.  The main point I figured was:

 

        "Your completed registration, payment, Applicant's Request for

        Nonstandard Testing Accommodations form, and/or appropriate

        documentation must be sent together in one envelope to:

          Educational Testing Service

          GRE Program

          Disability Services

          PO Box 6054

          Princeton, NJ 08541-6054

 

So, instead of jumping on the accommodation request, the necessary prerequisite for scheduling the test date, I turned my attention towards the question of GRE study materials.  What were the best study guides and where could I get them?  My recollection of the SAT reminded me of the outstanding Princeton Review study guide for the SAT.  I knew I needed one like it for the GRE.  I also hoped that there would be more accessible materials available now that more books were starting to be made available in a digital form.  The first part was covered thanks to Joe, who handed down his study guide to me from the year before.  The accessible materials were trickier to acquire.  I first found that Recording for the Blind had one set of study questions on a floppy disk that could be special ordered.  I thought, fantastic, this should be exactly what I need.  So I satisfied myself with the hope that Joe's book and the disk from RFB&D would be sufficient.  There was nothing else back then besides the expensive preparation courses (which I already had ruled out of the question).  Years later, a plethora of resources would emerge on the World Wide Web with interactive questions like those found in the GRE itself.  But time was not on my side back then.  I knew I better start studying while waiting for my disk from Recording for the Blind, despite the lure of summer leisure.  So before returning South, I practiced the test exercises and read through the tips and strategies with my folks.

Graduate School Here We Come

When a student decides to apply for graduate studies, he may at first be overwhelmed with the prospects of paperwork and procedures ahead of him. But step back a second and recollect four years or so back...to the time of college applications as a senior in high school. Surely you remember some lessons from that experience? While "graduate" may at first sound scary, you may find that underneath the façade of professionalism, applying for graduate school is very similar to the under-graduate application process.
First, recall the standardized aptitude test you had to take as a senior in high school? If you are drawing a blank, try dusting off your memories of taking the SAT, for the recommended strategies for scoring well on the SAT also apply, in general terms, to doing well on the GRE. Yes, the General Records Examination, better known as the GRE, is the graduate school version of the SAT. All applicants to graduate school are required to take the GRE for most graduate programs. That being said, there are as many, if not more, exceptions to policy at the graduate level as there is at the under-graduate level. So be certain to consult the graduate program requirements for each institution you are considering. Once you verify that the GRE is required, "yesterday" is never too early to get started with your preparations. Now there are those of us who are natural born test takers; but for most prospective grad students, studying for the GRE is necessary. In the engineering field, the analytical/mathematics portion should be a breeze. It is the rest of the GRE, particularly the vocabulary and written portions that may deserve some extra attention. So be sure to invest in one of the reputable GRE study books or courses and then practice, practice, practice. Your study should include not only the book form but also the computer-based study questions and sample exams. Depending on how you elect to take the GRE, and whether you are granted any special accommodations, you will either be taking the computer-based GRE, the paper-based GRE, or a combination of each. So practicing and becoming comfortable taking the practice GRE in the way you expect to during the real exam will make a big difference in your scores. Then, as soon as you line up your study materials, find out the dates and locations for taking the GRE and register for your preferred session. There are many sites and dates offered around the country; however, your choices may be limited if you are attending a small college, live in a rural area, or have been granted special accommodations. Personally, I didn't have a choice in the matter. Be aware too that requests for special accommodations can take a long time to be granted and arranged. So get your GRE application in early!
Second, get the campus and graduate program-specific requirements for your graduate school application. These requirements are similar but do vary slightly between institution s. These days, you will likely be able to complete your grad school application online and keep track of the components for each on the respective sites. A personal statement of intent, letters of recommendation and a form containing in effect your CV are the basic requirements. Specific programs may amend or add to these as they feel fit so again, do check with the graduate program assistant in the department you are considering. Asking for letters of recommendation early is critical. You may not yet have a final version of your personal statement but that's all right. What is most important is that you give plenty of time for your professors to write your recommendation letter(s). As soon as you have a sufficiently final draft ready, you will want to provide your recommenders with copies of your personal statement and accomplishments so that they have a reminder of what you have done to make your application most worthy of acceptance.
Third, write, review, polish and customize your personal statement, your curriculum vita, and any other supporting or requested materials. Drawing on your experience with your under-graduate application and any scholarship or fellowship applications is a good idea. You will likely end up completely rewriting your previous personal statement but having a starting place is easier than beginning with a blank document. Be sure to tailor your personal statement to the specific study and program you intend on pursuing. Then drawn on the support services your campus offers, consult your department advisor(s) and seek the advice of your family and friends. Some students may resort to hiring a professional writer but personally this is not a direction I have ever taken. Part of learning and refining is practicing the art itself.
Fourthly, perhaps the most important part of the application process, make contact with the faculty and staff at the department you are considering. Establishing a relationship early on will help to not only familiarize yourself with the specifics of a department and research focuses at the prospective university, but also to increase your chances of making a match and consequent acceptance. For as has been noted, research faculty are always looking for their next star student.
Finally, cross your t's, dot your i's and check your application is complete. One of the most common causes for rejection is simply incomplete applications. So you might want to verify that your application was received with all necessary materials and that all letters of recommendation were received as well. Following up with the graduate program advisor can be a good idea; but be cautious of being too pushy. Academic reviews run on their own time frame and constant inquiry may have an adverse effect, especially when corresponding with busy professors. So take a chill pill, focus back on your current course work and/or job, and have fun!

Committing to the mission

 

While talk continued amongst my classmates about the up-coming interviews and job offers each was entertaining, my focus shifted once I committed myself to the pursuit of graduate school.  This time, however, unlike the college search in under-grad, the process, procedures and outcomes were far more refined.  Like before, I had to decide what schools I wanted to apply to.  The type of program offered at each school was an important factor because I would devote the following years to the mastery of the specialization I chose.  Still, a university with breath, in addition to depth, could give me a broader, inter-disciplinary competency and offer more opportunities if I didn't know exactly what research I intended to conduct.  So the choice I had was not as simple as looking at national rankings, physical environment and support services.  With advice from my professors, campus career counselors, friends and family, I gradually developed boiled-down criteria for my decision process.

1.  Environment and location:  I quickly narrowed down the scope of graduate school inquiry to exclude all out-of-state programs.  Living in Santa Barbara was far enough from home to travel for my taste.  So I cut out southern California from my considerations.  After all, I had already determined that the only good engineering university South of Santa Barbara was not warm to the idea of a blind student on their campus unless he had a thick pocket book.  So this left between the bay area, and Santa Barbara open for possibility. 

2)  Increasing your opportunity via renowned research and graduate programs:  Once one has a graduate degree, nobody cares as much about where you went and what you did for your Bachelor's degree.  The choice of a graduate program, so my professors told me, would affect the quality of my specialized education, the chances for funding along the way, and most importantly the opportunity for references to jobs in academia or industry afterwards.  Going to a big name institution would carry a greater weight because the name would be more widely recognized by employers and review committees.  Professors who were well published would likely have more connections to institutions around the country and world and make it easier to publish your first papers.  Going to a top research-level institution with a doctorate tract in your field of interest was essential for anyone with the slightest aspiration of a career in academia.  My search for graduate programs in mechanical engineering at well-regarded institutions narrowed down to just three campuses in my target region.  I put U.C. Santa Barbara, U.C. Berkeley, and Stanford on my list of good candidates. 

3)  The research group:  Beyond the selection of a campus, at the graduate level prospective students should identify professors and research groups that are doing "interesting" research in a field you might want to specialize in.  Now sometimes under-graduates, I included, don't really know what sort of research they want to do or what even has merit.  But you can get a feel for the areas of expertise a department, and its professors have based on publications and course offerings.  After all, your faculty will be the greatest asset in mastering the field you choose.  Making contact and better yet working with research groups ahead of time will help in determining your match on an academic level and also on a personal level.  You will do best with a group that works in a way you are comfortable with (independent with few meetings versus highly collaborative with regular, mandatory meetings).

4)  Financial support:  Just as under-graduate education has a price tag, a graduate degree is not free.  That being said, depending on the type of graduate program pursued, there is a very different dynamic in the graduate level education than that of a Bachelor's degree.  The top students are sought after by all institutions and as such can expect some form of recruitment fellowship to be available.  Additionally, faculty with a flourishing research group are always looking for the next batch of students to bring under their mentorship, often in the form of a research assistantship.  While departments offer teaching assistantships as well, having a promise of an RA/TA position for the duration of your graduate studies is ideally what you want to receive.  Naturally this does not often get set until you officially begin as a grad student and formally select an advisor.  Still, knowing ahead of time may influence your manner of negotiation and final choice of school.

5)  Doctorial candidates:  The last tip truly applies most for the student who has potential for completing a doctorate degree.  So, while as a Senior frantically working towards completing your bachelor's degree the idea of a PhD may seem so far away as to be unrealistic, if you have the slightest idea of excelling to the pinnacle of the educational latter and gaining the expertise necessary to conduct research and teach at an academy, it is recommended that you apply for the doctorial program right off the bat.  Your chances for a good advisor's support and going all the way are much greater are you do.

 

With the pearls of wisdom from these four points imparted, I plunged on with excitement through the administrative part of the application for graduate school.

Deciding factors: Why choose graduate school over a job in industry??

At the beginning of my senior year of under-graduate studies, I was convinced of my destiny to work in industry immediately following graduation.  Heck, just a few months earlier the UCSB Outreach video man caught me on tape saying just that in reply to his question "What do you plan to do after graduation?""  For several years following this interview, Just about every freshman entering UCSB would hear me on the "Welcome to UCSB" video explain my plan to work in industry for a few years to get some practical experience before returning to school to get my Masters.  It was a done deal, so I thought.

 So naturally, starting with UCSB's Annual "Meet the Firms Business Careers Fair" on October 26, I lined up my calendar to attend all the info sessions and career workshops.  Its not that I hadn't been to many info sessions before in the Engineering II Pavilion and UCEN State Room during my previous three years.  But back then I was focused more on securing an internship or summer job than on full-time employment.  Now, however, it was time to do my homework on potential companies matching my interests and prepare the best I could, just as Don and the counseling staff recommended us seniors do.  Never mind that the company recruiters often enticed us college kids to come to their session with a nice Woodstocks or UCEN catering morsel and nifty corporate free-bee.  The HP and Microsoft sessions always were packed thanks to their laptop and palm pilot drawings. So, after making the rounds at the career fair, over the following week I sat in on the presentations given by Texas Instruments, Anderson Consulting, Raytheon and Chevron.

Then the graduate schools started their campaigns for attracting soon-to-be graduates like me.  The November 1st "Graduate school seminar" gave the counter-proposal for continued education.  Each of the schools represented had a compelling reason why I should come to their school.  Not only that, they presented an orderly plan of attack for how each of us "good" students should go about selecting and applying for graduate programs around the country.  Somehow this seemed less daunting than securing a job.  After all, just four years before I had gone through the same sort of process in selecting and applying for college. 

Well, the door of possibility had opened.  Even though I still believed industry was the right direction for me, I was intrigued by the polar perspectives presented by industry and academia. The flashy carrot of corporate sponsorship to go back to school on your employer's dime was no longer a big perk like I first thought before learning that many graduate programs offer full rides as well.  What then were the unspoken factors dictating a logical choice of heads or tails?  I decided I had better get to the bottom of my dilemma.

I set out to learn what I could from all the resources I knew to tap into.  My family, friends, career advisors, DSP, my fellow classmates and the ME professors were all on my list.  But the more I discussed, the better the argument for each side became.  I needed the nugget that would put this major decision into practical context for action.  Luckily for me, such a pearl of wisdom finally hit home during my meeting with the under-graduate department advisor, Prof. McLean.  This is what he said:

 

* If you are a good student now, have any intent or ambition for further higher education, and aren't burnt out, go to graduate school immediately after you finish under-grad.  It is far easier to get good letters of recommendation from faculty while you are taking classes than if you wait a few years.  Plus, the academy is primed for helping you with GRE preparation and polishing your personal statement whereas in a few years you would be on your own.  Additionally, many institutions can offer fellowships to top students like you to cover tuition and provide TA and/or RA positions for living expenses.  Finally, going to graduate school is much easier before working in industry because, as they say, ignorance is bliss.  Once you enter the life of a working man with bi-monthly pay checks, it's much harder to go back to the lowly life of a student.

 

So there it was: my answer finally came.  I concluded graduate school was the better path for me.

 

Advice from a Sage

The beauty of an institution is the institutional memory that years
of collaborative experience leaves behind even when its constituents
come and go. While each year, and each course, for the student is a
fresh and new experience, repetitive practice with the art of
education seasons both professors and academic counselors. And, this
is a good thing I say. For in the Fall many important dates must be
remembered in order for seniors to effectively navigate the waters
of post-undergraduate planning. First come the career fairs to
launch the employer's recruiting season. Then come the myriad of
"info sessions" hosted by all company recruiters with personnel
quotas to be filled. These sporadic events are followed soon after
by the job interviews. But, don't forget, in amongst all of this,
your trusty career counselors continue to hold specialized workshops
to help every pupil along each step of the process of job
placement. Is it any wonder that students start getting frantic
around the time of the first midterms with all this over-burdening
their already jam-packed and cluttered minds? Yet, this is only the
beginning. For not to be out-done by industry, academia puts in its
plug for fresh new talent each Fall as well.
University representatives, just like their industry counter-parts,
begin the info sessions for graduate studies as soon as the dust
settles from move-in week. Graduate school has a whole set of
considerations and requirements to be pondered as well. What field
do I want to pursue? Do I want to go for a certificate, masters, PhD
or professional certification in business, law or medicine? What
part of the country or world would I consider making home for the
duration of my graduate education? All of these questions toy with a
senior's mind as he sorts out the ultimate question: "What do I want
to do with my life?" Alas, if only difficult questions could be
deferred some more for another nice lark in the park of no responsibility.
Stepping in to help clear the abundant bewilderment, both campus
counselors and individualized department advisors make their annual
attempt at simplifying the decisions and steps of post-undergraduate
planning into a simple roadmap. First, line up the ducks with career
planning guides and academic check-lists. You do want to graduate on
time don't you? Second, study for and take the GRE. Third, attend
the info sessions and do your homework on the academic programs best
suited for your interests and ambitions. Then, it is never to early
to begin writing your personal statement and preparing application
materials. For if a senior thinks the first midterms come quick, the
second set of exams will arrive even quicker, and, right in their
footsteps are the first of the application deadlines. November,
December and January is when the pressure really picks up. Yet,
never fear. With all the help around and a clever initiative, there
will still be time for enjoying your last Autumn as an undergraduate
with your fellow friends and classmates.