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CHAPTER 2 • TEACHING & LEARNING 25

Networking

Meetings and conferences are significant

opportunities to broaden graduate students’

knowledge within and beyond their field of

interest. Attend a meeting or conference each

year not just to look at posters and listen to

presentations, but also to step forward and

ask questions about the research presented.

Don’t pass up the timely chance to meet new

people, discuss projects, and find answers to

common technical problems. It is also an

occasion to meet future post-doctoral advi-

sors and potential employers.

Individual Initiative

Completing graduate school is a long and,

at times, difficult adventure. Ask yourself

what you expect from your graduate training

and then make a plan for reaching those goals.

Your project is unique, which means you must

learn to think and act independently, take con-

trol, and accept the responsibility for the direc-

tion of your work. Doing so may lessen some

of the worry and pain along the way to obtain-

ing a degree, and build a strong foundation for

becoming an exceptional scientist. ■

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY

Instructing others on techniques

can expand the instructor’s

knowledge, while discussing

thesis projects with others may

rekindle excitement for one’s

own work.