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Personal Development

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Graduate school is supposed to be hard. But, it can also be humane and healthy, and a place where you can thrive. Staying mentally and physically healthy is not just important, it is the most important thing. Many people and resources at MIT are dedicated to supporting graduate students’ health and well-being. We invite you to explore new avenues for your own personal development, and:

  • Embrace the reality that effort, learning, and failure play their own role in the ultimate achievement of our goals
  • Find a healthy balance between work and life
  • Care for the your emotions and the emotions of others, and make mindful choices that align with your beliefs
  • Learn how to receive and share constructive criticism
  • Discover and articulate your personal values

Dissertation Dispatch: The Grad School Survival Guide

Graduate school can be hard. And during difficult moments, advice from peers who have walked a similar path can make you feel less alone. That’s why the Graduate Professional Development team is putting together a “Survival Guide” of real advice, …

By Tara Thakurta
Tara Thakurta Graduate Community Fellow
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Redefine success, identify challenges, and flip failure this new year!

Life comes with its fair set of challenges. The goal of building resilience is to equip yourself to weather life’s challenges as they arise. Much of that work involves redefining what success and failure mean and finding ways to use …

By Tara Thakurta
Tara Thakurta Graduate Community Fellow
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New Professional Development Certificates for PhDs and Postdocs

Applications are now open

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for two new professional development certificate programs for PhDs and postdocs for AY 2023-2024: the Research Mentoring Certificate and the Grant Writing Training Certificate. Applications for …

By Amanda Cornwall
Amanda Cornwall Associate Director, Graduate Student Professional Development
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Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership Workshop Series: Fall 2023

The Graduate Program in Engineering Leadership Program is pleased to announce the Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership Workshop Series for Fall 2023.

We invite you to register and attend our series, which count toward satisfying requirements toward our certificate. The …

By Tara Thakurta
Tara Thakurta Graduate Community Fellow
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2024 “Spilling the Tea” with MIT Graduate Alumna

The “Spilling the Tea” series is back! At these small-scale, limited-enrollment events, join in a conversation with an alumna leader over (iced) tea and cookies. Each of the “Spilling the Tea” parties takes an important topic incorporating an aspect of …

By Amanda Cornwall
Amanda Cornwall Associate Director, Graduate Student Professional Development
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Featured Resources

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Survival Guide for Women of Color

How to protect your bright mind from the drain of everyday racism you may encounter in academic life.

By Aisha …

CAPD Podcast Playlist: Professional Development & Career Competencies

Check out CAPD’s ever-expanding playlist of podcasts offering insight into professional development & career competencies.

American Council of Learned Societies: Pathways to Non-Academic Careers for PhDs

Interested in non-academic career paths for humanities & social sciences PhDs? Watch the recording of the American Council of Learned …

The New York Times: The Working Woman’s Handbook

Check out this collection of articles from the New York Times addressing women in the workplace.

“The workplace still isn’t …

Life in Academe: “Conspiracy, Complaining, and Cooking”

In this article published in Inside Higher Ed, Nassim Parvin shares three concepts that serve to illustrate her post-PhD life …

Berkeley Science of Gratitude Journaling

Want to practice gratitude? Check out Berkeley’s step-by-step guide for Gratitude Journaling, an important skill for graduate student development, professionally