Welcome Back Orientation Information

Welcome Back! 

    Your 2012-2013 English Graduate Student Association Board is excited to see you all next Thursday August 23 10-12pm for Orientation. We realize you may have packed schedules for Thursday, but if you are free, please join us for an informal lunch following Orientation at Potbelly Sandwich (616 23rd St NW). 

    Finally we would like to invite everyone to attend the first EGSA Happy Hour of the new year at Tonic (2036 G St NW) from 4pm-7pm. We hope to see you all there, and please don't hesitate to email us with any questions or suggestions at gwegsa@gmail.com. 

Tawnya Ravy

EGSA President

Remember, you can follow us via email using the gadget to the right, or "like" us on Facebook

Friday Fun and A New Research Tool

Friday is finally here, so come take advantage of the two fun events planned for today. GW Memsi is hosting a lunch (noon in Rome 771) with Ben Tilghman where he will discuss his paper "The Enigmatic Nature of Things." For more details, check out the GW Memsi Blog. Then stick around for EGSA's first Happy Hour of the new year at Founding Farmers from 5 to 7pm. This is a great opportunity to hang out with like-minded friends before the semester becomes too crazy. Check out our Facebook invite for details and to rsvp.

We also wanted to share a new research tool that is taking the academic community by storm. Ever heard of Zotero? The Chronicle for Higher Education posted about it a while back, but it was this graduate student blog post that made us take a second look. Essentially it is a reference tool that grabs citation information from any source that you want to catalogue (much like other programs), however it also gives you the unique ability to add notes to the references, to tag the references, and draw connections between them. Check out their introduction video here to see examples. We are still learning the interface, but it seems to have great potential. This is just one of many digital tools that could be helpful to your work including our *favorite* tool Dropbox. If you have other tools you would like to share or if you have questions about these, please do not hesitate to send us an email or leave a comment below.

January EGSA Happy Hour

Greetings!

PhD Comics ImageGreetings!

Start of the semester? Need a drink? 

Attending a MEMSI event? Need a drink?
Currently not drinking? Need a drink?

5:00pm until 7:00pm  (Friday, January 27, 2012)

Founding Farmers, 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW  Washington D.C., 20006 

Join the English Graduate Student Association at Founding Farmers for drinks and food (vegan friendly) for the inaugural happy hour of the "Spring" semester!

Check out the menu:
http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/washington-dc/ff_menus/menu-lunchdinner/ 

Sincerely,

M Bychowski

EGSA Social Events Coordinator

EGSA This Week

Apologies for the temporary absence of new posts, but please take a look at this week's EGSA events.

Please joins us this Friday, December 9th from 11 am to 2pm for the EGSA Book Sale! (Rome 753) All proceeds will go toward funding our EGSA Symposium in Spring 2012. Please take a look at our CFP for the Symposium and consider submitting your work.

Looking for something to read over break? Do you have a bunch of library books on your shelves because you can't afford to buy a copy? Do you already know what books you'll need for the spring semester? Come by the EGSA book sale and see if we have what you need! Our selection contains books from multiple disciplines and periods, including Norton editions, critical works, and anthologies. Prices range from $1 - $5.

Spread the word among your GWU peers. And if you teach or TA a class, consider making an announcement to your students or emailing them.

Also Friday December 9 we are getting together for the final EGSA Happy Hour of the year (4-6pm). We know it is a stressful time, so come blow off some steam with us over a few cocktails. Location is TBA (but it will be near campus) - so watch our Facebook Group and Fan Page for Updates.

TGIF - Teaching Advice and November Happy Hour

Please join us for the EGSA Teaching Seminar today from 12:30-4:30pm in Rome 771. We have three interesting sessions with an exciting group of speakers. For more details, check out Facebook or this blog post. We would also like to invite you to join us after the event for a November Happy Hour at TGI Fridays right near main campus (see the location and map to the right of this post). We will meet up from 4:30-6:30, and we hope you can take a study break and join us!

We also want to begin the online content from the Teaching Seminar today, knowing that many of you will not be able to join us. Throughout this process we have come across many interesting articles, resources, and teaching suggestions that will appear on this blog over the next few weeks. To begin with, we polled some faculty and graduate students about their top advice for new or beginning teachers. Our department chair, Dr. Gayle Wald, kindly offered the following advice:

1. Plan well but don't over-plan. Unless you're lecturing, scripted classes will inevitably disappoint. 
2. Try using rubrics for grading. I'm using them for the first time this semester, and it's going very well. I never thought I'd say that, but it's true.
3. Students today are accustomed to multimedia. It's nice to be able to give students various ways in to material: visual, oral, tactile, etc. Try using video, reading aloud, incorporating handouts, having students compile notes which someone writes on the board.
4. Try at least one experimental assignment each time you teach--you never know what will work. 
5. Approach each class with a set of objectives. What do you want your students to LEARN? (This is different from what you want to get through.) 
6. Be VERY clear about your expectations on the first day and on the syllabus. After that, don't be afraid of enforcing them.
7. Do not get involved in students' dramas. This is especially important when you are a grad student and (often) closer to undergrads in age. Be friendly and supportive, of course, but draw the line clearly. Refer students to other resources (deans, counselors, etc.) when necessary.
8. Don't forget to use your Chair! (Not the one you sit on--me!) If you need back-up or want an opinion about how to handle a situation, please ask. Often there are department policies that can guide you challenging situations. If a student is every disruptive, let the chair of the department know.


Do you have any suggestions or advice? Please leave a comment or email us - and don't forget to check back often (or subscribe with our new email service) because we will continue to post online content from today's sessions. 

This Week: EGSA

This week promises to be full of opportunity to mingle with your fellow grads and participate in program events. We hope to see you there at some or all of these events, and don't forget to check us out on Facebook for up to the minute event information.

Wednesday October 19 2:00-3:30pm in Rome 771 - Please join us for our second professional development workshop: "Designing Abstracts and Attending Conferences" where you will hear from Amber Cobb-Vazquez and Erin Vander Wall on their experiences with applying to and attending conferences. We will cover he basics for writing good abstracts as well as strategies for selecting CFPs and Conferences. Snacks are provided!

Wednesday October 19 Fellowship Opportunities for Masters Students  4:00-5:00pm Marvin Center 308–  join the GW Career Center for tips for Master's students in identifying, applying for, and winning competitive fellowships to support their graduate study. The GW Career Center often has workshops geared specifically toward graduate students, and EGSA will keep you informed about upcoming workshops regarding Resumes, CVs, and dissertation information. 

Thursday October 20 2:00-3:30 in Rome 771 - Please join us for Prof. Karen Tongson presenting “Finding the Cloverleaf in Queer Cultural Studies" hosted by the GWU English Department and organized by our own Dr. Robert McRuer. This is a unique opportunity to meet with a prominent scholar and engage with new scholarship. Please visit us on Facebook to access the event page and rsvp! 

Friday October 21 5:00-7:00pm at Bayou - Join us for the October EGSA Happy Hour where you can join in on the fun and meet your fellow grads. We know October is a busy month, but take a break and socialize - encourage your mentor/mentee to come. Please visit us on Facebook to access the event page and rsvp!

October Happy Hour

Happy Friday! EGSA would like to announce our upcoming October Happy Hour next Friday Oct. 21, 5pm at Bayou D.C. (2519 Penn Ave NW). Please join us for some happy hour specials and an opportunity to vent your frustration or celebrate your success! We would also like to encourage you to come with your EGSA mentor/mentee so that you can catch up. So please check out our Facebook page to rsvp and get the details. We would also like to encourage you to become a Fan of EGSA on facebook so that you can receive blog updates.
Stay tuned for a series of helpful posts next week, including upcoming conferences, campus events, and the online content from our upcoming workshop "Designing Abstracts and Attending Conferences." We hope to see you there. Please rsvp so I can bring enough baked goodies!

Borrowed from PhD Comics

T.G.I.F.

Friday is finally here! And even though for many of us this day is anything but the end of our work week, we might as well take a break for some fresh air and sunshine (I hear these are good for us?). We are taking a breather from posting more information, but feel free to check out this week's post on Professional Materials for M.A. Students (much of this information is useful for PhD students as well). Next week we will continue posting grad school resources, time management tips, and upcoming academic opportunities. In the meantime, take a break! Please come out and join us for happy hour at Tonic this afternoon (see our facebook page for event details or to r.s.v.p.)

Comic from www.phdcomics.com 

This Week in the EGSA

Please join us this week at our end of September events. As the demands of the semester begin to pick up, it is important to take breaks, connect with your friends, and network with your fellow graduate students! This week we want to offer you helpful information, stress management skills, and an opportunity to imbibe at one of our favorite campus bars, Tonic.

This Tuesday, on September 26 at 2:30pm EGSA is hosting the "Plan Your M.A." event in Rome 771. We have information and resources for first and second year M.A. students. No matter if you are gearing up for the job market or applying to PhD programs, we have advice and tips for everyone. We have sample professional materials, a list of books and web sources, and advice taken straight from our professors' mouths. It will also be a unique opportunity for you to ask any burning questions and exchange ideas/information with your fellow M.A. colleagues. Not to mention that your M.A. representative to EGSA and I will be baking delicious treats. Please feel free to bring your own beverage, and pass the word along to your fellow students! Visit us on Facebook for event details or to RSVP.

This Friday, on September 30 from noon to 3pm EGSA is hosting a Happy Hour located at Tonic. If you cannot make it until later in the afternoon, let us know and some of us will stick around. For those of you who are new to the area, Tonic is one of the closest bars to Rome and has great happy hour deals. Come join us for some Tater Tots and cocktails this Friday afternoon. Remember that it is important for you to take a study break, vent your frustrations, and network with your fellow grads. We all look forward to seeing you there. Visit us on Facebook for event details and to RSVP.

In keeping with the theme of taking a break, check out this little gem of a website which explores the humorous side of graduate school: PhD Comics.