For my final post, I thought I would point out and discuss some of the resources available to the graduate student. Hopefully, you will find some of these resources useful in your own journey through graduate school.
Take a visit to the OU IT store. There are a number of "free"( free, as in, you've already paid for it with your tuition fees) downloads available. If you want to upgrade to Office 2003 Professional this is a free download. Symantic Anti-Virus and Ad-Aware are also available to download. For grad assistants, I would suggest downloading a copy of EndNote, or ProCite. These are very useful reference managers which will help store and properly format all the research that you have downloaded from the library. The only pain is that you need to do a little data entry to load your references but after that you will be able to cite and reference effortlessly in most Word .docs.
If you like to listen to music while you are studying check out ruckus.com. OU, like many other universities, has an agreement with Ruckus for free music downloads. Ruckus also has videos and games which might distract you from working on your thesis but it is worth checking out. Pandora.com is also a great customizable Internet music site. Build music channels with your music preferences-listening to Pandora is almost like inventing your own favorite radio station that only plays the kind of songs you want to hear.
Feelin' blue? Gradresources.org is a website that has a section for "E-mentors" that are available through email correspondence. According to the website:
Nick Repak, National Director of Grad Resources, has started a weekly email letter to those who have requested E-Mentor assistance. His initial topics have included Time Management, Prof/Grad Relationships, Financial Pressures, and other issues grad students face. He will also respond to topics/issues you feel are pertinent to a majority of grad students, and would greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions. If there are specific issues that require personal responses he will attempt to answers these personally or put you in contact with someone who can.
If you have a more urgent need for help, Gradresources.org also offers a crisis hotline-1-877-GRAD-HLP. Unfortunately, the section that was titled Grad Student Survival Kits: Free Resources for Graduate Students is now closed.
Trying to eat well on a tight budget? I would recommend this site for a number of recipes that are possible for a starving college student. Recipes like "Hot Dog Casserole" and "Ramen Foo Young" are quick, easy and affordable for a graduate student on a budget.
For those graduate students that are hard up for cash-- donating plasma might be a possibility. The local center in Norman is right down the road from campus. I paid for my high school prom by donating plasma and I finished The Once and Future King by T.H. White-required reading for my senior A.P. English class-during my plasma sessions.
I know that some of these tips might be more practical than others. I just thought that I would have a little fun with my last post. Hopefully, though, at least one of these tips will come in handy-Have a good summer and good luck with the Hot Dog Casserole.
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