Essential skills for grad students of ecology
|
Learn the essential skills for grad school success
RESOURCEFULGet all of the tools and techniques you need to cruise the literature, design and conduct feasible and sound research projects, and write + defend
your thesis with success. |
OUTSIDE-THE-BOXGo beyond conventional "grad school survival" wisdom with field-tested techniques sourced from the latest research in behavioral and motivational psychology.
|
GOAL BASEDFollow a step-by-step goal-oriented approach that helps you build a plan of action and optimize
your success. |
One of my greatest passions is mentoring students interested in designing, conducting, and analyzing ecological studies. I've worked with students ranging from high school to graduate level, mostly one-on-one.
I recently graduated and I now want to share the skills and techniques that have helped me the most towards successfully completing my PhD in plant ecology. I went through a rollercoaster of experiences through my six-year program, including, but not limited to:
But during these years, I was also able to:
I am proud of having achieved what I have, but I am not listing these things to brag. I've listed these things as examples of what you too can accomplish. If I did it, then you can as well. Learn more about me here
Through online courses, supplemental guides, and an app, I teach a resourceful, multifaceted, and out-of-the-box approach to thriving in grad school as an ecologist. In order to make this website a sustainable resource that I can keep improving, I will be charging for most of my video courses. That said, the goal of this site will be for connecting ecology grad students with the best resources and advice available, so the majority of content will be available for free. Click here to see my current compilation of links to (what I think are) the MUST-READ articles for grad students in ecology. Or click "Start Learning" to download the guide as a PDF.
I recently graduated and I now want to share the skills and techniques that have helped me the most towards successfully completing my PhD in plant ecology. I went through a rollercoaster of experiences through my six-year program, including, but not limited to:
- Running out of research funding
- Hitting the lowest point in my life and almost quitting
- Dealing with horrific bouts of procrastination
- Failing the first attempt at my qualifying exam
- Living for years of my life in "the valley of shit"
- Experiencing depression and anxiety
- Going broke
- Entire summers of fieldwork going to waste
- A life changing family emergency
But during these years, I was also able to:
- Find creative sources of funding for all of my research and stipend
- Not quit, and actually enjoy the decision.
- Find a way out of "the valley of shit" (Seriously, read Thesis Whisper's post)
- Develop my own ways of reducing depression and anxiety
- Building a startup and becoming a finalist at several business competitions
- Be named student entrepreneur of the year by the Whitman School of Management at SU (keep in mind that I was a biology student, NOT a business student)
- Receive both the NSF GRFP and NSF DDIG grants
- Served two years as president of the SU Biology Graduate Student Organization.
- Publish two first-author peer-reviewed publications
- Receive numerous awards related to my research and presentations
- Graduate successfully and on time, despite a substantial family emergency that forced me to write about two-thirds of my dissertation in two months
- Be awarded one of the university-wide doctoral dissertation awards at graduation
I am proud of having achieved what I have, but I am not listing these things to brag. I've listed these things as examples of what you too can accomplish. If I did it, then you can as well. Learn more about me here
Through online courses, supplemental guides, and an app, I teach a resourceful, multifaceted, and out-of-the-box approach to thriving in grad school as an ecologist. In order to make this website a sustainable resource that I can keep improving, I will be charging for most of my video courses. That said, the goal of this site will be for connecting ecology grad students with the best resources and advice available, so the majority of content will be available for free. Click here to see my current compilation of links to (what I think are) the MUST-READ articles for grad students in ecology. Or click "Start Learning" to download the guide as a PDF.
Sample Course Topics
|
Emotional and mental resilience
|
Mastering ecology
|
Succeeding as a grad student
|
Meet your instructor
Luka Negoita, PhD
I received my BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 2011 and my PhD in Biology with a focus in theoretical plant ecology in May 2018 with Dr. Jason Fridley at Syracuse University.
I spent the last 15 years deeply exploring mental health, wellbeing, motivation, and confidence through stoic and buddhist philosophy, while incorporating the latest research on behavioral psychology. Grad school gave me the "laboratory" to test what I learned about staying happy and productive in one of the most mentally challenging environments imaginable. This led me to develop HabitU, an app designed to help me form healthy habits and reduce stress as a grad student.
Along with the academic skills and hacks I've learned along the way, I present The Grad Ecologist courses as my way of helping the next generation of grad students in ecology.
I spent the last 15 years deeply exploring mental health, wellbeing, motivation, and confidence through stoic and buddhist philosophy, while incorporating the latest research on behavioral psychology. Grad school gave me the "laboratory" to test what I learned about staying happy and productive in one of the most mentally challenging environments imaginable. This led me to develop HabitU, an app designed to help me form healthy habits and reduce stress as a grad student.
Along with the academic skills and hacks I've learned along the way, I present The Grad Ecologist courses as my way of helping the next generation of grad students in ecology.