Q & A for prospective students.
what do most grad students wear to class?
You could wear jeans and a nice shirt. If I wasn’t teaching, then I would typically wear jeans. Some of the classes are pretty long and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. When you are going into schools and such, it is important to dress professionally.
Where was your favorite place to study on campus? And did you have enough time to study for classes in between research, teaching, etc?
I really liked to study and meet people for meetings at Oxley’s by the numbers near the Tuttle Garage. There was always space and you could eat and get coffee. Off campus, I love Cup O Joe and Crimson Cup.
What parking permits did you guys find best for yourselves?
I think it depends what you are looking for and for how long you would be on campus. My second year I got a C pass, and my third year I had a B pass. More information please see this link http://www.campusparc.com/osu/permits/2014-2015-permit-selector.
Did you have a fairly clear direction with your area of interest prior to coming into the program or did you find that it evolved as you took coursework? what point did you commit to your topic?
I had no idea what area of study I was interested in coming into my program. I know with my background experience. I wanted to study mild to moderate disabilities. Then my advisor helped to refine and shape as I studied and read more research. I also was lucky to get a variety of experiences because I was not so specific with what I wanted to research. I was committed towards the end of my second year… I became interested in self-management and self-questioning to promote successful reading comprehension.
What is the advice for pick the faculty for comprehensive exam committee?
Firstly, work close with your advisor. And I would definitely make sure to choose committee members who are familiar with your research interests and who you have worked with in the past.
What is the time trajectory to complete the program?
Most of the other programs are around 5 years. Some do it in 4, but I think that is rare, especially if they are working full time in another position.
The special ed program is a little different than the other programs under ed studies. They fund us through the PhD program, so our students are either on an Ed Leadership Grant or a GA position (20 hours a week). So, because if this, we are planned and scheduled to be out in 3 years.
Were you able to accomplish much during the summer months?
Yes! The special ed program is year round, where I think the other programs, like the one you will be joining, are not full time during the summer. I worked on candidacy last summer and was able to accomplish a lot. This summer my dissertation was done, so I worked on submitting publications and writing. I think the summers are a great time to work on other professional items as well 🙂