The Graduate and Professional Student Senate hosted a Graduate Orientation for graduate and professional students new to their master and doctorate programs Monday evening. Approximately 40 students were in attendance in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Craig Ogilvie, assistant dean to the graduate college, emphasized how important it is to be committed to new opportunities instead of getting stuck in a rut of detailed knowledge that many graduate students attain while studying in their specific programs.

“We want to encourage students and find enough space to get involved in multiple, viable projects outside of the coursework and thesis they have,” Ogilvie said. “At the graduate level, we emphasize coursework, coursework, coursework. See if you can carve some time out that applies to your knowledge and … applies to real world projects.”

Ogilvie introduced the Individual Development Plan, which a graduate student can use to fill out interests, skills and career goals to develop concrete plans for workshops and projects. Ogilvie said it is a tangible artifact to use as a guide while in a program.

Ogilvie has tips to help graduate and professional students survive their time at Iowa State.

“Do not work more than 40 to 60 hours a week, I look for quality not quantity,” he said. “Find a mentor apart from your adviser, get to know the graduate secretary in your program, ask questions and act as a community because you’re not going through this alone.”

Karin Lawton-Dunn, from the graduate college career services, discussed different tools and resources to use that will help bulk up a graduate student’s résumé.

“What we try to do is connect, discover and grow,” Lawton-Dunn said. “We look at where you are going to go when you get done with your degree.”

Lawton-Dunn discussed LinkedIn as a helpful tool and ISU resources such as spring career fairs, student services and the graduate college career services for students to use to assist them in getting a job after graduation.

Susan Vega-Garcia, from research and instruction services of Parks Library, introduced tips every graduate student should know about the library.

The Internet database, interlibrary loan, general research database and find your subject librarian are all pertinent library tools for ISU students.

“Each one of you has your own librarian,” Vega-Garcia said. “That person is the subject expert in your area at the library.”

GPSS President Zachary Zenko offered his support as well as the senate as a whole, for the new students and to encourage graduate students to join student organizations such as GPSS.

The most important event Zenko encouraged students to get involved in is the Graduate Conference, which is hosted by GPSS in April and allows students the opportunity to present their findings and share their research activities.