The Choice to Pursue an Interdisciplinary Minor

Many, if not all, doctoral programs at IU require students to select a minor. My program requires a 12 credit hour minor. My first semester, I had NO IDEA how to select a minor. So, I started at the logical place: the established minor programs. After reviewing those, and realizing that I couldn't really see myself genuinely interested and engaged in 12 hours of course work for any of those topics, I began seriously exploring my interests for a topic that would work. I ended up building my own minor, which has really challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and explore other the course offerings in other schools on campus.

Thus far, I have completed minor courework in three schools outside of my major area. Not until completing 9 credit hours, though, was I advised to check on the requirements for an interdisciplinary minor. This is what I learned:

• interdepartmental/interdisciplinary minors have extra requirements


• I needed to write a description of my minor, a rationale for the courses intended to count towards the minor, and a rationale for the person who serves as my minor advisor


• the description must be submitted to the department/school that holds my major


• after review/approval, my school submits the description to the University Graduate School for review and approval.

I am now, with 9 minor credit hours completed, somewhere in the midst of the process described above. From the way that the process was described to me, it sounds more like a formality to ensure that your minor is legit than something that will actually hinder progress. However, as I move through this process, I'll append comments to this blog.

Here are my final thoughts about choosing minors: (1) choose a minor that best fits your research interests; if you're going to spend time working on it, it may as well be useful to you (2) interdisciplinary minors are GREAT for exploring your own research interests, (3) be sure to check with your department or school for additional requirements or paperwork that accompanies your decision.

Tips on the 15-minute Conference Presentation

One of my professor's shared the following "article" with us yesterday, and I thought it could be helpful for others. If you're anything like me, you absolutely dread the 15-minute presentation. Anytime someone allots me 15 minutes, I think "Are you serious? I'm supposed to present months of work in 15 minutes?!" Well, this article helped me understand why sticking to the timeline is an important skill to learn. I vow to do better next time...and my next time is approaching in about 3 weeks, ugh!!!

The 12-minute Conference Talk

Cheap Treats: Taking in a Movie

If you're like me, you enjoy finding cost-efficient ways to have fun in Bloomington. I'm not a huge movie person, but when I do take the time to go see a movie, I don't like to pay $9+ per person to do it. So...here are the tips I've picked up along the way:

1) Kerasotes (the theatre with a monopoly on the Bloomington market) has a "5 buck club." To join the club, simply visit the Kerasotes Web site and complete the form. Within 2 weeks (tops!) you'll receive your 5 buck club card in the mail. As a member of the 5 buck club, you can see any movie that has been in theatres for at least 2 weeks for the low price of $5. Most often, when you go to see a movie after it's been out for 2 weeks, you get the added bonus of a nearly empty theatre, your pick of seats/rows, and all the elbow room you can handle!

2) The IMU (student union) plays first-run movies in the Whittenberger Auditorium every weekend for the low, low price of $free.99. That's right...as long as you tote an IU student identification card, you can see free movies at the IMU. I saw my first IMU movie a few weeks ago ("Milk"), and it was great...not just the movie, but the feeling of taking in a $9.50 experience at no charge! My advice (not that you asked for it, but you are reading this so...): get there early to get a good seat, b/c (a) the floor in the Whittenberger is not as slanted as it looks, and you could get stuck sitting behind a giant, and (b) there are no previews.

3) For all lovers of independent films, the Keystone Art Cinema in Indianapolis has special "Rattle & Reel" screenings on Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. These screenings are specifically for caregivers to small children. Adults must pay to enter the theatre, but all children are free. This is the only one of my three tips that I've never actually been to myself. However, I have been to this theatre, and it's great! If you join their film club, you get advance information on which movies are coming next and the occasional invitation to free screenings. As well, if you're going to the Keystone Cinema without the children, you can enjoy a glass of wine in their swanky lounge.

Seconding the accountabili-buddy...and generally scholarly study buddies

I completely agree with Mahauganee about having an accountabili-buddy (and thanks, Mahauganee, for pointing out the correct lingo for this!). In addition to finding someone who keeps you motivated, though, I've also found that having someone whose research is similar to mine gives me motivation, as well - of a different kind. Specifically, having someone around who I can work well with, and who shares my general areas of interest, has been great for getting me started on collaborative projects.
Most of us have some kind of opportunity while we are graduate students to work on research projects initiated by faculty - but I think building collaborations with our fellow graduate students can be even more fruitful in some ways. For one, it allows us to take control of the project and the way it is approached. In addition, though, it helps make that transition from "fellow students" to "fellow colleagues." After all, these are the folks we'll be interacting with at conferences, as peer-reviewers, etc., for decades to come (hopefully!).
Even if you already feel like you have enough on your plate - listen to the projects your fellow students/colleagues are proposing as course papers, etc. You never know when something might turn into a co-authored paper, or a research project you can get funded!

Finding an Accountabili-buddy to Help you Focus on the Small Steps

"Two small steps are sometimes better than one big leap." ~last week's fortune cookie


One of the most helpful things to my program of study has been having an accountabilibuddy! Regardless of what stage of life you're in, you probably have one too (even if you don't use the same terminology). Are you wondering what an accountabilibuddy is? For me, it's the person who keeps me on track and holds me accountable for my work. When all I can think about is the big leap I have to survive in order to complete this degree program, my accountabilibuddy helps me remain focused on the small steps that I have to take to get there. That help most often comes in the form of a "productivity session." During our productivity sessions, we find a place where we can lock ourselves off from the world--usually a quiet floor in the library or a local coffee house--and do our work.

It's important to note that my accountabilibuddy is not in the same program or school as me; however, we're pursuing the same degree. Thus, we know the general process that each other is enduring. When we have our productivity sessions, we most often do not work on the same things. One of us may be reading, while the other is writing. The point is that we're both making progress towards our respective deadlines, and when it's time to take a break there's someone there to talk to.

If you don't have an accountabilibuddy, I highly recommend that you find someone on a common journey whose company you enjoy, and enlist them! Chance are, though, that most people reading this already have an accountabilibuddy...and now you know what to call them!