Graduate School Primer: Navigating Academia Workshop Series
As part of a continued orientation experience for incoming graduate and professional students, the Graduate School sponsors a special seminar series for first-year graduate and professional students. The purpose of Graduate School Primer workshops is for students to gain valuable information and skills to make a successful transition into the role of a Cornell graduate or professional student.
2026 Workshops
Register for the 2026 Primer Series via Qualtrics
Note: Sessions will *not* be recorded this year. After the completion of the series, we will make each session’s slides available for 30 days.
Grad School 101
Monday, July 20, 12 – 1 p.m.
What’s the difference between undergrad and grad school? What if I haven’t been in a classroom in years? How do I manage school obligations with just… being a person? These are all extremely common questions asked by new (and longtime!) graduate students. Join your Graduate Student Life Advisor (Olivia Hopewell) to learn more about common graduate school experiences– both academic and personal– and tips for handling them.
Presenters: Olivia Hopewell, graduate student life advisor
Identifying Resources to Succeed as a Teaching Assistant at Cornell
Tuesday, July 21, 9 – 10 a.m.
Will you have teaching responsibilities this fall? Are you thinking about a faculty career track and want to develop your skills as an instructor? If your answer is “yes,” or you just want to find out more about teaching, join us to explore the many resources that are available to you at Cornell. At this session we will discuss the various teaching roles graduate students experience and identify areas you could develop to ensure a successful teaching experience.
Presenters: Colleen McLinn, associate dean for professional development, and Derina Samuel, associate director, graduate student development, Center for Teaching Innovation
Getting the Mentoring You Need and Want
Thursday, July 23, 1 – 2 p.m.
In this workshop, graduate students reflect on their mentoring experiences and needs, learn to co-construct and manage mutual expectations within their mentoring relationships, and develop strategies to establish a network of mentors to get the mentoring they need and want across multiple domains. This workshop also introduces the FAIM (Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring) Resource Center, which provides a framework to support the development and advancement of inclusive and equity-minded mentoring practices within graduate and postdoctoral education. The FAIM framework comprises an inclusive mentoring philosophy, key principles, and practical tools and resources intended to be adapted and adopted to meet the contextual needs of mentors and mentees.
Presenters: Colleen McLinn, associate dean for professional development, and Sara Xayarath Hernández, associate dean for inclusion and student and faculty engagement
Navigating Key PhD Milestones and Academic Expectations
Tuesday, July 28, 1 – 2 p.m.
Learn about key milestones associated with being a Cornell graduate student before you are expected to reach them. This session will share important information about academic milestones and provide strategies to help you successfully meet them. In addition to a short presentation, participants will have opportunities to break into smaller groups to reflect on and brainstorm how to apply the guidance in their fields of study.
Presenter: Josephine Martell, associate dean for academics
Understanding and Overcoming the Impostor Experience
Wednesday, July 29, 10 – 11 a.m.
Did you know that impostor feelings are normal and that most high-achieving graduate students experience these feelings at some point? Join us to better understand the impostor phenomenon; learn to recognize it and see recent research on how it can be a barrier to graduate student success. By defining it and sharing experiences, you’ll learn evidence-based tools to help combat impostor feelings.
Presenter: Jessamyn Perlus, senior associate director, Cornell Career Services
Money Matters: Budgeting and Saving
Wednesday, July 29, 1 – 2 p.m.
Whenever you make a big transition (and coming to Cornell for graduate school counts!), you learn quickly that money matters. We’d like you to join us for this introductory session about finances and budgeting basics. The goal is for students to leave with concepts and a structure for planning their income/expenses for the upcoming year. When you register, we will ask what specific topics you would like addressed, allowing presenters to craft a program to meet your expectations.
Presenters: Jorge Cuevas, Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Goal Setting for Graduate School: From Big Picture to Next Steps
Thursday, July 30, 12 – 1 p.m.
Starting graduate school can bring big questions: What should I focus on first? How do I balance academic expectations, professional goals, and life outside of my program? In this interactive session, you’ll reflect on what matters to you, explore strategies for setting meaningful and realistic goals, and practice breaking larger goals into smaller, actionable steps. You’ll leave with a simple plan you can revisit and adjust throughout your graduate experience.
Presenter: MJ Mosereiff, assistant director for graduate career exploration, Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development
Navigating Cross-cultural Classroom Dynamics
Wednesday, August 5, 10 – 11 a.m.
As a teaching assistant, you will encounter a Cornell community with great cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity. Join this online workshop to examine the relationship between cultures and educational systems, as well as discuss how this relates to teaching at Cornell. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other new students from a variety of backgrounds.
Presenters: Jody Gabler, instructor, Center for Teaching Innovation, and Alice Wu, instructor, International Teaching Assistant Program
Right From the Start: Valuing Your Time
Thursday, August 6, 10 – 11 a.m.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing your time, it is a skill that can be learned! In this session, we will review commonly used time management techniques, discuss how to make strategic decisions that support the whole you, and discuss how to maintain relationships when setting professional boundaries. In addition, participants will share what time management techniques they have found work best for them.
Presenter: Janna Lamey, associate dean for graduate student life
Exploring Career Options in and Outside Academia: Make an Action Plan for Your Future
Friday, August 7, 10 – 11 a.m.
You might be thinking it is too early to think about the end as you are starting, but in this session you will learn how important it can be to keep your options open and how you can take advantage of your time at Cornell to gain experiences that help you rule in or rule out different career sectors based on what you value and in what environments you thrive. You will leave with three things you can do that don’t take long at all that will increase your agency.
Presenter: Susi Varvayanis, executive director, Careers Beyond Academia, Cornell Graduate School Career and Professional Development
Understanding Doctoral Funding at Cornell
Monday, August 17, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
At Cornell, almost all Ph.D. students receive funding that pays tuition and provides a living stipend through a combination of fellowships, assistantships, and external scholarships. This presentation will explain how stipends are paid, what your responsibilities are, and provides insight on how to be an active participant in your own funding plan.
Presenter: Jason Kahabka, associate dean for administration
Enhancing Language Skills for Graduate Success
Wednesday, August 19, 9 – 10 a.m.
Do you use English as an additional language? Are you concerned about potential challenges related to speaking, listening, reading, and writing during your graduate program? Join the directors of the English Language Support Office and International Teaching Assistant Program to learn about approaches for navigating graduate school in English. You will leave this session with strategies you can start using right away to enhance your language learning and resources you can use as soon as you arrive at Cornell.
Presenters: Derina Samuel, associate director, graduate student development, Center for Teaching Innovation, and Michelle Crow, senior lecturer and director, English Language Support Office
Please reach out to Olivia Hopewell (ho256@cornell.edu) with any questions.