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Show page 4 , Fall 2006 PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZABETH TAYLOR we are not in competition with each other." Cara Wieser, a second-year master's student in communication, acknowledges that there can be some competition, but not always. Wieser said it depends on the specific program and discipline. She does not believe communication is one of those disciplines. "Everyone in the department is willing to help," she said. "To remain a good and strong department, everyone needs to succeed." Internally Driven Obtaining help from others is one way of keeping motivated, but self-motivation may be the most crucial key to success in graduate programs. In order to be successful, the student has to be able to focus and have real determination. Each student must find something that will help motivate him or her. Baker said that his inner drive is his own fear. "Fear of failure motivates me," he said. In comparison, Israel said. "I am internally driven to reach the goals that I set for myself." Froehlich said she likes to work independently and pursue her own research projects. Froehlich mentions a characteristic that is highly crucial: independence. For her, a certain degree of independence is not only necessary but required. And professors can't emphasize that enough. "[Have] independence, [and be willing to] learn on your own," Simons said. Additionally, Avery believes that academic independence is something that every graduate student should strive to obtain. Getting to this level of academic independence starts with providing support and guidance. "You're helping to develop a young scholar," he said. Eventually the student gains the freedom to "embark on a life of scholarly pursuit. You become your own mentor and your own disciplinarian. There is this sense of cutting the umbilical cord," he added. But it's more than simply becoming independent. Professor White said it's also about developing a unique voice and way of thinking and being able to develop in a broad way. Froehlich agrees. She said that having the support is good and necessary, but the supporter also has to let the students develop their own ideas. "You're not always going to have someone to say what you need to do ... You have to be self-motivated and be interested in what you do. The more interested you are, the easier it is to get through to graduate school," Froehlich said. Still, getting through is more than just getting through. Most professors agree that a graduate program is not about how smart a person is, but about the amount of effort the student is willing to put in. Dulfano has seen this with her students. "The ones who are successful are not necessarily the smart ones but the ones who get things done," she said. "What good is it to you if you don't finish?" "With Ph.D.s, 50 percent are A.B.D. [all but the dissertation]. They never finish their dissertations," Dulfano said. Avery knows this as well, which is why he said it is at that point where graduate students need to be free to pursue writing their dissertations and truly become experts in their field. "Nothing is more satisfying than the pursuit of knowledge," he said. "I'm reading works from former students. The roles are now reversed; they are now teaching me." Important Relationships To become experts, graduate students learn from the experts. Working closely and creating a relationship with professors is essential for students' graduate school career. A professor potentially becomes an academic advisor who will assist throughout the course program. Choosing the right advisor is crucial in order to progress efficiently. When choosing an advisor, Dulfano recommends, "Find someone who is an expert in your field and you are able to work with and will give you feedback." Each student seeks something from the relationship. For example, Wieser said that advisors must be available, have office hours, and must be willing to put in the time. But for Froehlich, it is important to have a mentor as an advisor who will not necessarily tell her what to do but guide her when she goes astray. "Some [professors] are good at being |