graduate-student-checkin

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Graduate Student Weekly Check-in Template

Name: [Your Name] Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Week of: [Start date of week] Supervisor: [Supervisor name]

This Week's Accomplishments

Research Progress

Project(s): [List active projects]

Completed Tasks:

  • [ ] [Specific task completed]
  • [ ] [Specific task completed]
  • [ ] [Specific task completed]

Key Findings/Insights: [Any important discoveries, insights, or breakthroughs this week]

Code/Analysis Progress: [What code was written, analyses completed, tools developed]

Writing Progress: [Papers, thesis chapters, documentation written or revised]

Learning and Development

Skills Developed: [New technical skills, methods learned, tools mastered]

Literature Reviewed: [Important papers read, key insights gained]

Training/Workshops Attended: [Any formal or informal learning activities]

Collaboration and Mentoring

Team Contributions: [How you supported lab projects or helped team members]

Mentoring Activities: [Undergraduate students supervised, peer mentoring provided]

External Engagement: [Conferences, collaborations, networking activities]

Challenges and Roadblocks

Technical Challenges

Issue: [Describe the problem] Impact: [How it affects your progress] Attempted Solutions: [What you've tried] Help Needed: [Specific assistance required]

Resource/Access Issues

[Equipment, software, data access problems]

Time Management/Competing Priorities

[Coursework, TA duties, other commitments affecting research]

Conceptual/Methodological Questions

[Research design, analysis, interpretation questions]

Next Week's Plans

Priority Tasks (Top 3)

  1. [Most important task for next week]
  2. [Second priority task]
  3. [Third priority task]

Research Goals

Data Collection: [Specific data collection activities] Analysis: [Analysis tasks to complete] Writing: [Writing goals and deadlines] Meetings: [Important meetings scheduled]

Learning Objectives

[Skills to develop, papers to read, training to complete]

Deadlines Approaching

[Conference submissions, thesis milestones, course assignments]

Support Needed

From Supervisor

  • [ ] Feedback on [specific work/document]
  • [ ] Guidance on [specific decision/direction]
  • [ ] Help with [specific problem]
  • [ ] Introduction to [person/resource]
  • [ ] Review of [timeline/plan]

From Lab Team

  • [ ] Collaboration on [specific task]
  • [ ] Expertise in [specific area]
  • [ ] Review of [work/code]
  • [ ] Brainstorming on [specific challenge]

From External Sources

  • [ ] Access to [resource/data/tool]
  • [ ] Connection with [external collaborator]
  • [ ] Training in [specific skill/method]

Professional Development

Conference/Presentation Plans

Upcoming Deadlines: [Abstract submissions, presentation dates]

Preparation Needed: [What needs to be done for presentations]

Publication Pipeline

Papers in Progress:

  • [Paper 1]: [Current status and next steps]
  • [Paper 2]: [Current status and next steps]

Submission Timeline: [Target submission dates for current work]

Career Development Activities

Job Market Preparation (if applicable): [CV updates, job talk preparation, application materials]

Networking: [Professional relationships being developed]

Skill Building: [Courses, workshops, certifications being pursued]

Reflection and Planning

What Went Well This Week?

[Successes, effective strategies, positive developments]

What Could Be Improved?

[Areas for improvement, lessons learned]

Adjustments for Next Week

[Changes to approach, schedule, or priorities]

Longer-term Considerations

[Thesis timeline, publication strategy, career planning]

Metrics and Progress Tracking

Time Allocation This Week

  • Research: [Hours]
  • Coursework: [Hours]
  • Teaching/TA duties: [Hours]
  • Professional development: [Hours]
  • Other: [Hours]

Research Productivity

  • Papers/chapters worked on: [Number]
  • Code commits: [Number]
  • Data collected/analyzed: [Amount]
  • Meetings attended: [Number]

Goal Progress

[Progress toward semester/annual goals]

Additional Notes

Ideas and Insights

[Random thoughts, future project ideas, interesting connections]

Resources Discovered

[Useful papers, tools, datasets, contacts]

Lab/Community Contributions

[Ways you contributed to lab culture or broader community]

Action Items for Next Meeting

For Discussion

  1. [Topic 1 to discuss with supervisor]
  2. [Topic 2 to discuss with supervisor]
  3. [Topic 3 to discuss with supervisor]

For Review

  • [ ] [Document/work for supervisor to review]
  • [ ] [Analysis/results for feedback]
  • [ ] [Plan/proposal for approval]

For Decision

  • [ ] [Decision needed about project direction]
  • [ ] [Choice between alternatives]
  • [ ] [Resource allocation decision]

Preparation for 1:1 Meeting:

  • [ ] Review this check-in before meeting
  • [ ] Prepare specific questions
  • [ ] Gather materials for review
  • [ ] Think about discussion priorities

Meeting Notes (to be filled during/after 1:1): [Space for notes from supervisor meeting]