This guest blog is a cross-post from Robert Bochnak, a Senior Writer/Communications Manager from Tufts University. You can read more of his blogs at Grad Matters: The Blog for Tufts' GSAS. Additional social media links are posted at the conclusion of the blog. Enjoy!

While teaching in academia isn't a contact sport, it can definitely leave a bruise (typically an internal one). Like many athletic contests, an academic life demands agility, stamina, persistence, and sacrifice-and there are definitely times when an audience of intellectually ravenous students is much scarier than a blitzing linebacker, a ninety-five mile per hour fastball, or preparing to summit New Hampshire's Mount Washington. But the life of a faculty member is survivable-even enviable-and in this post Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni share what they did (and what they didn't do) to make it through the first year in one-albeit slightly frazzled- piece.

Manage Your Expectations

First-year faculty members are an ambitious bunch. They arrive on campus revved up, eager to pursue their research agendas and affect young minds in the classroom. But it's important, especially in the first year, to manage your own expectations.

"One of my main challenges during the first year was trying to gauge the amount of material I could cover in a semester," said Angela Speece, who earned a master of fine arts from GSAS in 2011 and is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston. "I highly overestimated what I could get through-setting out to cover much more material than I had time for-and I should have factored in time for lengthy and thorough explanations of specific concepts. I also overlooked how much time I needed to answer student questions and to clarify information at the beginning and end of each class; activities which interfered with my designated teaching time."

Natasha Seaman, an assistant professor at Rhode Island College who earned a master of arts in art history from GSAS in 1997, recommends a particular reflective exercise at the end of each semester-an exercise that can help first-year faculty members both improve their teaching and keep their ambitions in check.

"One of the most useful exercises I did (and still do) to improve my teaching was to write a self-analysis narrative of each class soon after I submitted final grades," she said. "I considered what had gone well and what had not, and tried to think of solutions to problems and ways to expand on what was successful. My first year, this process made me realize I could have avoided killing myself and my students by having fewer, but more meaningful graded assignments. Plus, these narratives are useful for preparing your tenure application."

Do Your Homework

Homework doesn't end-at least for faculty members-with the final test or paper. For those new to academia, it's essential to rely on the experiences of seasoned faculty members, many of whom have written about the craft of teaching or are willing to provide advice over a cup of coffee.

"I worked really long hours during my first year; it felt like graduate school all over again," said University of Virginia Assistant Professor Neeti Nair, who earned a master of arts and Ph.D. in history from GSAS in 2000 and 2005, respectively. "I relied on articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education which provided advice for those on the tenure-track. I also sought out advice from mentors, both inside and outside of my department, when I felt particularly overwhelmed."

Natasha Seaman took a similar approach, reading books aimed at, primarily, first-year teachers.

"Three books really helped me develop my teaching," she said. "These books were: My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student; McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies,Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers; and The Joy of Teaching: A Practical Guide for New College Instructors. I also read, and still do, pedagogy blogs and articles on The Chronicle of Higher Educationwebsite and the "Professor's Guide" from U.S. News and World Report; the guide is intended for students, but the material is useful for the 'other side' as well."

Prepare for (Possible) Double Duty

Some new faculty might find themselves in a precarious position: having a one-year appointment which makes it necessary to both teach courses and search for a full- or part-time position simultaneously. This was a predicament encountered by Nathaniel Goldberg, an associate professor at Washington and Lee University who graduated with a master of arts in philosophy from GSAS in 1999.

"Teaching a heavy course load while simultaneously being on the job market presented some challenges, specifically how to do it all and not attract the ire of my superiors who were not so approving of the time spent on job searching," said Goldberg. "I overcame this challenge by getting to my office before 6:00 am and not going home until 8:00 pm; my weekends were full, too."

Find What Works for You

Every teacher is different. Some bring fiery emotion to their teaching, while others are more, well, subdued. Because of this innate uniqueness, it's important for new faculty members to find things-whether it's technology or a new approach to time management-that supports his or her particular brand of teaching.

For Kara Miller, who graduated with a Ph.D. in English from GSAS in 2008 and is an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, her first-year was made easier by sticking to a schedule (as much as she could), as opposed to trying to "juggle" everything at once.

"I think that consciously dividing up your time can be really helpful," she said. "Try to keep yourself on a schedule if you can; for example, Mondays could be for developing courses and correcting papers, but Tuesdays could be dedicated to research. A schedule like this can free you up in a sense, allowing you to focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to manage it all."

Angela Speece relied on technology during her first year and hasn't looked back.

"There are many ways social networking, blogging, YouTube, and TED talks can enhance your teaching," she said. "I have personally set up an interactive website where students can upload files for assignments and add to classroom discussions."

For Neeti Nair, making time to write is critically important.

"Set aside time for your writing every single day," she said. "It could be early mornings, evenings, or different times each day. Don't rely on the illusory sabattical fellowship-it doesn't exist! As for teaching, know that there will be good and bad days. Don't be too harsh on yourself, but try not to make the same mistakes over and over again. And take the student evaluations seriously, especially the critical ones."

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Today's guest blog is brought to us by Jennifer Lacey.

Guide to Choosing a Graduate Scheme

Leaving university and entering the corporate world can be a daunting task and more than likely you'll be looking for the perfect graduate scheme to help ease yourself into a suitable career. While there are a plethora of graduate schemes to choose from, this choice means you're often no closer to picking the right one and it can seem like you're swamped with schemes to choose from.

What is a graduate scheme?

Employers often have graduate schemes in order to recruit recent university leavers and give them the right training they require to take on roles at high levels in the firm. The experience a graduate gets on these schemes will often vary depending on the company itself and the sector that the work is based but will mostly always be in the form of junior management positions that will prepare the graduate for a future of leadership orientated roles.

You'll find graduate schemes in almost all sectors and normally by large employers. This can be anything from banking, retail, food, sales, IT and transport sectors. Competition is usually high for each of the places on the scheme as there are normally only a few on offer.

It's always a good idea to start looking for a scheme while you're in your final year of university as the application process for graduate schemes is often long and drawn out. Employers want to test every aspect of an applicant and this means putting them through a vast array of tests and interviews.

Finding the Right Scheme

Matching the right scheme to your degree and skill set is going to be a time consuming task, so make sure you focus on what's important to you and draw up a list of idea features you want a scheme to have.

Some ideas of what to think about include;

1.) The Right Role - Find a program that is in the right industry for you and accepts your degree.

2.) Meets your Ambitions - Matches your ambitions of salary and role level (i.e. management or team leader role).

3.) Location - How far do you want to travel? Does the salary take into account travel costs?

4.) Reputation of the Company - Will you leave with something great to add to your CV?

5.) Practicality - Is it a hands on role or a theory based placement?

6.) Added Value - Do you get experience of other roles? Are there opportunities to network?

7.) Quality Control - How have previous candidates found the experience - are they employed there now?

8.) Job Prospects - Will you get a job afterwards?

Always remember to put yourself at the forefront of all your choices. Graduate schemes can often be a very competitive experience but will offer you a great head start in your chosen career path.

Be sure to check back next week for another blog from Jennifer!