Student's Toolkit

There's a lot of things you have to keep track of as you enter graduate school. The HGA Student Toolkit is a collection of documents and information you'll need in order to succeed and finish the program in a timely manner. You can download the entire Student Handbook here.

The components of the Student Toolkit include:

• Program Information - The basics of your graduate program: the classes you need to take, the credits you need to earn, the projects you need to finish before you get your degree. There are two versions of this document for the two different graduate programs offered by Western Washington University's Department of History: History and Records and Management.
  • History
  • Archives and Records Management
• How to Write a Thesis - Most students start researching for their graduate thesis before their first summer and often spend at least one year (if not more) writing it. Needless to say, this complex project has a lot of moving parts. Our How to Write a Thesis document will help you keep track of timelines, know what's expected, and how to find help and support during the research and writing process. While Archives and Records Management students are not required to write a thesis, they are still expected to write an equivalent research article and present it; hence, the advice applies to both programs.
• How to Survive - Graduate school is a very intense time for many students and totally different from undergraduate work. Graduate school can be an incredible experience as you encounter interesting people and experts across multiple disciplines, a time to absorb as much information and gain as much experience as you can during your time here. Many students find themselves feeling stressed, panicked, or isolated during their time here. Our job as the HGA is not only to keep you from being miserable, but also find a way to enjoy your time here and feeling fulfilled and confident.

In addition to the more general information for prospective and new graduate students, the HGA also has documents for those who are teaching assistants:

• Teaching Assistantship Guide - Teaching assistantships can be a huge boon for students as you get a monthly stipend and waived tuition. However, accepting a Teaching Assistantship also means a substantial increase in work for the graduate student. This guide to Teaching Assistantships will help you manage your time and workflow, interact with the professors you work with, and how to guide students during office hours.

In addition to the Student's Toolkit, the HGA also has a Resources page for students in the middle of graduate school, including a page to contact your co-president, forms required for working through graduate school, and information about funding, grants, and scholarships.