In this very special 100th episode of the Grad School Femtoring Podcast, Dra. Yvette has her comadres from the Chicana M(other)work (CMW) collective on the show! In many ways, CMW inspired the start of this podcast, which is why it's so meaningful to have them as guests. Tune in to learn more about the genealogy of this independent and grassroots Xicana mother-scholar collective, to hear about the lessons that we've learned in working and building community for over seven years, and get a kick a...
Nov 05, 2021•46 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever thought of yourself as a bad writer? Well, I'm here to convince you that it's not true. Tune in to this episode to learn about five reasons you are not a bad writer. You'll also gain insights on what you can do to improve your writing no matter what stage it's in because your voice deserves to be heard! To read some of my own writing, check out my new blog. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get m...
Nov 03, 2021•16 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Have you noticed yourself feeling angry lately? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you in undergrad or in grad school and struggling? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses some reasons behind our anger and how to use anger as a tool to identify problems, acknowledge injustices, and do something about it through our work. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School ...
Oct 29, 2021•14 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette reveals a bit more about herself, her backstory, educational trajectory, and what led her to starting Grad School Femtoring (GSF). From learning about financial literacy, to managing her physical and mental health, to working remotely, and realizing that there’s more to life than working within academia, there were lots of GSF seeds she was planting and lots more to be sown. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivit...
Oct 27, 2021•33 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette shares her three favorite strategies that have helped her not just meet but consistently exceed her personal and academic goals. These strategies are applicable to daily, weekly, and long-term goals and are part of the tips she'll be sharing in her new Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit and her weekly email newsletter. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad Scho...
Oct 22, 2021•35 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Tune in to learn more about the Grad School Femtoring Support Group. In this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses what the support group is, who it’s intended for, what topics she’ll be covering in the group each week, and answers some frequently asked questions. If you are considering joining the support group and want more information, then listen to this episode. Don’t wait to join, sign ups close in one week, on October 27, and there are limited spots available! Sign up for my free email newslette...
Oct 20, 2021•18 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast In this podcast episode we have a returning guest, Emeline Beltran, who shares her experience working for Cal State LA’s Dreamer’s Resource Center. She discusses what she’s learned as an ally and resource for undocumented students as well as the cultural humility and lessons she’s gaining in the process. Emeline Beltran is a second-year graduate student at Cal State LA. She is studying Communication Studies with an emphasis in Intercultural Communication. Emeline was previously on the Grad Schoo...
Oct 15, 2021•40 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wondered why a PhD program takes so long to finish? Ever wondered why grad students tend to dislike it when you ask them when they’ll finish their program? Well, in this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses ten reasons why your PhD program may take longer to finish than you anticipated. She also mentions things you can do to help minimize delays in your own grad school timeline. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal d...
Oct 13, 2021•25 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast If you’ve ever found yourself with a project to do and feeling stuck, then you might resonate with this episode where Dra. Yvette shares her experience getting stuck this week as well as the strategies she implements to help her get unstuck. Whether you’re writing a paper, thesis, dissertation, or navigating a big life transition, sometimes we get stuck and need to learn or remind ourselves of ways to get unstuck. Tune in to learn more! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about gr...
Oct 08, 2021•24 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses the topic of "selling yourself" and why it can be so hard for first-gen students of color to learn to highlight their strengths. She also shares some strategies to help you identify and share your strengths in application essays. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational p...
Oct 06, 2021•22 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have a special guest, Dr. Gina Vanegas, who speaks to us about her experience navigating burnout as an immigrant student. She discusses the added labor that immigrant students face when getting an education, the strengths that we first-gen students bring with us to new settings, how to identify signs of burnout, and what to do so that it doesn’t lead to trauma. Dr. Gina Vanegas, M.Ed., Ph.D., is a Latinx Bilingual Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, Qualitative Researcher and exp...
Oct 01, 2021•37 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses the topic of saying no—when should you say no, how can you say no, and strategies to help you make a decision and remain firm with it. Tune in to learn more! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other pr...
Sep 29, 2021•24 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have a special guest who speaks to us about his experience navigating talking to his first-gen parents about grad school. We discussed what it's like having many conversations with our low-income immigrant parents about what graduate school is, what we study, what we do, our future careers, our finances, and much more! Bryant Pahl is a first-generation Ph.D. student at UC Irvine where he is studying Earth System Science. Going into his second year, his research focuses on pal...
Sep 24, 2021•40 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette shares some insights on the similarities and differences in forms of culture shock that a first-gen student may experience in undergrad versus in graduate school. If you're a first-gen student starting grad school or hope to attend graduate school, tune in to learn more. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtor...
Sep 22, 2021•25 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is an extension of my first episode on "The Grad School List" and it includes some additional things to consider when creating a graduate school list. These may be considered deal breakers or hidden aspects of graduate school to consider when making a decision. They include factors like the diversity and demographics of the area, size of campus, cost of living, transportation needs, and more! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productiv...
Sep 17, 2021•15 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is for any current college students who are contemplating staying a third year (if a transfer student) or a fifth year (if a traditional student). You will learn some of the advantages of taking a fifth year (e.g. more time to space out classes, to take advantage of summer programs, to participate in research, or to study abroad, etc) as well as some concerns to consider (e.g. funding restraints, credit limits, burnout, etc). Tune in to learn more! Sign up for my free email newslett...
Sep 15, 2021•17 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette shares five strategies that she herself uses when she needs to focus on writing. If you’re writing a thesis or dissertation and are struggling to focus, you may want to try out these strategies. The five strategies are: 1) using a timer, 2) creating a playlist and/or having background noise, 3) using apps that help block distracting websites, 4) trying out freewriting, 5) and having accountability buddies. Have you tried these strategies? If so, how did they go? What...
Sep 10, 2021•14 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette answers a question that a listener has regarding feeling like they do not like their graduate program shortly after starting it. Dra. Yvette offers advice on what to do if you too are in this scenario. Bottom line is, you have options and before coming to any conclusions, give yourself time to make an informed decision. Tune in to learn more. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get m...
Sep 08, 2021•21 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette discusses the importance of setting boundaries in academia. As we start a new academic year, now is a great time to set, communicate, and keep your boundaries. You may experience pushback, some may question your judgment, and that's okay. It's not worth killing yourself for a degree. Put yourself first without apology. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad Scho...
Sep 03, 2021•15 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast In this short bonus episode, Dra. Yvette talks about her new course called “Grad Apps Demystified: A Step-by-Step Course for First-Get Students Applying to Grad School." This is an online course that she just launched which is intended to demystify the graduate school application process, break down the process into small manageable steps, and offer advice, tips, and downloadable resources. If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them listen to this episode for more information a...
Sep 01, 2021•15 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have a special guest, Elissa Frazier, who shares what’s it like being a graduate student in an EdD program as well as a mother to four children. She reveals how she balances her personal and professional interests unapologetically by doing things like scheduling in protected time with her children, paying attention to the love language of those she cares about, and taking time to herself instead of powering through. Elissa Frazier is a 5th year EdD candidate, researching Cult...
Aug 27, 2021•49 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast In this short bonus episode, Dra. Yvette talks about the basics of financial literacy. She covers topics like creating a budget, opening and tracking multiple funding accounts, learning about credit scores, credit cards, and how to build credit, doing taxes, and how your mindset impacts it all. If you're new to learning about finances or are struggling to manage your money, you'll want to listen to this episode! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable pr...
Aug 25, 2021•23 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have a special guest, Dr. Ester Trujillo, who shares all about what faculty think and say about students. She discusses how faculty review the grad school application process, how they view grad students once they’re enrolled, how they view students who choose to leave the program or who pursue academic and non-academic careers, and much more! Dr. Trujillo is an Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. She obtained a PhD in Chi...
Aug 20, 2021•48 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast In this bonus episode, Dra. Yvette answers the question of what to do if you’re thinking about quitting grad school from considering why you want to quit, to identifying some possible solutions to your problems, and then, if quitting is the right choice for you, thinking about what’s holding you back from following through. Tune in to learn more. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad Schoo...
Aug 18, 2021•18 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have a special guest, Eva Meza, who shares with us her process of getting into grad school in psychology and how to make the most of a gap year. Eva Meza is an incoming first year Psychology PhD student at UC Davis and has been awarded the Distinguished Scholar Fellowship. Eva is from San Jose, CA and is a first-generation born low-income student. She is very passionate about increasing Latinx enrollment into graduate school. Tune in to learn more! Sign up for my free email n...
Aug 13, 2021•36 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast In this bonus episode, Dra. Yvette shares a few tricks that she's learned as a mother to help her maintain a healthy work/life balance and harmony. Tune in to learn more! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.* --- ...
Aug 11, 2021•15 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dra. Yvette shares some major personal news. She is leaving her university position and shares several reasons behind why she made this decision as well as what is coming next for her. You have the permission to be a chismosx and tune in for more info! Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational ...
Aug 06, 2021•35 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast In this bonus Q&A episode, Dra. Yvette answers the question of what to do if you have too many letter recommenders. Sign up for my free email newsletter to learn more about grad school, sustainable productivity, and personal development Get my free 15-page Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit *The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for therapy or other professional services.* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com...
Aug 04, 2021•7 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have another guest, Ana Barba, who discusses all about #findingmentors and building community as a #firstgenstudent. We discuss seeking multiple mentors for different types of support, finding mentors among peers, staff, and family, as well as how to build strong relationships and build your community over time. Ana Barba is currently a PhD Candidate in ChicanX Studies at UC-Santa Barbara. Her research project looks at the impacts of the use of metal detectors in K-12. She re...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we have another guest, Dra. Ana Guerrero who shares all about academic conferences, networking, and how to put yourself out there as a first-gen student. Ana is a PhD graduate from the UC Santa Barbara Department of Education where she conducted longitudinal research on the narratives of first-gen Latinx students' college and career aspirations development and identity development. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley and her master’s degree in Educat...
Jul 23, 2021•47 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast 
