Mentoring Web Site: Definition of Terms
As a rule, technical research questions are appropriate for e-mail, but it is best to avoid using e-mail for issues that are personal or involve your interactions. E-mail is tricky because it can occur in an instant and is written communication. If you were speaking face to face with someone, you might be hesitant to say something that you would put in an e-mail. A good rule of thumb is not to say anything in e-mail that you would be unwilling to say in person. Another suggestion is to set your mail program to delay sending messages (e.g., let the messages wait for 15 minutes or so before you send them) to give yourself the opportunity to think about what you wrote. Be careful using ALL CAPS because they are often interpreted as anger or yelling.
Long-term goals
Long term usually refers to 1 year and to 5 years.
- Where do you see yourself a year from now?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Milestones
Milestones are key dates for accomplishments. They should be quite specific.
- I will submit my first paper by November 1.
- I will finish data collection at the end of May of next year.
Short-term goals
The short term is usually considered to be 6 months.
- Where do you want or plan to be in 6 months?
- What do you expect to accomplish in the next 6 months?
