George Mason University

 

Graduate Student Life

Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA)

Office of the Provost

Office of Student Involvement

Gradstravaganza: Graduate Student Welcome

Friday, September 6, 2019

4:00-5:30pm: Mini-Workshops in the Johnson Center, Third Floor Meeting Rooms (Fairfax Campus)

5:30-7:00pm: Picnic at the Center for the Arts Lobby and Mason Pond (Fairfax Campus)

Picnic Rain Location: Center for the Arts Lobby and Grand Tier II

All new and continuing Mason graduate students are invited to Gradstravaganza, Mason’s annual graduate student welcome event! Join fellow Mason grad students for FREE food, mini-workshops highlighting strategies for success in graduate school, connections with campus resources, games, and giveaways, including special Mason Grad Student t-shirts! Families are welcome! Remember to bring your Mason student ID with you. Brought to you by Graduate Student Life, the Office of the Provost, the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Mason Recreation, and Student Involvement.

Mini-Workshops for Graduate Student Success

We are offering an array of mini-workshop sessions aimed at promoting your success in your graduate program. All mini-workshops will be held in the Johnson Center on the third floor. Check-in for these sessions will be held in the West Lobby on the third floor by the elevators. Graduate students who participate in the mini-workshops will have the opportunity to receive their T-shirts at the end of the third session and a wristband for expedited entry to the picnic!

Mini-Workshop Schedule

Hover over each title in the table to view descriptions of each workshop.

Download Mini-Workshop Schedule with Descriptions (PDF)

	JC Room A	JC Room B	JC Room C	JC Room D	JC Room F
4:00-4:30 PM	Building Your Network Now for Your Job Search Later	Making the Commitment to Writing	Pathway through the PhD	Fellowships and Funding Opportunities in Grad School and Beyond	Resilience in Graduate School: Strategies to Support Your Thriving
4:30-5:00 PM	Building an Effective Relationship with your Mentor/Advisor	Building Your Network Now for Your Job Search Later	Budgeting the Grad School Way	Strategies for Success in Your Master’s Degree Program	Managing Limited Time and Multiple Demands
5:00-5:30 PM	How to Get On-Campus Employment as a Graduate Student	Building an Effective Relationship with your Mentor/Advisor	Well-Being during Graduate School: Balancing Difficult Decisions	Strategies for Success in Your Master’s Degree Program	Managing Limited Time and Multiple Demands

Important Information about Mini-Workshops

Check-in for the mini-workshops will begin at 3:30pm in the West Lobby on the third floor of the Johnson Center, near the elevators. Capacity for the mini-workshops will be limited to 55 students each and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please review the mini-workshop descriptions in advance and select first-, second-, and third-choice options.

Join Mini-Workshop Live Streams

For the first time this year, we are live streaming selected mini-workshop sessions. Please click on the following WebEx links to join the live stream sessions.

Title: Building Your Network Now for Your Job Search Later
Time: 4:00-4:30pm
WebEx link

Title: Building an Effective Relationship with Your Mentor/Advisor
Time: 4:30-5:00pm
WebEx link

Title: How to Get On-Campus Employment as a Graduate Student
Time: 5:00-5:30pm
WebEx link

Menu

• Entree
  Pulled Barbecue Chicken on Rolls (Halal)
  Veggie Burgers on Rolls
• Sides
  Creamy Coleslaw
  Vegetarian Baked Beans
• Dessert
  Rita’s Italian Ice

Agenda

This agenda will be updated with further details and instructions for check-in by late August 2019.

4:00 – 5:30pm  Mini-Workshop Sessions in the Johnson Center, Third Floor Meeting Rooms

5:30pm Picnic Begins in the Center for the Arts Lobby and Mason Pond

Check-in will be held in the Center for the Arts Lobby and begins at 5:30pm

• All Mason graduate students must check in and should bring their Mason ID. Guests are welcome and must be accompanied by their Mason graduate student host to check in. All participants (Mason graduate students and guests) must check in to receive a wristband in order to access food, activities, and entertainment.

Picnic Buffet begins in Center for the Arts Lobby

        Rita’s Italian Ice available outside Center for the Arts entrance (under overhang)

Entertainment and activities begin at Mason Pond

• Crafts: Inspiration Rocks and pennant-making
• Selfie Station
• T-shirts available for Mason graduate students

Lawn games provided by Mason Recreation begin at Mason Pond

• Giant Pong, Giant Jenga, cornhole, ladder golf

Resource Connections

• Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Mason Libraries, Student Support and Advocacy Center, Global Education Office, College of Education and Human Development, and Volgenau School of Engineering

6:00pm Welcome Remarks

7:00pm Gradstravaganza ends

Location

Gradstravaganza will be held on the Fairfax Campus. The Mini-Workshop sessions will be held on the third floor of the Johnson Center. Check-in will take place in the West Lobby by the elevators on the third floor.

The Picnic will be held at the Center for the Arts Lobby and Mason Pond. Check-in will take place inside the Center for the Arts Lobby. In the event of inclement weather, the Picnic will move inside the Center for the Arts Lobby and Grand Tier II.

To view a map of the Fairfax Campus, visit here.

Parking and Transportation

Free parking for Gradstravaganza attendees is available in Lot K with the following permit. Please print the permit and place on your dashboard. To view a map of the Fairfax Campus, visit here.

Gradstravaganza Parking Permit

The closest public parking to the picnic is available in Mason Pond Parking Deck ($3/hour). You may also park in your regularly assigned lot. For more information about parking, visit the Parking Services website. To view a map of the Fairfax Campus, visit here.

Transportation from Arlington Campus:

• You may take the Metro to reach Fairfax from Arlington. You can take the Orange Line from the Virginia Square-GMU Metro station to the Vienna Metro station. At the Vienna Metro station, there is a Metro to Mason Shuttle that can take you directly to the Fairfax Campus with a valid Mason ID. Visit the Mason Shuttles website for more information. You may also take any Cue Bus from the Vienna Metro station to the Fairfax Campus.

Transportation from Science and Technology Campus in Prince William:

• You may take the SciTech-Fairfax GMU shuttle to the Sandy Creek Transit Center stop. For more information, including the schedule, visit the Mason Shuttles website.

What to Bring

• Mason ID (how to get your ID)
• Blankets or chairs for sitting outside
• Openness to meeting fellow Mason graduate students!