1. Some Context for Cluster Research
Why do we demand excellence in research?

4. What employers want
Employers said they recruited graduates, in part, for their online searching skills but still expected and needed more traditional research competencies, such as thumbing through bound reports, picking up the telephone, and interpreting research results with team members.
They found that their college hires rarely demonstrated these competencies.

5. What employers typically get
Most graduates reported using competencies from college for evaluating and managing published content in their workplaces
However, most still needed to develop social skills for conducting iterative research with team members in the workplace settings
While a large majority of U.S. employers found that students were tech-saavy, the employers also stated that most college hires were tethered to computers and rarely went beyond the first page of a Google search when looking for “the” answer to a workplace problem

6. Cluster gives you a head start for the real world
More than any other course experience I am aware of
You have a support network in your faculty, use it
Make the best use of the time you have
Ask lots of questions
Don’t settle
Get used to ambiguity

7. Let the games begin