How to Be a Good Graduate Student.docx
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How to Be a Good Graduate Student.docx
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HowtoBeaGoodGraduateStudent
HowtoBeaGoodGraduateStudent
MariedesJardins
marie@
March1994
Abstract
Thispaperattemptstoraisesomeissuesthatareimportantforgraduatestudentstobesuccessfulandtogetasmuchoutoftheprocessaspossible,andforadvisorswhowishtohelptheirstudentsbesuccessful.Theintentisnottoprovideprescriptiveadvice--noformulasforfinishingathesisortwelve-stepprogramsforbecomingabetteradvisoraregiven--buttoraiseawarenessonbothsidesoftheadvisor-studentrelationshipastowhattheexpectationsareandshouldbeforthisrelationship,whatagraduatestudentshouldexpecttoaccomplish,commonproblems,andwheretogoiftheadvisorisnotforthcoming.
1Introduction
2BeforeYouStart
DoingResearch
2TheDailyGrind
2StayingMotivated
GettingtotheThesis
2FindinganAdvisor
2FindingaThesisTopic
2WritingtheThesis
2GettingFeedback
2GettingFinancialSupport
AdviceforAdrrvisors
2InteractingWithStudents
BecomingPartoftheResearchCommunity
2AttendingConferences
2PublishingPapers
2Networking
3AllWorkandNoPlay...
4IssuesforWomen
5Conclusions
6Bibliography
Introduction
ThisarticleoriginatedwithadiscussionIhadwithseveralwomenprofessorsabouttheproblemswomenfaceingraduateschool,andhowmorewomencouldbeencouragedtogotograduateschoolincomputerscience.Eventually,theconversationturnedtothequestionofwhatthesewomencoulddointheirinteractionswithwomenstudentstosupportandencouragethem.IvolunteeredthatoverthecourseofmygraduatecareerIhadcollectedavarietyofpapersande-maildiscussionsabouthowtobeagoodadvisor,howtogetthroughgraduateschool,andissuesfacingwomen.Theywereeagertogetthismaterial,andItoldthemIwouldsortthroughitwhenIgotachance.
Aftermentioningthisprojecttoanumberofpeople,bothgraduatestudentsandfaculty--allofwhomexpressedaninterestinanythingIcouldgivethem--Irealizedtwothings:
first,theissuesthatweweretalkingaboutreallywerenotjustwomen'sissuesbutwereofinteresttoallgraduatestudents,andtoallcaringadvisors.Second,inordertodisseminatetheinformationIhadcollected(andwasstartingtocollectfromothers)itseemedtomakemoresensetocompileabibliography,andwriteapaperthatwouldsummarizethemostusefuladviceandsuggestionsIhadcollected.
IsolicitedinputsfromfriendsandcolleaguesviamailinglistsandInternetbulletinboards,andcollectedalmostanoverwhelmingamountofinformation.Sortingthroughitandattemptingtodistillthecollectivewisdomofdozensofarticlesandhundredsofe-mailmessageshasnotbeenaneasytask,butIhopethattheresultsprovideausefulresourceforgraduatestudentsandadvisorsalike.TheadviceIgivehereisdirectedtowardsPh.D.studentsincomputerscienceandtheiradvisors,sincethatismybackground,butIbelievethatmuchofitappliestograduatestudentsinotherareasaswell.
Inmyexperience,thetwomainthingsthatmakegraduateschoolhardaretheunstructurednatureoftheprocess,andthelackofinformationaboutwhatyoushouldspendyourtimeon.Ihopethatthisarticlewillprovideinformationforbothgraduatestudentsandadvisorsthatwillhelpmaketheprocesslesspainful.
IoweadebtofgratitudetoDavidChapman,whosepaper([chapman])wasaninvaluablereferenceformenotonlyduringthewritingofthisarticle,butduringgraduateschoolaswell.
Thegoalsofthisarticlearetoraiseawarenessoftheneedforahealthyandinteractivegraduatestudent-advisorrelationship,toprovidepointersandguidanceforbothadvisorsandgraduatestudentsinnavigatingthemazeofadoctoraldegree,andtogivereferencesandresourcesforthosewhohopetolearnmore.
BeforeYouStart
Manyheadachescanbeavoidedbydoingsomeadvanceplanning.First,whygotograduateschoolatall?
TheusualreasonsgivenarethataPh.D.isrequiredorpreferredforsomejobs,especiallyresearchandacademicpositions;thatitgivesyouachancetolearnagreatdealaboutaspecificarea;andthatitprovidesanopportunitytodevelopideasandperformoriginalresearch.Wantingtodelayyourjobhuntisprobablynotagoodenoughreason.Graduateschoolisalotofworkandrequiresstrongmotivationandfocus.Youhavetoreallywanttobetheretomakeitthrough.
Ithelpstohaveagoodideaofwhatareayouwanttospecializein,andpreferablyacoupleofparticularresearchprojectsyoumightliketoworkon.Lookforbooksandcurrentjournalsandconferenceproceedingsinyourarea,andreadthroughthemtogetanideaofwho'sdoingwhatwhere.(You'llbedoinga*lot*ofreadingonceyoustartgraduateschool,soyoumightaswellgetusedtoit.)Thisiswhereadvisorsfirstenterthescene:
facultymembersoughttobewillingtotalktoundergraduatesandhelpthemfindoutmoreaboutresearchareasandgraduateschools.Trytogetinvolvedinresearch:
askprofessorsandTAswhethertheyneedsomeonetoworkonanongoingproject,orstartanindependentresearchproject,withguidancefromafacultymember.
Contactfacultymembersandgraduatestudentsattheschoolsyou'reinterestedin.Tellthemaboutyourbackgroundandinterestsandaskthemwhatresearchprojectsthey'reworkingon.Agoodwaytodothisisviaelectronicmailifpossible--e-mailismucheasierandquickertorespondtothanapaperletter.Agoodadvisorwillbewillingtoanswerthesekindsofinquiries(althoughifthey'rebusytheymaygiveyouonlyabriefanswerorpointyoutowardsagraduatestudent--you'llhavetouseyourintuitiontodecidewhetherthey'rebrushingyouofforjustbusy).Ifyoucan'tgetanyansweratall,considerthatthatindividualmightnotendupbeingaveryaccessibleadvisor.Askingthesequestionswillhelpyounarrowdownyourchoicesandmayincreaseyourchancesofadmissioniftheprofessorsyoucontactbecomeinterestedinworkingwithyou.
Yourbestbetistofindaschoolwherethereareatleasttwofacultymembersyou'dbeinterestedinworkingwith.Thatway,ifonedoesn'tworkout,oristoobusytotakeonanewstudent,youhaveafallbackposition.It'salsoimportanttomostpeopletofeelcomfortablewiththecommunityofgraduatestudents.Itpaystotalktosomeofthegraduatestudents(bothjuniorandsenior)tofindouthowtheylikeit,whichadvisorsaregood,andwhatkindsofsupport(financialandpsychological)areavailable.Becausetherearesomanystudentsapplyingtoeachschool,evenhighlyqualifiedapplicantsareoftenrejected.Youshouldapplytoarangeofprograms--anddon'ttakeitpersonallyifyoudogetrejectedbysomeofthem.
Youcanincreaseyourchancesofgettingintograduateschoolbygettinggoodgrades,especiallyinupperdivisionclassesinyourareaofinterest,havingabroadbackgroundinyourfieldandinrelatedfields(forexample,psychologyclassesareusefulforAIstudents),gettingahighscoreontheGREifrequired,developinggoodrelationshipswithyourprofessorsandworkmanagers(thisisveryimportantforgettinggoodrecommendations),workingonaresearchproject,andhavingaclearsenseofwhatyouwanttoworkon(althoughit'salwaysallrighttochangeyourmindlater).Also,it'sagoodideatostartthinkingearlyaboutsourcesoffunding:
applyforanNSFfellowshipandaskyouradvisorordepartmentofficeaboutotherfellowships.
DoingResearch
Formanynewgraduatestudents,graduateschoolisunlikeanythingelsethey'vedone.Sometimesit'shardtoknowexactlywhatitisyou'resupposedtobelearning.Yes,youhavetocompleteadissertation,buthowdoyoustart?
Whatshouldyouspendyourtimedoing?
Graduateschoolisaveryunstructuredenvironmentinmostcases.Graduatestudentstypicallytakeninehoursorlessofcourseworkpersemester,especiallyafterthesecondyear.Formany,thethirdyear--aftercourseworkislargelyfinishedandpreliminaryexamshavebeencompleted--isaverydifficultandstressfulperiod.Thisiswhenyou'resupposedtofindathesistopic,ifyou'renotoneoftheluckyfewwhohasalreadyfoundone.Onceyoudofindatopic,youcanexpecttwoormoreyearsuntilcompletion,withveryfewlandmarksormilestonesinsight.
Thefollowingsectionstalkabouttheday-to-dayprocessofdoingresearch,criticismandfeedback,workingonthethesis,andfinancialsupportforresearch.
TheDailyGrind
Beingagoodresearcherinvolvesmorethan``merely''comingupwithbrilliantideasandimplementingthem.Mostresearchersspendthemajorityoftheirtimereadingpapers,discussingideaswithcolleagues,writingandrevisingpapers,staringblanklyintospace--and,ofcourse,havingbrilliantideasandimplementingthem.
Alatersectiondiscussestheprocessandimportanceofbecomingpartofalargerresearchcommunity,whichisacriticalaspectofbeingasuccessfulresearcher.Thissectioncontainsideasonkeepingtrackofwhereyou'regoing,andwhereyou'vebeen,withyourresearch,stayingmotivated,andhowtospendyourtimewisely.
Keepingajournalofyourresearchactivitiesandideasisveryuseful.Writedownspeculations,interestingproblems,possiblesolutions,randomideas,referencestolookup,notesonpapersyou'veread,outlinesofpaperstowrite,andinterestingquotes.Readbackthroughitperiodically.You'llnoticethatthebitsofrandomthoughtsstarttocometogetherandformapattern,oftenturningintoaresearchprojectorevenathesistopic.Iwassurprised,lookingbackthroughmyjournalasIwasfinishingupmythesis,howearlyandoftensimilarideashadcroppedupinmythinking,andhowtheygraduallyevolved
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