Summer before starting

[BL250604]

Hi all-

I just wanted to gather some advice about how I should spend the summer before I start working towards my Ph.D. From what I have read, most people suggest relaxing and traveling --both of which I am planning on doing! The only other thing I am planning on doing is moving into my apartment in mid August to try and get a beat on the local area. Does anyone have any advice otherwise? Should I be prepping at all, or will the early coursework serve as some prep? Thanks!

[Stat Assistant Professor]

It may be a good idea to spend some of your free time reviewing:

- basics from Calculus I-III (specifically: the derivative rules like product rule and chain rule, integration and rules for integrals like u-substitution and integration by parts; partial derivatives, double/triple integrals and changes of variables/Jacobian matrix, and sequences and series... you don't really need to review things like cross products or torque)

- linear algebra (both basic and proof-intensive)

- basic real analysis (at the level of Abbott's textbook).

It is natural for a lot of people to forget things from these classes if they have not encountered/consistently worked with those tools in awhile, but it is a good idea to refresh your memory before starting. I find the MIT OpernCourseWare (OCW) to have useful resources for reviewing these things. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Stat PhD Now Postdoc

[BL250604]

3 hours ago, Stat PhD Now Postdoc said:

It may be a good idea to spend some of your free time reviewing:

- basics from Calculus I-III (specifically: the derivative rules like product rule and chain rule, integration and rules for integrals like u-substitution and integration by parts; partial derivatives, double/triple integrals and changes of variables/Jacobian matrix, and sequences and series... you don't really need to review things like cross products or torque)

- linear algebra (both basic and proof-intensive)

- basic real analysis (at the level of Abbott's textbook).

It is natural for a lot of people to forget things from these classes if they have not encountered/consistently worked with those tools in awhile, but it is a good idea to refresh your memory before starting. I find the MIT OpernCourseWare (OCW) to have useful resources for reviewing these things. 

Thank you very much for all of the helpful insight! Is there a good way to handle the adjustment from undergrad to grad school in your experience?

Edited March 11, 2019 by BL250604

[Stat Assistant Professor]

22 minutes ago, BL250604 said:

Thank you very much for all of the helpful insight! Is there a good way to handle the adjustment from undergrad to grad school in your experience?

Yes.

1) The first two years, focus on coursework but don't obsess too much about grades. Focus on learning and making sure that you know the material well enough to pass your qualifying exams. That's really all that matters -- that you pass the qualifying exams. Whereas many undergrads are distressed by an A-/B+ vs. an A, this is really not the point of PhD education. I got two B's in my PhD program and not one of the postdoc positions I interviewed for asked about grades. They were only interested in my research.

2) Once you are mostly done with coursework (you may have a couple of electives still to take in your third and/or fourth year), you need to make the transition from "student" to "researcher." This is the roughest adjustment period for most students because there is no real structure like courses and exams, but you just have to be persistent. If you don't work well with lack of structure, then you should try to "force" yourself to spend [x] amount of time on research weekly (allowing for mental breaks and time off if you really need it). You will likely understand zilch of the papers you are reading at first, but just be diligent, ask questions, re-read several times until things "gradually" start to sink in, and know that it gets *much* easier to read dense, heavily technical papers with more experience. Also, learn to be okay with failure and rejection (many inexperienced grad students will have their first paper(s) rejected by journals). Know that it is okay to fail and to be rejected at this stage (most research is "hand-waviness" and trial and error until something works), as long as you take it as a learning experience and seek to improve yourself.

[BL250604]

Stat Postdoc- Thank you very much for all of your valuable insight! I will try and use all of the advice to my advantage going in. Thank you for all of your help throughout the forum and making this process easier for everyone else!

B

[parukia911]

Also, depending on the expected pace of your program/what you feel comfortable with, it might be worth trying to get ahead on material you may be unfamiliar with. I'm definitely traveling and relaxing this summer, but I plan on working through a MS stat theory textbook (casella, Berger) and some measure theory since my analysis class didn't really cover it.