How much are you expected to accomplish in your PhD program while completing coursework?

[MoleMocha]

I'm sure every program is different -- in our program, if you come in with a Master's degree (which I did), you only need two years of coursework, then you can focus on the dissertation project. However, there is considerable pressure to make progress on your dissertation WHILE you are taking classes. I am at the end of my coursework, and I have already defended my proposal, won two research grants (one major, one minor), attended numerous conferences and written a journal article on my preliminary analysis of my study area. I will be taking my comps this fall. Even all of that doesn't feel like enough - part of me feels like I'm two years in to the program and I should have accomplished more. Then again, I think to myself "how much do they really expect us to do while we're taking classes? Aren't we supposed to focus on our coursework at this time?"

It doesn't help that there is one girl in our department who is a major overachiever - she came in with my cohort, and is already ABD and wants to graduate this time next year. She pumps out numerous articles and does extra research and analysis on the side for our advisor.

I'm just wondering - how is it in your department? Are you allowed to focus on coursework, then move to your dissertation when the coursework is finished? Or are you expected to do everything all at once? How many years are you expecting to take to graduate? (I am hoping to graduate in four).

[Tall Chai Latte]

I think it does vary from field to field. I am in the life sciences, for my program, students do rotations during their first year. Research contribution is less important, but we are told to focus on the coursework during our first year. Once you join a lab at the start of your second year, you might still have one or two courses to finish up, but the main focus is on research. Expectation is that you need to maintain good standing on coursework and research, so you really have to balance well. Most people in my program graduates in 5 years total with at least one first author paper.

As for the major overachiever in your cohort -- just ignore her. Everyone has their own pace, as long as you are satisfying your advisor's expectation, what she chooses to do has nothing to do with you. I understand you would feel pressured by her performance (I would feel so too since I expect highly from myself), but PhD program is a marathon, you need to run the starting warm-up miles slower to achieve overall faster time.

You will do great!

Edited May 5, 2012 by Tall Chai Latte

[Eigen]

Coursework is a relatively minor part of our program. We might be allowed some slack our first semester to balance teaching and courses, but are expected to be researching pretty steadily by our second semester.

Homework and studying was an evening thing for me and my cohort- you put in a normal 8 or 9 hour day at school between lab work and classes and then studied and did homework in the evening.

It's one of the reasons people routinely say the first year(s) are the hardest. You have research, teaching and coursework. As time goes on, you finish coursework and can often move on to non-teaching sources of funding. More research, but just one thing to focus on.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Eigen

[MoleMocha]

Thanks for the replies! It's so nice to find a nice, supportive place to bounce ideas off of people - especially with all the snarkiness on the internet these days!

[ANDS!]

Thanks for the replies! It's so nice to find a nice, supportive place to bounce ideas off of people - especially with all the snarkiness on the internet these days!

You might want to investigate what the "First Year" requirements are of your department. The program I accepted there is no TA'ing your first year - you are simply there to pass your first year classes and subsequently first year exams. It's a great way (I think) to get students acclimated to the program and pace of grad school.

[Dal PhDer]

Great advice here.

To me, when I read your post I was like "WOW! I have been slacking...." haha..

I do think it's discipline dependent, and as others have said- don't evaluate your progress to other students. Your PhD is you own journey, and you need to take out of it what you want.

For me, my first year was all courses and focused mostly on that (plus 1 publication, 2 conference presentations, and scholarship applications). In my second year, I mostly focused on another publication, RA'ship, TA'ing, more grant apps, and another conference. For my program, courses are to be taken in your first year, once they are finished then you can work on your comps...once your comps are finished, you are able to propose your dissertation topic, and once passed- work on your dissertation. So your program work does not overlap a lot...as for other stuff- it's expected of me to get a publication a year and a conference presentation a year. I have taken on TA and RA work for my own interest and gaining skills- which have lead to additional pubbles and conferences.

The key thing to remember is that you don't want to get overwhelmed and take on too much, and you CAN'T compare yourself to others. Quality is better than quantity.