Things You Wish You Knew...

[eduKate]

What are some things you wish you had known when you started your doctoral program?

[Jimbo2]

Don't let grad school consume you. Have lots of hobbies, play sports, and hang out with friends. Put in a good 40 hour work week, rather than a loose 60 hour work week, and never work from home to keep work and play separate. Just do the work and everything will be fine. Remember that everyone is going to seem more knowledgable than you because they are always going to know more about the topics that they study, and therefore talk about, than you do. 

 

Be product oriented and get in and get out. Be upfront with your boss what the expectations are to get your Ph.D. and just hammer out those products. An 8 year Ph.D. is excessive. 

 

Play to your lab's strengths. Your boss is likely a (world class?) expert in a specific field, so do what she/he is the best at, and you will produce the best products and receive the highest quality education. 

Edited January 27, 2013 by Jimbo2

[SeriousSillyPutty]

If you department has a doctoral student handbook, read it, but know that it may be all lies -- or at least very out of date. Ask the grad student adviser and/or current grad students how things really work.

In my case, classes that they said were required for my concentration aren't even offered, so naturally they don't require them. But they're classes I was actually interested in, so it would have been good to know that the department doesn't offer any science ed grad courses, if I'm going into a science ed program. :-/

[fuzzylogician]

1. Time management: block off time in your schedule for your life activities. These may include sports, meeting up with friends, hobbies, shopping/household chores, sleep -- whatever you feel like you're not getting to because grad school has taken over your life, just actively make it a priority. It's much easier to say you're too busy to do X or can't attend activity Y if your schedule says you're busy at that time.

 

2. Productivity: some days (weeks?) you get more done than other days. Measure your success not just by {how much time you were in the office / how much time you actively did research}. Off-time is crucial for letting ideas simmer and develop, and you shouldn't feel ashamed if some day(s) you do less. It's also very helpful (to me) to set small tangible goals for my day (=write a paragraph on X, work on subsection Y, finish analysis of Z, read up on W). I have a detailed to-do list and I like crossing things off it. If I get my goals for the day done early, I might keep going but I may also decide I've done enough to stop even if it's still early and I could do more. You can always do more. If you live by that rule, you'll always be frustrated with your performance.

 

3. Learn to say no!. It's a useful skill. Some things you don't have a choice but to do, but for other things make it a habit to never reply on the spot. Acknowledge the request and say "let me get back to you tomorrow" or "let me check something in my schedule and I'll have an answer for you then." Then look at your schedule; do you have time for this commitment? Do you want to do it? Is it beneficial for you? Don't take on more than you can handle.

 

4. Develop relationships with multiple professors and advanced students. You can use the advice and perspective they have, even if their research is not precisely in your area of expertise. The students will know all the little unwritten rules and secrets of the program. The professors, especially the more experienced ones, will be able to judge your progress compared to a broad range of people who graduated in the past.

 

5. Make friends with the staff. In some ways they have more power over your life than your advisor.

[gatorgrad]

I'm doing post-bacc work right now and applying to doctoral programs, but I've recently started doing this - scheduling off time for life - and I feel much less stressed and overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do.

 

Seriously - this is so helpful.

 

1. Time management: block off time in your schedule for your life activities. These may include sports, meeting up with friends, hobbies, shopping/household chores, sleep -- whatever you feel like you're not getting to because grad school has taken over your life, just actively make it a priority. It's much easier to say you're too busy to do X or can't attend activity Y if your schedule says you're busy at that time.

 

2. Productivity: some days (weeks?) you get more done than other days. Measure your success not just by {how much time you were in the office / how much time you actively did research}. Off-time is crucial for letting ideas simmer and develop, and you shouldn't feel ashamed if some day(s) you do less. It's also very helpful (to me) to set small tangible goals for my day (=write a paragraph on X, work on subsection Y, finish analysis of Z, read up on W). I have a detailed to-do list and I like crossing things off it. If I get my goals for the day done early, I might keep going but I may also decide I've done enough to stop even if it's still early and I could do more. You can always do more. If you live by that rule, you'll always be frustrated with your performance.

[snarky]

All of the above are great suggestions.

 

On a practical level, I didn't find out how to read papers efficiently until my fourth year. When it's crucial to understand a certain paper, I find the best possible way to go about it is to quickly scan through all of it, with special attention to the intro and conclusion, to get a feel for the whole structure and argumentation. Then I reread the whole thing carefully, and and write a summary in my own words outlining the main points and data in the paper and any questions I had while reading it. It sounds time consuming, but it has saved me SO MUCH TIME because I stopped having to constantly reread important papers when I forgot the content. If it's in your own words you automatically and quickly remember the content. AND, when you do a lit review, you can basically copy all that stuff into your paper. But I only take the time to do this for papers that multiple people suggest to me, or which are seminal in my sub-area, etc - stuff I know I'll need later.  

 

[This doesn't really count if your field has short easy-to-reread papers (I'm thinking of those 6 page journal articles in neuroscience) but in my field the papers tend to be long-winded, and with a lot of complex data and argumentation.] 

 

Also, I keep a notebook where I keep track (in careful, intelligible prose) of ideas that come to me. Most of the time they're terrible when I revisit, but sometimes they're worth pursuing. The questions and ideas you have early on often have a habit of revisiting and framing how you think, read, and write, so it's worth consciously noting them down and reflecting. 

[MajorityMinority]

I'm not in graduate school yet, but for what it's worth, this website is awesome: http://sleepyti.me/

[newpsyche]

Don't let grad school consume you. Have lots of hobbies, play sports, and hang out with friends. Put in a good 40 hour work week, rather than a loose 60 hour work week, and never work from home to keep work and play separate. Just do the work and everything will be fine. Remember that everyone is going to seem more knowledgable than you because they are always going to know more about the topics that they study, and therefore talk about, than you do. 

 

Be product oriented and get in and get out. Be upfront with your boss what the expectations are to get your Ph.D. and just hammer out those products. An 8 year Ph.D. is excessive. 

 

Play to your lab's strengths. Your boss is likely a (world class?) expert in a specific field, so do what she/he is the best at, and you will produce the best products and receive the highest quality education. 

I love you. Kudos to life. (:

[loganartemis]

All of the above are great suggestions.

 

On a practical level, I didn't find out how to read papers efficiently until my fourth year. When it's crucial to understand a certain paper, I find the best possible way to go about it is to quickly scan through all of it, with special attention to the intro and conclusion, to get a feel for the whole structure and argumentation. Then I reread the whole thing carefully, and and write a summary in my own words outlining the main points and data in the paper and any questions I had while reading it. It sounds time consuming, but it has saved me SO MUCH TIME because I stopped having to constantly reread important papers when I forgot the content. If it's in your own words you automatically and quickly remember the content. AND, when you do a lit review, you can basically copy all that stuff into your paper. But I only take the time to do this for papers that multiple people suggest to me, or which are seminal in my sub-area, etc - stuff I know I'll need later.  

 

[This doesn't really count if your field has short easy-to-reread papers (I'm thinking of those 6 page journal articles in neuroscience) but in my field the papers tend to be long-winded, and with a lot of complex data and argumentation.] 

 

Also, I keep a notebook where I keep track (in careful, intelligible prose) of ideas that come to me. Most of the time they're terrible when I revisit, but sometimes they're worth pursuing. The questions and ideas you have early on often have a habit of revisiting and framing how you think, read, and write, so it's worth consciously noting them down and reflecting. 

 

Terrific suggestions. Thanks so much!

[Dal PhDer]

Great suggestions!

 

Also, remembering that todays problems are often absent tomorrow. I use to dwell on the little things that seems so significant in the moment, but realized quickly that taking a step back, putting school into perspective, and realizing you have your entire career ahead of you is important.

 

Also, laugh...a lot.

 

Surround yourself with other grad students- even if they're not in your department...You will NEED friends/peers that can relate to you situation!

 

Write every day. even if it's a paragraph..write write write.

[BytheHammerofThor]

I came from a low ranking school to a high ranking school and it's been a bit of a culture shock for me.  Keeping in line with this transition, I wish I would've known the following:

 

1) That I'd have to deal with the general snark of competitive classmates

2) The politics of being in a department where the expectations are quite high and attendance to community events is pretty much demanded

3) How much of a time-related blackhole coursework is

4) How little time there is to do research in the first year

[rising_star]

I agree with almost everything already said except one thing. I work from home all the time. I have a separate office in my house and rather enjoy being able to read articles, write papers, and cogitate while in my pajamas and within an easy walk of my fridge and tea selection. It can work for you, if you make it work. But, if my office were also in my bedroom, I'd probably either never work or never sleep, neither of which is healthy.

 

1) Never underestimate the importance of writing regularly. Make it a habit to write something, even if it's only a dinky paragraph summarizing some stuff you read, every single day.

 

2) There will always be someone that seems to be 100 times better at everything than you are. You have to figure out how you're going to deal with that.

 

3) There's always more work to do, but sometimes you just have to let it go. Not everything you write can be perfect. Not every class presentation can be perfect. Not every important text can be read in full. You just have to do your best and make sure that that's good enough.

 

4) Always remember that the best dissertation/thesis is one that's done.  See #1 and #3.

 

I could probably say more but, I'm tired.

[Tall Chai Latte]

I'll chime in with what I wish I knew:

 

1. Protect your own interest/time. This goes into a lot of things, for example, making sure you get what you come for during your PhD is very important. You can never get those time back if it wasn't spent wisely. Others have their own interests in mind, so you should do the same for yourself.  Say NO to unreasonable requests and workloads, and insist on creating new educational opportunities. 

 

2. Grades are actually important in grad school. I always thought that grades don't matter as much as they were in undergrad. They actually do. I guess it has something to do with the tough funding scene and such, that you just have to be as perfect and smooth as you can. I was put on academic probation because of a class outside of my background, and the trouble associated with it wasn't pleasant to deal with. 

 

3. Exercise, exercise, exercise. You don't want to lose your health. 

 

4. Find something else that can excite you outside of science. There will be times when Science would seem the most boring thing ever, no matter how passionate you are about it. Find another thing that excites you! It's a good balance, and when Science gives you lemon, you can turn to the other thing for temporary relief. Training for long distance runs is my other thing, the sense of accomplishment always recharges me to face another round of scientific challenge. 

 

That's all I can think of right now.. 

[juilletmercredi]

A lot of the things I would say have been said already.  So in an effort to say new things:

 

1. Decide as early as possible what you are and are NOT willing to sacrifice for grad school and academia.  Anything worth doing is worth sacrificing a little bit for, but you have to make that decision up front here.  Your relationship?  Your ability to control where you live?  Your free time?  Your fertility?  A stable job market?  Your sleep?  Make decisions and then stick to them.  You will adjust as you become more advanced - for example, I am much less willing to sacrifice sleep now than I was when I first entered, but then again, I don't have to as much since I have no coursework.  I get a good 8 hours almost every night now.

 

2. Even if you don't currently exercise, consider starting a program.  Exercise made me such a healthier person; I felt tired at appropriate times (by that I mean between 11 and 12 at night instead of between 2 and 6 in the morning), I was motivated to eat more healthily, and my mood and energy improved overall.

 

3. Self-deprecating language aside, remember that you are a "real person" and have a "real life" in grad school.  You are not waiting for your "real life" to begin; you are living it.  If you remind yourself of that often - even tack it on the wall - remembering to indulge yourself in hobbies, friends, and relaxation time will be easier.

 

4. Don't expect your cohortmates to become your best buddies.  One or two of them may become close friends; you may even date or marry one.  But I'd say far more often they become acquaintances or happy hour buddies.  My closest friends in grad school are grad students in other departments I met through various means.

 

5. Go to some of the shit in your department.  I know, you're going to get about three zillion emails and you can't do it all, and especially introverted people will feel the temptation to just hit delete and go to *nothing*.  But at the very least, when you see professors and they see you, they remember you and think about you when opportunities come up.  They see you as a team player and someone who wants to participate in the department when it's time for them to write you recommendations.  And sometimes that brown bag or colloquium is really interesting and may get you thinking about your research in new ways.  I never thought I'd be interested in social neuroscience, but I love going to the SNS colloquia and it's definitely a consideration for future research.  And research excitement is infectious.  Even if the topic is the most boring thing you've ever heard, seeing someone else all fired up about their own research sometimes has the effect of making YOU feel more excited about your own, and more motivated to do some work.  So don't go to everything, but go to some things, and be thoughtful and ask questions and make comments.

 

6. Write EVERY DAY.  Even if it is just a paragraph, even if it is not academic, set aside some time to write something every day.  Getting in the habit of writing every day makes it easier for the words to flow when you sit down to do academic writing.  If you have the most ridiculous writer's block, then just start babbling about your day on paper, or even just writing about how frustrating it is being blocked.  The only way to bust writer's block is to get in there.  I used to be one of those students who would wait for flashes of inspiration to come along before I sat down and wrote.  Not only is that untenable given the amount of writing you will have to do, it also encourages marathon writing sessions, which in turn encourages being up until the wee hours of the morning and getting no sleep.  So do yourself a favor and write often.

 

6b. And just write.  Your first draft will be crap; that's what editing is for.  Don't worry about that perfect citation or trying to remember the quote exactly right or the exact percentage.  That's what editing is for..  Just make a note of it and move on.  You can fix it later, but if you break your stride, it's more difficult to get started again.

 

7. I think what helps in learning to say "no" is developing a thicker skin.  Sometimes we say "yes" because we are worried about what others thing about us.  And while yes, I do think we need to worry what SOME others think about us, some of the time, don't spend too much too worrying about it.  The less of a damn I gave the easier it became for me to say "No, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that."  And you don't always have to give an explanation if you don't want or have one.  It depends on who you are telling no.  I think this can be especially hard for women because we are used to being expected to (or wanting to) take care of everyone and want people to like us personally.  I've given up on trying to make everyone like me personally.  I have friends for that.  Now I just want people to respect me as a scholar and a professional.  And sometimes, that involves saying "no."  Because people will perceive you a lot better if you do a few things very well than if you do a lot of things poorly because you don't have enough time.

 

8. MOST importantly, remember that a PhD is a means to an end.  Enjoy it.  But everything you do in the program should have an end goal of getting you a job.  Do the things that will help you get there and eschew the things that won't.  And your goal from Day One is to get that job, so start putting the things on your CV that will help you achieve that goal.  If you need teaching experience in your field because 95% of the jobs are at teaching institutions, then TA or adjunct regardless of whether your professor (who is probably at an R1 and likely got his job in the 1980s or 1990s when things were marginally better) tells you you don't "need" to.  If you want to go into industry, find a way to quietly do an industry internship or two during grad school (and yes, a lot of them will take PhD students.  I did one).

[LadyRara]

Wonderful advice! I am only starting the first leg of my journey (the M.A.) but these tips seem applicable across any part of an academic's profession life!

[ELM616]

I'm finishing up my MA and on my way to a PhD program in the fall, and all of this information is very helpful! And yes I think most of it applies to an MA but maybe on a lesser scale. I'm a little intimidated going onto the next level, but I suppose everyone feels like that.

 

One thing I wish I would've done in my MA is attend the graduate social mixers. I only became good friends with one person from my department, so I wish I would have made an effort to meet grads from other departments.

[Jimbo2]

Very good list compiled on reddit:

http://www.reddit.com/r/GradSchool/comments/183ow1/advice_i_wish_i_knew_at_the_start_of_my_phd/

[phonology_rocks]

I am only an MA student but the main points still apply....

 

1.  I agree with all the people who have said things about having a life outside of grad school.  I am still struggleing with that, I feel like it consums my life most of the time. 

 

2.  Also agree with the comments about a list! I LOVE crossing stuff off of mine. 

 

3.  Make sure you make time to not loose touch with old friends.  This may seem like a silly comment, but as many of us do, I left everything I knew to go grad school across the country from where I did my undergrad, and also far away from family.  Anyways my finance and good freinds are all across the country.  After blocking my facebook (I am easily distracted), and getting into courses and my RA position I quickly lost touch with almost everyone except my family and SO.  When we got engaged and I started wedding planning I started to get sad because I realized how long it had been since I really had a talk with any of my bridsemaids.  Now we schedual a time once a week to skype.  Anyways sorry to go off on a rant, but my point is, stay in touch with old friends. 

 

4.  It may take you a while before you feel like you fit in with your co-hort.  I found this really true, because (in part) many of them are from other cultures, and all of a sudden I was the odd one out.  After finally realizing that I could reach out to them, to make friends I feel like I belong and I am a lot happier. 

 

5.  Its okay to admit you don't get it.  I know that seems silly, but I don't think I am all that abnormal in that I could figure things out in undergrad with out extra help mostly.  However, grad school is hard.  After a bad mid term last semester, I started making regular visits to the professors office, and managed to wind up with an A in the course and after my mid term that is an impressive feat.  This semester I am a regularly working with my peers and asking about things when I am not sure. 

[abeilles]

Don't let grad school consume you. Have lots of hobbies, play sports, and hang out with friends. Put in a good 40 hour work week, rather than a loose 60 hour work week, and never work from home to keep work and play separate. Just do the work and everything will be fine. Remember that everyone is going to seem more knowledgable than you because they are always going to know more about the topics that they study, and therefore talk about, than you do. 

 

Be product oriented and get in and get out. Be upfront with your boss what the expectations are to get your Ph.D. and just hammer out those products. An 8 year Ph.D. is excessive. 

 

Play to your lab's strengths. Your boss is likely a (world class?) expert in a specific field, so do what she/he is the best at, and you will produce the best products and receive the highest quality education. 

This all seems like wonderful advice, thank you!

[abeilles]

3. Learn to say no!. It's a useful skill. Some things you don't have a choice but to do, but for other things make it a habit to never reply on the spot. Acknowledge the request and say "let me get back to you tomorrow" or "let me check something in my schedule and I'll have an answer for you then." Then look at your schedule; do you have time for this commitment? Do you want to do it? Is it beneficial for you? Don't take on more than you can handle.

 

I'm definitely still working on this one -- so good at it in my personal life, so terrible at it once I'm in a work setting!

[abeilles]

All of the above are great suggestions.

 

On a practical level, I didn't find out how to read papers efficiently until my fourth year. When it's crucial to understand a certain paper, I find the best possible way to go about it is to quickly scan through all of it, with special attention to the intro and conclusion, to get a feel for the whole structure and argumentation. Then I reread the whole thing carefully, and and write a summary in my own words outlining the main points and data in the paper and any questions I had while reading it. It sounds time consuming, but it has saved me SO MUCH TIME because I stopped having to constantly reread important papers when I forgot the content. If it's in your own words you automatically and quickly remember the content. AND, when you do a lit review, you can basically copy all that stuff into your paper. But I only take the time to do this for papers that multiple people suggest to me, or which are seminal in my sub-area, etc - stuff I know I'll need later.  

 

[This doesn't really count if your field has short easy-to-reread papers (I'm thinking of those 6 page journal articles in neuroscience) but in my field the papers tend to be long-winded, and with a lot of complex data and argumentation.] 

 

Also, I keep a notebook where I keep track (in careful, intelligible prose) of ideas that come to me. Most of the time they're terrible when I revisit, but sometimes they're worth pursuing. The questions and ideas you have early on often have a habit of revisiting and framing how you think, read, and write, so it's worth consciously noting them down and reflecting. 

This is all great, thank you!

[abeilles]

2) There will always be someone that seems to be 100 times better at everything than you are. You have to figure out how you're going to deal with that.

 

took me years to come to terms with this one, but thank god I finally did!