10 ways to succeed 10 ways to fail in Graduate School CRA-W Grad Cohort Workshop

1. 10 ways to succeed 10 ways to failin Graduate SchoolCRA-W Grad Cohort Workshop Rachel Pottinger, University of British Columbia Kathryn McKinley, University of Texas at Austin

2. About Rachel Pottinger Exploring options + Computer science Great teacher Exploring options Undergraduate research Internship at Microsoft Fantastic man Marry Steve 2000 Great research + U. of WashingtonSupportive envir. PhD in 2004 Great research + Asst. Prof at Fantastic people + U. of British ColumbiaTwo-body problem 2004

3. About Kathryn McKinley

4. 10 Ways to Fail10 Ways to Succeed

5. Way to fail # 1: Compete ruthlessly with other students • You can’t get ahead by helping others • The really smart people don’t need to work together • I can work harder than everyone else Corollary: constantly compare yourself to others Corollary: the fastest way out is the best

6. Way to succeed # 1:Work better, not longer • Form study groups • Form support groups • Talk research with students in your research group • Don’t equate long hours with good work or high productivity • Have a life outside of graduate school

7. Way to fail # 2:Never ask for help • Never ask for clarification if something doesn’t make sense • Never talk to other people when you’re having problems • Never ask people for their insight on similar problems

8. Way to succeed # 2:Believe in your own strengths • The imposter syndrome may tell you that everyone belongs here except you • Everyone is figuring out graduate school, not just you • Research skills and good grades skills are not the same • You’re not in grad school by a fluke

9. Way to fail # 3:Constantly fight the system • Your advisor will change if you just try hard enough • You can single-handedly make everything better for all students

10. Way to succeed # 3:Tailor goals/experience to you • Why are you in graduate school? • What do you want out of graduate school? • How can you get it? • Accommodate your goals to your progress

11. Way to fail # 4:Avoid your advisor • You don’t need an advisor • Your advisor may know you haven’t gotten anything done • Your advisor doesn’t want to meet with you anyway Corollary: Avoid all faculty

12. Way to succeed # 4:Know when to hold them, Know when to fold them… • Many people prefer to stick with a project or advisor because you have so much invested in them • Do consider those investments • But the costs of staying with an advisor or project that aren’t working may be higher than new investment costs

13. Way to fail # 5:Fixate on grades • Don’t do research because it takes away from your grades • Think you’re no good because your grades are bad

14. Way to succeed # 5:Do an internship • Get a new view on research • Learn about working in industry • Work with new people • Meet students from other universities • At the very least work with more than one person during your career

15. Way to fail # 6:Never write anything down • You can keep everything in your head • You don’t have to write anything until your thesis

16. Way to succeed # 6:Research journal and/or wiki • Research consists of many steps • Those steps are easy to forget • Research journal shows you what you’ve accomplished • A research journal shows your advisor what you’ve accomplished • Online journal -- shared with your advisor • wiki with your meeting notes, experiments, related work, ideas, etc.

17. Way to fail # 7:Never go on vacation • The more hours you work, the better you’ll do • Going on vacation means you’ll fall behind

18. Way to succeed # 7: Celebrate accomplishments • Write it down in your research journal • Tell people about it • Eat a piece of chocolate • Do something for fun • Take a vacation!

19. Way to fail # 8:Never show initiative • Let your advisor choose your research topic • Never ask yourself why you’re doing what your doing • Never read research papers not selected by your advisor

20. Way to succeed # 8:Good time management • E-mail, work, and personal • Work when you are effective • Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People High Urgency Low High Importance

21. Way to fail # 9:Believe research is write-only • Never practice your talks • Never rewrite your papers • Never debug Corollary: never read over other people’s papers or attend their practice talks

22. Way to succeed # 9:Pursuing research problems • Have a big picture • Bite off what you can chew • Quantify it • Read the literature • How far is the literature from the “best?” • How can you improve on it? • Choose an idea that you can make work • quickly, well, and/or both • prototype - do it the fastest way, then make it perfect

23. Way to fail # 10:Ignore all non-thesis research • Only go to group meetings when forced • Never go to talks outside your area • Never talk to people in other areas about research • Never take seminars or classes outside your area

24. Way to succeed # 10:Network • With your fellow students • With the professors • With your broader community • With people who visit your institution • Attend conferences • Meet someone new today!

25. AcknowledgementsThanks! • U. of Texas Speedway research group • Lindsay Michimoto (U. of Washington graduate advisor) • Steve Wolfman