"Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy." [1]
Though I have been acclimating myself to a new academic environment well so far, I know I will have to get over a lot of hardships before getting my Ph.D. It is often said that pursuing doctoral studies requires a rock-solid reason for doing so. It may be very difficult to stay in graduate school for many years; most graduate students lean on a small amount of stipend for living. I decided to be a Ph.D. student as one of the goals of my life is to settle down in academia, which requires me to have a Ph.D. degree. To make such a dream come true, it is important to understand the ecosystem of graduate schools.
Academia is a very peculiar type of business. It seems to make sense. My research assistantship is from my advisor's research funds granted by external organizations. This means that I need to treat my research assistantship like a professional job; I should work on research projects, and show them that I am capable of getting work done clearly for the continual support from them. Being a highly desired research assistant is a key to success in graduate school.
Then, what is the best success in graduate school? I think receiving a Ph.D. and getting out of graduate school early is the best success. I love to be in academia, but I do not want to remain as a graduate student for a long time. I would like to take professor's roles to achieve my academic goals as soon as possible. To do so, I need to learn how to finish my dissertation quickly. It seems to be a very useful advice that doing something everyday gets it closer to being done. Writing a dissertation only when "in the mood" is not that productive in the long run. Doing part of research everyday, and writing part of my dissertation everyday will keep me going through the good times and the bad. I am sure that it is a very good way to ensure that I finish my dissertation in time or earlier.
However, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. An unexpected advice from those references below is about not being Jack. Finding a balance between work and play is not easy [2], but it is extremely important for not only studying smart (not hard), but keeping the good relationship with those whom I love. A good balance may also improve my work productivity, and keep good mental and physical healthiness. Ph.D. degree is really important to me, but it is not worth risking such precious things. Sometime later, I will talk about time management skills making Jack a successful Ph.D. student; it is our privilege to enjoy ourselves in graduate school, but not to laze around [3].
Summary
- Ph.D. students must have rock-solid reasons for their Ph.D. degrees.
- Beware the ecosystem; academia is a business.
- Write your dissertation everyday.
- Work smart, and play!
References
[1] Ronald T. Azuma, "So long, and thanks for the Ph.D.! : Everything I wanted to know about Computer Science graduate school at the beginning but didn't learn until later.", Jan. 2003, http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html
[2] Alice Domurat Dreger, "Grad School Survival", http://www.alicedreger.com/grad_school_survival.html
[3] Marie desJardins, "How to be a good graduate student", Mar. 1994, http://www.cs.indiana.edu/HTMLit/how.2b/how.2b.html
Leave a comment