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HowtoSucceedinGraduateSchool:AGuideforStudentsandAdvisorsMariedesJardinsmarie@erg.sri.comPublishedinCrossroads,theOnlineACMStudentMagazine,issues1.2(December1994)and1.3(January1995).AbstractThispaperattemptstoraisesomeissuesthatareimportantforgraduatestudentstobesuccessfulandtogetasmuchoutoftheprocessaspossible,andforadvisorswhowishtohelptheirstudentsbesuccessful.Theintentisnottoprovideprescriptiveadvice-noformulasforfinishingathesisortwelve-stepprogramsforbecomingabetteradvisoraregiven-buttoraiseawarenessonbothsidesoftheadvisor-studentrelationshipastowhattheexpectationsareandshouldbeforthisrelationship,whatagraduatestudentshouldexpecttoaccomplish,commonproblems,andwheretogoiftheadvisorisnotforthcoming.1IntroductionThisarticleoriginatedwithadiscussionIhadwithseveralwomenprofessorsabouttheproblemswomenfaceingraduateschool,andhowmorewomencouldbeencouragedtogotograduateschoolincomputerscience.Eventually,theconversationturnedtothequestionofwhatthesewomencoulddointheirinteractionswithwomenstudentstosupportandencouragethem.IvolunteeredthatoverthecourseofmygraduatecareerIhadcollectedavarietyofpapersande-maildiscussionsabouthowtobeagoodadvisor,howtogetthroughgraduateschool,andissuesfacingwomen.Theywereeagertogetthismaterial,andItoldthemIwouldsortthroughitwhenIgotachance.Aftermentioningthisprojecttoanumberofpeople,bothgraduatestudentsandfaculty-allofwhomexpressedaninterestinganythingIcouldgivethem-Irealizedtwothings:first,theissuesthatweweretalkingaboutreallywerenotjustwomen’sissuesbutwereofinteresttoallgraduatestudents,andtoallcaringadvisors.Second,inordertodisseminatetheinformationIhadcollected(andwasstartingtocollectfromothers)itseemedtomakemoresensetocompileabibliography,andwriteapaperthatwouldsummarizethemostusefuladviceandsuggestionsIhadcollected.IsolicitedinputsfromfriendsandcolleaguesviamailinglistsandInternetbulletinboards,andcollectedalmostanoverwhelmingamountofinformation.Sortingthroughitandattemptingtodistillthecollectivewisdomofdozensofarticlesandhundredsofe-mailmessageshasnotbeenaneasytask,butIhopethattheresultsprovideausefulresourceforgraduatestudentsandadvisorsalike.TheadviceIgivehereisdirectedtowardsPh.D.studentsincomputerscienceandtheiradvisors,sincethatismybackground,butIbelievethatmuchofitappliestograduatestudentsinotherareasaswell.Inmyexperience,thetwomainthingsthatmakegraduateschoolhardaretheunstructurednatureoftheprocess,andthelackofinformationaboutwhatyoushouldspendyourtimeon.Ihopethatthisarticlewillprovideinformationforbothgraduatestudentsandadvisorsthatwillhelpmaketheprocesslesspainful.Iwanttoemphasizethatgraduateschoolisnoteasy,andthesesuggestionswillnotalwaysbeeasyorevenpossibletofollow(andtheymaynotevenbetheidealgoalforyou,personally,tostrivefor).Youshouldn'tletthatdiscourageyou:startsmall,thinkbig,andkeepyourselffocusedonyourultimategoal,whichshouldn'tjustbetogetthroughgraduateschool,buttoenjoyyourself,makeprogresstowardsbeingabletodowhatyouwanttodowithyourlife,andlearnsomethingintheprocess.IoweadebtofgratitudetoDavidChapman,whosepaper([Chapman,1988])wasaninvaluablereferenceformenotonlyduringthewritingofthisarticle,butduringgraduateschoolaswell.Thegoalsofthisarticlearetoraiseawarenessoftheneedforahealthyandinteractivegraduatestudent-advisorrelationship,toprovidepointersandguidanceforbothadvisorsandgraduatestudentsinnavigatingthemazeofadoctoraldegree,andtogivereferencesandresourcesforthosewhohopetolearnmore.2BeforeYouStartManyheadachescanbeavoidedbydoingsomeadvanceplanning.First,whygotograduateschoolatall?TheusualreasonsgivenarethataPh.D.isrequiredorpreferredforsomejobs,especiallyresearchandacademicpositions;thatitgivesyouachancetolearnagreatdealaboutaspecificarea;andthatitprovidesanopportunitytodevelopideasandperformoriginalresearch.Wantingtodelayyourjobhuntisprobablynotagoodenoughreason.Overthepastdecade,researchandacademicpositionshavebecomemoredifficulttofind,andmanyrecentPh.D.sendup“killingtime”inaseriesofpostdoctoralpositions,ortakingnon-researchjobs.HavingaPh.D.isnotaguaranteeoffindingabetterjobinandofitself!Inaddition,graduateschoolisalotofworkandrequiresstrongmotivationandfocus.Youhavetoreallywanttobetheretomakeitthrough.Ithelpstohaveagoodideaofwhatareayouwanttospecializein,andpreferablyacoupleofparticularresearchprojectsyoumightliketoworkon,althoughmanygraduatestudentschangetheirmindsaboutresearchprojectsandevenspecializationfieldaftertheystartschool.Lookforbooksandcurrentjournalsandconferenceproceedingsinyourarea,andreadthroughthemtogetanideaofwho'sdoingwhatwhere.(You'llbedoingalotofreadingonceyoustartgraduateschool,soyoumightaswellgetusedtoit.)Thisiswhereadvisorsfirstenterthescene:facultymembersoughttobewillingtotalktoundergraduatesandhelpthemfindoutmoreaboutresearchareasandgraduateschools.Trytogetinvolvedinresearch:askprofessorsandTAs(teachingassistants)whethertheyneedsomeonetoworkonanongoingproject,orstartanindependentresearchproject,withguidancefromafacultymember.Contactfacultymembersandgraduatestudentsattheschoolsyou'reinterestedin.Tellthemaboutyourbackgroundandinterestsa