10 ways to succeed 10 ways to succeed

10 ways to fail10 ways to failin Graduate Schoolin Graduate School

CRA-W Grad Cohort CRA-W Grad Cohort WorkshopWorkshop

Rachel Pottinger, University of British ColumbiaRachel Pottinger, University of British Columbia

Kathryn McKinley, University of Texas at AustinKathryn McKinley, University of Texas at Austin

About Rachel PottingerAbout Rachel Pottinger

Exploring options + Computer science Exploring options + Computer science Great teacherGreat teacher

Exploring options Undergraduate Exploring options Undergraduate researchresearch Internship at Microsoft Internship at Microsoft

Fantastic man Marry Steve 2000Fantastic man Marry Steve 2000

Great research + U. of WashingtonGreat research + U. of WashingtonSupportive envir. PhD in 2004Supportive envir. PhD in 2004

Great research + Asst. Prof at Great research + Asst. Prof at Fantastic people + U. of British Fantastic people + U. of British ColumbiaColumbiaTwo-body problem 2004Two-body problem 2004

About Kathryn About Kathryn McKinleyMcKinley

Love mathLove math Computer ScienceComputer Science Love boysLove boys UG Research SummerUG Research Summer

Marry Scotty 1985Marry Scotty 1985 Love researchLove research Rice PHd 1992Rice PHd 1992 & France& France Post Doc, Ecole des MinesPost Doc, Ecole des Mines

Asst Prof UMass 1993 Asst Prof UMass 1993 Tenure 1999Tenure 1999

Move to UT Austin 01Move to UT Austin 01 Full Prof 05 Full Prof 05

Love boysLove boys Cooper 1995Cooper 1995 Dylan 1998Dylan 1998 Wyatt 2001Wyatt 2001

10 Ways to Fail10 Ways to Fail10 Ways to 10 Ways to

SucceedSucceed

Way to fail # 1:Way to fail # 1: Compete ruthlessly with Compete ruthlessly with

other studentsother students

You can’t get ahead by helping othersYou can’t get ahead by helping others The really smart people don’t need to work The really smart people don’t need to work

togethertogether I can work harder than everyone elseI can work harder than everyone elseCorollary: constantly compare yourself to Corollary: constantly compare yourself to

othersothersCorollary: the fastest way out is the bestCorollary: the fastest way out is the best

Way to succeed # 1:Way to succeed # 1:Work better, not longerWork better, not longer

Form study groupsForm study groups Form support groupsForm support groups Talk research with students in your Talk research with students in your

research groupresearch group Don’t equate long hours with good work Don’t equate long hours with good work

or high productivityor high productivity Have a life outside of graduate schoolHave a life outside of graduate school

Way to fail # 2:Way to fail # 2:Never ask for helpNever ask for help

Never ask for clarification if Never ask for clarification if something doesn’t make sensesomething doesn’t make sense

Never talk to other people when Never talk to other people when you’re having problemsyou’re having problems

Never ask people for their insight on Never ask people for their insight on similar problemssimilar problems

Way to succeed # 2:Way to succeed # 2:Believe in your own Believe in your own

strengthsstrengths The imposter syndrome may tell you The imposter syndrome may tell you

that everyone belongs here except that everyone belongs here except youyou

Everyone is figuring out graduate Everyone is figuring out graduate school, not just youschool, not just you

Research skills and good grades Research skills and good grades skills are not the sameskills are not the same

You’re not in grad school by a flukeYou’re not in grad school by a fluke

Way to fail # 3:Way to fail # 3:Constantly fight the systemConstantly fight the system Your advisor will change if you just Your advisor will change if you just

try hard enoughtry hard enough You can single-handedly make You can single-handedly make

everything better for all studentseverything better for all students

Way to succeed # 3:Way to succeed # 3:Tailor goals/experience to Tailor goals/experience to

youyou Why are you in graduate school?Why are you in graduate school? What do you want out of graduate What do you want out of graduate

school?school? How can you get it?How can you get it? Accommodate your goals to your Accommodate your goals to your

progressprogress

Way to fail # 4:Way to fail # 4:Avoid your advisorAvoid your advisor

You don’t need an advisorYou don’t need an advisor Your advisor may know you haven’t Your advisor may know you haven’t

gotten anything donegotten anything done Your advisor doesn’t want to meet Your advisor doesn’t want to meet

with you anywaywith you anyway

Corollary: Avoid all facultyCorollary: Avoid all faculty

Way to succeed # 4:Way to succeed # 4:Know when to hold them, Know when to hold them, Know when to fold them…Know when to fold them…

Many people prefer to stick with a Many people prefer to stick with a project or advisor because you have project or advisor because you have so much invested in themso much invested in them

Do consider those investmentsDo consider those investments But the costs of staying with an But the costs of staying with an

advisor or project that aren’t working advisor or project that aren’t working may be higher than new investment may be higher than new investment costscosts

Way to fail # 5:Way to fail # 5:Fixate on gradesFixate on grades

Don’t do research because it takes Don’t do research because it takes away from your gradesaway from your grades

Think you’re no good because your Think you’re no good because your grades are badgrades are bad

Way to succeed # 5:Way to succeed # 5:Do an internshipDo an internship

Get a new view on researchGet a new view on research Learn about working in industryLearn about working in industry Work with new peopleWork with new people Meet students from other universitiesMeet students from other universities At the very least work with more At the very least work with more

than one person during your careerthan one person during your career

Way to fail # 6:Way to fail # 6:Never write anything downNever write anything down

You can keep everything in your You can keep everything in your headhead

You don’t have to write anything You don’t have to write anything until your thesisuntil your thesis

Way to succeed # 6:Way to succeed # 6:Research journal and/or Research journal and/or

wikiwiki Research consists of many stepsResearch consists of many steps Those steps are easy to forgetThose steps are easy to forget Research journal shows you what you’ve Research journal shows you what you’ve

accomplishedaccomplished A research journal shows your advisor A research journal shows your advisor

what you’ve accomplishedwhat you’ve accomplished Online journal -- shared with your advisorOnline journal -- shared with your advisor

wiki with your meeting notes, experiments, wiki with your meeting notes, experiments, related work, ideas, etc. related work, ideas, etc.

Way to fail # 7:Way to fail # 7:Never go on vacationNever go on vacation

The more hours you work, the better The more hours you work, the better you’ll doyou’ll do

Going on vacation means you’ll fall Going on vacation means you’ll fall behindbehind

Way to succeed # 7:Way to succeed # 7: Celebrate Celebrate

accomplishmentsaccomplishments Write it down in your research Write it down in your research

journaljournal Tell people about itTell people about it Eat a piece of chocolateEat a piece of chocolate Do something for funDo something for fun Take a vacation!Take a vacation!

Way to fail # 8:Way to fail # 8:Never show initiativeNever show initiative

Let your advisor choose your Let your advisor choose your research topicresearch topic

Never ask yourself why you’re doing Never ask yourself why you’re doing what your doingwhat your doing

Never read research papers not Never read research papers not selected by your advisorselected by your advisor

Way to succeed # 8:Way to succeed # 8:Good time managementGood time management

E-mail, work, and E-mail, work, and personalpersonal

Work when you are Work when you are effectiveeffective

Stephen Covey – Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Highly Effective PeoplePeople

Importance

Urgency

Low High

High

Way to fail # 9:Way to fail # 9:Believe research is write-Believe research is write-

onlyonly Never practice your talksNever practice your talks Never rewrite your papersNever rewrite your papers Never debugNever debug

Corollary: never read over other Corollary: never read over other people’s papers or attend their people’s papers or attend their practice talkspractice talks

Way to succeed # 9:Way to succeed # 9:Pursuing research Pursuing research

problemsproblems Have a big pictureHave a big picture Bite off what you can chewBite off what you can chew Quantify itQuantify it Read the literatureRead the literature

How far is the literature from the “best?”How far is the literature from the “best?” How can you improve on it?How can you improve on it? Choose an idea that you can make workChoose an idea that you can make work

• quickly, well, and/or bothquickly, well, and/or both• prototype - do it the fastest way, then make it perfectprototype - do it the fastest way, then make it perfect

Way to fail # 10:Way to fail # 10:Ignore all non-thesis Ignore all non-thesis

researchresearch Only go to group meetings when Only go to group meetings when

forcedforced Never go to talks outside your areaNever go to talks outside your area Never talk to people in other areas Never talk to people in other areas

about researchabout research Never take seminars or classes Never take seminars or classes

outside your areaoutside your area

Way to succeed # 10:Way to succeed # 10:NetworkNetwork

With your fellow studentsWith your fellow students With the professorsWith the professors With your broader communityWith your broader community With people who visit your institutionWith people who visit your institution Attend conferencesAttend conferences Meet someone new today!Meet someone new today!

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsThanks!Thanks!

U. of Texas Speedway research U. of Texas Speedway research groupgroup

Lindsay Michimoto (U. of Lindsay Michimoto (U. of Washington graduate advisor)Washington graduate advisor)

Steve WolfmanSteve Wolfman