Slide 1

You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Sanni Siltanen, D.Sc.(Tech.) My story doctoral studies as a hobby Start Going to the deep dark abyss Back to the light To the top of the hill Licentiate degree Doctoral degree 2003201220152009 Slide 2 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Working full time while studying (as a researcher at VTT) Enrolment for doctoral studies 2003 Courses completed in 2-3 years Working on confidential customer work not allowed to publish anything First publication in 2006 Decided to write Licentiate thesis as a monography (to get something ready) Applied for study grand, got it (2007) Part I the start Slide 3 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat My study leave was postponed by a couple of years Finally started the study leave 2009 felt ill and thus wasted study leave After a long sick leave, got back to work and normal life Started writing licentiate thesis on evenings, weekends and holidays Working alone, bad advises,, lots of work at workplace as well Black period of timethe deep dark abyss Threw the licentiate thesis to trash bin. Part II Going to the deep dark abyss Slide 4 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Part III back to the light Meeting with supervising professor (Erkki Oja), got encouraged to continue Changed the advisor (to a good one!) (Timo Tossavainen) Started writing a new licentiate thesis from clean start (2011) Meetings with the adviser every second week. Coffee bet with adviser. Private study-group with a friend doing licentiate thesis as well. Working on spare time. Licentiate thesis ready 2012. Licentiate thesis has been cited a lot and I have got a lot of good feedback from strangers! It was definitely worth doing it. Slide 5 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Part IV To the top of the hill (a.k.a. the easy part) I had written in between ~20 publications (many on spare time) Got and idea for compilation dissertation story. Took a 6 months study-leave 2014, and started to write the compilation part of the doctoral thesis. Regular meetings with supervisor, as my adviser left the university. I already knew my ways of working, I had writing routine, and I knew what I was doing. Pre-examination at the end 2014. 2 months study leave at beginning of 2015 to finalize the thesis. Defence on May 2015, graduation June 2015 First real summer vacation since ages in July 2015. Slide 6 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat What would I do differently? Took some adviser Select a good adviser! (Or a mentor) Working alone Working in a group (help others, get help from others) Trying to do it as hobby Apply for grants, and do full-time studies Shamed to talk Talk about any doubts and problems Doing research privately Talk about your own research with (the first advisers rule) others (and listen others) Trying to get perfect results Publish quick See the adviser only Regular meetings with the adviser when something ready in any case (the second adviser) (the first adviser) Slide 7 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Good practices and helpful tips Get a good adviser or mentor Regular meetings with adviser/supervisor/mentor Set small goals and deadlines Academic/Scientific writing courses Full-time studies if possible Select a subject that you really are interested in Be persistent and precise in your work Be active! Search for help and talk with others. Remember also: Work hard, but not too hard! Take care of yourself: eat healthy, sleep enough, practice some exercise, have social life, Slide 8 You can find VTT slide template in ENGLISH by choosing Home New Slide (click the text New Slide) Pick from there a suitable Master for each of the pages in your presentation. VTT slide template in FINNISH can be found by choosing File New My templates VTT yleispohjat Good luck with the studies! Want to ask something? sanni.siltanen@vtt.fi