原创 How to Be a Good Graduate Student(1)

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How to Be a Good Graduate Student

Marie desJardins
marie@erg.sri.com

Abstract
This paper attempts to raise some issues that are important for graduate students to be successful and to get as
much out of the process as possible, and for advisors who wish to help their students be successful. The intent is
not to provide prescriptive advice -- no formulas for finishing a thesis or twelve-step programs for becoming a
better advisor are given -- but to raise awareness on both sides of the advisor-student relationship as to what the
expectations   are   and   should   be   for   this   relationship,   what   a   graduate   student   should   expect   to   accomplish,
common problems, and where to go if the advisor is not forthcoming.

Introduction
Before You Start
Doing Research
The Daily Grind
Staying Motivated
Getting to the Thesis
Finding an Advisor
Finding a Thesis Topic
Writing the Thesis
Getting Feedback
Getting Financial Support
Advice for Advisors
Interacting With Students
Becoming Part of the Research Community
Attending Conferences
Publishing Papers
Networking
All Work and No Play...
Issues for Women
Conclusions
Bibliography

Introduction

This article originated with a discussion I had with several women professors about the problems women face in
graduate   school,   and   how   more   women   could   be   encouraged   to   go   to   graduate   school   in   computer   science.
Eventually,   the   conversation   turned   to   the   question   of   what   these   women   could   do   in   their   interactions   with
women students to support and encourage them. I volunteered that over the course of my graduate career I had
collected a variety of papers and e-mail discussions about how to be a good advisor, how to get through graduate
school, and issues facing women. They were eager to get this material, and I told them I would sort through it
when I got a chance.

After mentioning this project to a number of people, both graduate students and faculty -- all of whom expressed
an interest in anything I could give them -- I realized two things: first, the issues that we were talking about really
were not just women's issues but were of interest to all graduate students, and to all caring advisors. Second, in
order to disseminate the information I had collected (and was starting to collect from others) it seemed to make
more   sense   to   compile   a   bibliography,   and   write   a   paper   that   would   summarize   the   most   useful   advice   and
suggestions I had collected.

I solicited inputs from friends and colleagues via mailing lists and Internet bulletin boards, and collected almost an
overwhelming amount of information. Sorting through it and attempting to distill the collective wisdom of dozens
of articles and hundreds of e-mail messages has not been an easy task, but I hope that the results provide a useful
resource for graduate students and advisors alike. The advice I give here is directed towards Ph.D. students in
computer science and their advisors, since that is my background, but I believe that much of it applies to graduate
students in other areas as well.

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In my experience, the two main things that make graduate school hard are the unstructured nature of the process,
and   the   lack   of   information   about   what   you   should   spend   your   time   on.   I   hope   that   this   article   will   provide
information for both graduate students and advisors that will help make the process less painful.

I owe a debt of gratitude to David Chapman, whose paper ([chapman]) was an invaluable reference for me not
only during the writing of this article, but during graduate school as well.

The goals of this article are to raise awareness of the need for a healthy and interactive graduate student-advisor
relationship, to provide pointers and guidance for both advisors and graduate students in navigating the maze of a
doctoral degree, and to give references and resources for those who hope to learn more.

Before You Start

Many headaches can be avoided by doing some advance planning. First, why go to graduate school at all? The
usual   reasons   given   are   that   a   Ph.D.   is   required   or   preferred   for   some   jobs,   especially   research   and   academic
positions; that it gives you a chance to learn a great deal about a specific area; and that it provides an opportunity
to develop ideas and perform original research. Wanting to delay your job hunt is probably not a good enough
reason. Graduate school is a lot of work and requires strong motivation and focus. You have to really want to be
there to make it through.

It helps to have a good idea of what area you want to specialize in, and preferably a couple of particular research
projects you might like to work on. Look for books and current journals and conference proceedings in your area,
and read through them to get an idea of who's doing what where. (You'll be doing a *lot* of reading once you start
graduate school, so you might as well get used to it.) This is where advisors first enter the scene: faculty members
ought   to   be   willing   to   talk   to   undergraduates   and   help   them   find   out   more   about   research   areas   and   graduate
schools.   Try   to   get   involved   in   research:   ask   professors   and   TAs   whether   they   need   someone   to   work   on   an
ongoing project, or start an independent research project, with guidance from a faculty member.

Contact     faculty    members      and   graduate    students    at  the  schools    you're   interested    in.  Tell  them    about    your
background and interests and ask them what research projects they're working on. A good way to do this is via
electronic mail if possible -- e-mail is much easier and quicker to respond to than a paper letter. A good advisor
will be willing to answer these kinds of inquiries (although if they're busy they may give you only a brief answer
or point you towards a graduate student -- you'll have to use your intuition to decide whether they're brushing you
off or just busy). If you can't get any answer at all, consider that that individual might not end up being a very
accessible   advisor.   Asking   these   questions   will   help   you   narrow   down   your   choices   and   may   increase   your
chances of admission if the professors you contact become interested in working with you.

Your best bet is to find a school where there are at least two faculty members you'd be interested in working with.
That way, if one doesn't work out, or is too busy to take on a new student, you have a fallback position. It's also
important to most people to feel comfortable with the community of graduate students. It pays to talk to some of
the graduate students (both junior and senior) to find out how they like it, which advisors are good, and what kinds
of support (financial and psychological) are available. Because there are so many students applying to each school,
even highly qualified applicants are often rejected. You should apply to a range of programs -- and don't take it
personally if you do get rejected by some of them.

You can increase your chances of getting into graduate school by getting good grades, especially in upper division
classes   in   your   area   of   interest,   having   a   broad   background   in   your   field   and   in   related   fields   (for   example,
psychology   classes   are   useful   for   AI   students),   getting   a   high   score   on   the   GRE   if   required,   developing   good
relationships with your professors and work managers (this is very important for getting good recommendations),
working on a research project, and having a clear sense of what you want to work on (although it's always all right
to change your mind later). Also, it's a good idea to start thinking early about sources of funding: apply for an
NSF fellowship and ask your advisor or department office about other fellowships.