Grad Student = Apprentice?May 21 '00 (Updated Nov 01 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Choosing an advisor and research topic are the most important decisions that graduate students make. Attend a given grad school only if you are comfortable with your advisor and topic.
Jaseroque's review was right on the mark. In fact, I believe that the relationship between advisor and graduate student is directly descended from the master-apprentice relationship in the time of yore. Choosing your advisor is THE most important decision you will make as a grad student, even more important than choosing a school. Grad school is not about classes. It's about research. It's about a Master's Thesis. And most importantly, it's about your Doctoral Dissertation, the research that backs it up, and learning how to be a research professional. The Ph.D. is the highest academic degree you can get, and you can be sure that your school is going to make you earn it. I'm going to assume that you already picked a school that both has your major and professors within that major that at least loosely focus on the research that interests you. You've taken the required preliminary course load, got your 3.5 (or whatever... I've found grad school classes to be easier that undergrad courses, so getting a high GPA isn't that much effort.), and passed your department's screening exam. It's time to start your dissertation (the REAL reason you're here). So what do you do now? I won't repeat things said in other reviews. Find a professor in your desired field, and ask him or her about the appropriate research. Ask the other grad students. Gather information. Of course every grad student's nightmare is ending up with an advisor akin to the professor in "Real Genius", whose agenda includes only enslaving his students into doing projects specific only to his own research (if you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about). My roommate got stuck with one of these professors as an advisor, and was basically told to write a computer algorithm that the professor needed to complete a portion of his research. The professor then proceeded to disappear for the rest of the semester. The server that my roommate was supposed to run the program on crashed and remained that way the entire semester, and long story short my roommate ended up getting a "no credit" for the project despite these problems (which were the prof's fault), and decided that a Ph.D. wasn't worth it. (Of course he's making 71k in industry right now, which leads me to believe he may be right). But I digress. Nightmare advisor situations do exist, and it's important to know who you're going to be working with for the next three years. Therefore, I've compiled a few tips: 1. Your dissertation is YOUR research. Not the research of your professor. If you contact a professor and they give you a "mandatory" topic (i.e., "do this topic or find another advisor"), and it doesn't really interest you a lot, find another advisor. Personality conflicts are sure to ensue in the years to come, which will make your research a living hell. Beware if a "recommended" dissertation topic fits a little too well into your advisor's research. Your prof will always credit you, but you'll get second billing on a lot of papers. NOTE: If you do the work, you should request top billing on a paper. Second billing on a paper might get your name heard, but in actuality, credit only goes to the first name on the paper (unless ALL the names are listed alphabetically). 2. This provides an argument for doing grad work in the same school/dept you got your Bachelor's degree in. While you may be tired of your school after spending 4-5 years getting a BS/BA degree, the familiarity you have with the faculty is invaluable. I attended the same school for grad school as I did my undergrad work in, and I had little trouble picking an advisor. I knew all the professors, their areas of research, personalities, quirks, whether they actually showed up for the classes they were supposed to teach, etc. If you liked your undergrad school, I'd highly recommend staying there for grad school. 3. BEWARE THE BIG NAMES AND "FAMOUS" PROFESSORS FOR ADVISORS: I can't stress this enough. Working with well-known professors presents a new set of personality challenges: you'll have to deal with egoism, and you may find yourself with less freedom with choosing your topic, especially if the professor has an ongoing research project in mind (see #1 above). I've also found that the more famous professors are around campus much less than other profs, due to conferences, etc. The end result is that if you have a question or actually need advisement, your advisor may not be around when you need him. There's nothing worse than having a question, having to put a specific problem on the back burner until the prof returns, and then having to explain to the professor why you haven't been able to solve the problem yet when he finally gets back. I've also found that well known professors have many more grad students than normal professors. As a result, it may be harder to get funding, and it is definitely harder to get the prof's attention, especially if he has grad students just finishing up their Ph.D.'s. Be advised that if your advisor has a lot of grad students, you'll be largely on your own for your research. Not to dissuade anyone from choosing a well-known professor as an advisor: far from it. In fact, well-known advisor can have substantial advantages. A recommendation from a big name can be invaluable when it comes time to get a job after graduation. Academia is extremely political in nature, and allies are extremely important. A carefully researched decision should be made as to whether the disadvantages of choosing a well-known advisor is preferable to choosing a newer professor as an advisor. Each student will undoubtedly have different needs as a fledgling researcher, and it is important not to fall into the old "bigger is better" trap with regards to an advisor. As an undergrad and grad student, I have done a lot of research, working under various professors. Most were great. But there are some that just make your blood boil. Most of the problems I've listed I have experienced firsthand at least once. Professors are human, and they're actually not very different than your average grad student. Find an advisor that you trust, that you can learn from, and that can be your friend. You'll find your grad school experience much more rewarding if you enjoy working with your advisor. The important thing to remember throughout all this is that your dissertation is YOUR research. Don't take on a topic because you "have" to. You will have to defend your research (twice), and if you don't like what you are doing, this is made much more difficult. Also, don't work for a prof just because it increases your own chances of being published as a secondary author. If your research is worth anything, you can publish it yourself as the primary author. If you let it, grad school can be an opportunity to make a name for yourself in the research community. It's easier to do this if you don't get caught in another person's shadow, which is why it's so vitally important to choose wisely when picking an advisor.  |
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