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Member Advice Summary
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Grad Student = Apprentice?
by dave_huber | May 21 '00
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.Return to opinion
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Re: Yea BUT (Reply to this comment)
by dave_huber
Academic politics is something that I learn a little more about every day. You're right; a recommendation from a star can get you a job much easier than going it alone.
There are pros and cons to both sides: basically, it's about attention, or more accurately, at which point you will get the best assistance from the professor. You'll get it later on from a star, and earlier on from a non-star. It really depends on the individual student's abilities as to whether a star is a good choice of advisor.
I have nothing against choosing a star as an advisor. My previous advisor was a star, and my new advisor is one, also. However, the reason why I have a new advisor now after two years of work is due to a lack of communication stemming from lack of contact. There was a funding cut, and my work had drifted in a direction that he could not fund under his grant. We never met very often, and when we did, the meetings were brief. He was busy with conferences and such, and I didn't enjoy meetings, so I didn't push the issue too much. Of course, I had no clue that there was even a problem until the news that I was on my own was dropped on me one morning. And then I really wished I had forced him to spend more time actually advising me.
I don't want to go into too many details with the above case. It's just that when someone chooses a star as an advisor, they're running the risk that the prof may be too busy to adequately advise. That can spell disaster, so it is important to remain alert when choosing a star. Those post-grad rewards come at a price.
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Oct 29 '02
1:18 pm PST
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Yea BUT (Reply to this comment)
by 4theTruth
While the stars fall into the wonderful people or pain in the a** category, what he is not telling you is that those star professors' recommendations can get you a job just like that. Now, if a lesser know prof can really help you be a better researcher/teacher than the star then by all means. However, if how they will impact you is about equal the star can get you what you want much more easily than the unknown. Academia has a strong star system and privilege begets privilege.
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Sep 25 '02
4:21 pm PDT
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Re: Some fields are worse than others (Reply to this comment)
by dave_huber
Great point...
High energy physics? Sounds painful.
Thanks for your comment.
-Dave
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Sep 10 '00
5:47 pm PDT
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Some fields are worse than others (Reply to this comment)
by prfstars
In the physical sciences, the graduate student experience varies dramatically according to the student's chosen field. Grad students in high energy physics, for example, tend to be over-worked drones who spend their days soldering and programming. In addition to finding a good advisor, it's important to make sure you're involved in a project that's small enough to allow graduate students to take on important roles.
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Sep 01 '00
11:12 pm PDT
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Re: Good review (Reply to this comment)
by dave_huber
It's not really that the individual classes are any easier in terms of difficulty, but by the time you get to grad school, you're pretty well practiced in the field (if you did your undergrad in the same field, as I did), and your intuition is that much better. It's easier to pick up advanced concepts because the foundation is already there. If you did your grad work in a different field than your undergrad work, then this probably won't apply.
Another difference (the big one for me) was that there were fewer courses to take. As an undergraduate, I would take 4-5 courses per semester (16-18 units) which included lab sessions. In grad school, I take 2-3 courses per semester (8-10 units) with no labs. I found that being pulled in fewer directions at any given time allowed me to focus more intently on my coursework, and I consequently did better.
The grading in grad school is also softer (at least on the surface). Since a 'C' is basically an unsatisfactory grade, professors can't and won't give them out very often. You'll see a lot more A's and B's, which makes it easier to get a higher GPA. Therefore, the increase of the minimum GPA from 2.0 to 3.0 doesn't really raise the bar in terms of required performance.
It's the combination of these things: practice, fewer classes, and "softer" grading, that makes grad school coursework easier, in my opinion. Of course, don't confuse the coursework of grad school with grad school as a whole. The whole is much more difficult, especially since actual coursework will only comprise about a third (or less) of the work you will do to complete the degree. The rest is research and publishing, and is that a pain...
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Jun 16 '00
11:35 pm PDT
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Good review (Reply to this comment)
by MyThreeSons
Your advice on choosing an advisor is sound but grad school easier than undergrad?????? Not at my schools......
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Jun 14 '00
11:54 am PDT
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I'm fortunate to. . . (Reply to this comment)
by cleanshaven
. . .have a great adviser who is a professional academic. I've watched many students with great potential become too crushed to proceed, at the fault of an arrogant, incompetent major professor.
I start my PhD in August, and lucked out with another great guy to supervise my work. The qualities I recommend: Generous, thick-skinned, and published.
Nice review. I know all too well how important these things are.
Patrick.
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Jun 11 '00
10:18 pm PDT
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Excellent points! (Reply to this comment)
by jaseroque
This is a very insightful review! Anyone considering grad school will do well to heed your advice. I'm already in the same boat, so I salute you :)
I agree that the topic you pick should be yours -- not something fobbed off on you by an advisor. After all, if you are going to slave away at something for six years you had better believe in it (at least some of the time!).
On the question of authorship and collaboration... I have found that bringing the authorship question up right away is helpful. Before anyone does any extra work, before anyone gets invested in a project, clarify who is first author. That way the conflicts are worked through before the stakes get big and blood is shed.
-jaseroque
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May 24 '00
1:12 am PDT
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