Good writers read [1], and “wanting to write without wanting to read” [2] simply does not sound rational, as there is no proper writing without proper reading, that’s how it is. Although the majority of university students may not read books for pleasure - as proven in Japan for instance [3], or do not read at all [4] - if that’s what really happens [5], and there is no … [Read more...] about Leaders Are Readers
PhD Comics
If you are a PhD student and you don't know PhD Comics yet, check them out. If you haven't watched the PhD Movies yet, watch them both! You will hopefully find them hilarious - just make sure you don't end up spending more time on them than on writing your dissertation. Cartoonist Jorge Cham (the creator of PhD Comics) and physicist Daniel Whiteson have also published We … [Read more...] about PhD Comics
Effective Supervision
Doing a PhD without regular feedback from your supervisor is like driving your car to a faraway destination without a GPS: You will get lost a few times along the way, and it will certainly take you a lot longer to get there. While it is true that proper guidance is key to avoid pitfalls and dead ends [1], maintaining an effective working relationship with your supervisor(s) … [Read more...] about Effective Supervision
Stay Healthy
If you are a PhD student, you most probably live a sedentary life, sitting at a desk all day, eating too much junk food, not getting enough sleep at night, nor do you exercise often enough. In order to stay healthy throughout your PhD, you need to take good care of your health - especially when it comes to stressful periods (deadlines, exams, etc.). Get enough sleep. Sleep … [Read more...] about Stay Healthy
What NOT to do in grad school
(Do NOT) Give up too quickly Grad school can be a series of failures, which is OK. How do you expect to come up with something extraordinary, if you never ran into a dead end (or two)? You should not give up just because you failed once or twice. Just make sure you summarise what you've learned from each failure, so you don't commit the same mistakes again and you are able … [Read more...] about What NOT to do in grad school
How to Stay Motivated in Grad School?
As Simon Sinek put it: Start with WHY. Find your own "Why", for yourself: Why exactly you do what you do in life? Is grad school the right place for you to be? If so, why? If you think it isn't, why not? Why did you go to grad school in the first place? What was that original piece of motivation that might have gotten lost along the way? Locate it and think about it. Don't … [Read more...] about How to Stay Motivated in Grad School?
Attention to Detail
"The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail." (Charles R. Swindoll) Attention to detail is the ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task [1], and it counts among the most important qualities of successful graduate research candidates [2]. In fact, it is a key problem-solving skill in many different … [Read more...] about Attention to Detail
Your PhD Supervisor and You
Choosing the right PhD supervisor is key. You can be super passionate about your research topic, but you will only graduate if you and your supervisor are a good match. Your supervisor is the most important person to help you finish your PhD. He/she has to be there for you when you need guidance in anything, and fluid communication is key. Although finding someone you get … [Read more...] about Your PhD Supervisor and You
The World’s Shortest PhD Dissertations
"David Lee Rector's Ph.D. Thesis is just nine pages long plus bio and bibliography, not to mention double-spaced." [Source & Photo Credit: Ali Almossawi] You have probably seen thick dissertations, too heavy to lift with one hand… but have you ever thought of how short a PhD dissertation can possibly be? Well, John Edensor Littlewood once famously inquired “whether a … [Read more...] about The World’s Shortest PhD Dissertations
Are You Ready for a PhD?
If you are already doing a PhD, you can A) either skip this article, or B) read it and compare it to your actual situation / progress since you’ve started. If you are thinking about applying for a PhD, think about it twice. Do you really know what it takes to finish a PhD? Do you have what it takes? Doing a PhD is nothing more than concentrating on the same thing long … [Read more...] about Are You Ready for a PhD?