How to do a PhD
jameshaytonphd.com
How to do a PhD
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Re: How to do a PhD
#2Definitely need to focus. I think most of us come into our PhDs thinking that our research is going to change the world. For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. We try to bite off more than we can chew, and then we're either paralyzed or we spend a good portion of our time back peddling to simpler problems. If I could give one piece of advice. Start simple. If possible replicate some of the earlier work because you may discover that you're building on a lot of unreported assumptions. Aim for a portfolio of small papers that together tell a larger story, rather than trying to pack it all into on opus magnus.
Re: How to do a PhD
#3While it has a bit of snark to it, certainly conveys the point of "This is your PhD. No one is going to hold your hand. Get it done."
The people who drop out of PhD programs usually are plenty smart enough, they just don't know how to make things happen.
Then again, some people seem content and happy to do 8 years of PhD studies followed by 10 more of meandering post-docs. Bummer is when they're surprised that no one wants to make them a professor.
Re: How to do a PhD
#4While the article is interesting, I find it quite confusing to read with its paragraphs once ironic once advisory...
Re: How to do a PhD
#5Definitely need to focus. I think most of us come into our PhDs thinking that our research is going to change the world. For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. We try to bite off more than we can chew, and then we're either paralyzed or we spend a good portion of our time back peddling to simpler problems. If I could give one piece of advice. Start simple. If possible replicate some of the…
> For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious.
I would say that this danger applies more to those doing practical (applied) work. A practically oriented program will often have a clear goal, and preset goals are often unattainable in research. By contrast, a student doing theoretical work can always bend their goals when necessary.
Re: How to do a PhD
#611 commandments ...
Re: How to do a PhD
#7Definitely need to focus. I think most of us come into our PhDs thinking that our research is going to change the world. For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. We try to bite off more than we can chew, and then we're either paralyzed or we spend a good portion of our time back peddling to simpler problems. If I could give one piece of advice. Start simple. If possible replicate some of the…
> For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. I would say that this danger applies more to those doing practical (applied) work. A practically oriented program will often have a clear goal, and preset goals are often unattainable in research. By contrast, a student doing theoretical work can always bend their goals when necessary.
That is very true in my experience.
Re: How to do a PhD
#8While it has a bit of snark to it, certainly conveys the point of "This is your PhD. No one is going to hold your hand. Get it done." The people who drop out of PhD programs usually are plenty smart enough, they just don't know how to make things happen. Then again, some people seem content and happy to do 8 years of PhD studies followed by 10 more of meandering post-docs. Bummer is when they're surprised that no one…
> they just don't know how to make things happen
I don't think that's fair either.
Re: How to do a PhD
#9Definitely need to focus. I think most of us come into our PhDs thinking that our research is going to change the world. For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. We try to bite off more than we can chew, and then we're either paralyzed or we spend a good portion of our time back peddling to simpler problems. If I could give one piece of advice. Start simple. If possible replicate some of the…
> For anyone doing highly theoretical work we can be over ambitious. I would say that this danger applies more to those doing practical (applied) work. A practically oriented program will often have a clear goal, and preset goals are often unattainable in research. By contrast, a student doing theoretical work can always bend their goals when necessary.
I think this contributes to why theoretical degrees take, on average, much less time to complete in my experience.
Re: How to do a PhD
#10While it has a bit of snark to it, certainly conveys the point of "This is your PhD. No one is going to hold your hand. Get it done." The people who drop out of PhD programs usually are plenty smart enough, they just don't know how to make things happen. Then again, some people seem content and happy to do 8 years of PhD studies followed by 10 more of meandering post-docs. Bummer is when they're surprised that no one…
The people who drop out of PhD programs usually are plenty smart enough, they just don't know how to make things happen.