How to Survive
as a Graduate Student
Chris Colohan
August 31, 2004
Previously given by: Francisco Pereira, Ted Wong, Sean Slattery, Alma
Whitten, Rob Deline, Brian Noble, Jay Sipelstein, Jonathan Shewchuk, Benli
Pierce, David Dill
1
Current Survival Rates
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Got Ph.D.
Gone
Absentia
On Leave
Still Here
71 974 977 980 983 986 989 992 995 998 001 004
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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2
2
Current Survival Rates
35
30
25
20
15
10
Got Ph.D.
Gone
Absentia
On Leave
Still Here
5
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
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99
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00
20
01
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3
Rules

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No names
Keep advice relevant to the early years
Only have 1½ hours today



This talk is incomplete!
You decide what we talk about today
Lots of views, you decide who is right
4
Agenda

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
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Finding an advisor
Doing some research
Classes & other requirements
Staying sane
5
Who is your Advisor?

The
in grad school


factor in your success
(besides you)
You MUST get along well

Personality compatibility trumps research
compatibility
6
Finding an Advisor
7
Finding An Advisor: Step 1
Find faculty you might be interested in


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IC Talks
IC Parties
Web pages
Faculty Research Guide
Suggestions from students & other faculty
8
Finding An Advisor: Step 2
Find out more about them
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Ask them for a meeting
Talk to their students
Talk to their ex-students
Read some of their papers
Maybe attend a project meeting
9
Finding An Advisor: Step 3
Come to an agreement



Tell them you’d like to put them down as
your 1st (2nd, 3rd) choice
Verify that they’ll ask for you too
Fill out your marriage form accordingly
10
Finding An Advisor: Questions
Questions to ask:
Availability – does s/he have room for you?
Commitment – will s/he stand by you?
Personalities – will you get along?
Research style – can you do it that way?
Research topics – are you interested?
Resources – do you want travel and toys?
11
Finding An Advisor: Pitfalls


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Not getting the one you wanted
Not getting along with the one you got
Losing the one you got (they leave CMU)
Reassurance: you can change advisors, but


Don’t do it too many times (more than twice)
Don’t burn your bridges
12
Finding An Advisor: Variations
Multiple advisors

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More benefits, more pitfalls
Often one has the money, one has the time
Maybe you want a non-CSD advisor
Sometimes a tactful way to transition
13
On Having an Advisor

Like having a temporary parent

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Invested in you, responsible for you
Sometimes that makes them act weird
Communicate lots
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Tell them what you’re doing
Tell them how you’re doing
Tell them what you think you need
14
More on Having an Advisor
Advisors are human and flawed

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Often under lots of pressure
Don’t always have great social skills
Often forget to give any positive feedback
Can unintentionally seem rude or disapproving
15
Agenda




Finding an advisor
Doing some research
Classes & other requirements
Staying sane
16
Research: The Early Years
What you’ll (hopefully) get out of it



Learn your own research style, and whether it
meshes well enough with your advisor’s
A publication or two
Your hacking/writing/speaking requirements
Doesn’t need to lead straight to thesis work.
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Research: How’s Your Ego?
Undergraduate work

Get given a task, complete it well, get praise
Graduate work

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Find a problem you want to solve
Get grudging support for working on it
Have to justify why your work is worthwhile
 Do it because you want to 
18
Agenda




Finding an advisor
Doing some research
Classes & other requirements
Staying sane
19
Classes
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May seem very hard or very easy

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Theory folks hate systems classes
Systems folks hate theory classes
It’s not unusual to fail one, nor is it a
big deal
Always take more time than they should

But don’t forget your research!
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Fulfilling requirements
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Teaching
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Writing and speaking
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Teach a basic and an advanced class
Keep close watch on the clock (1/2-time)
Practice these skills early and often
Get lots of feedback before trying to pass
Programming

Talk to your advisor about expectations
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Avoiding common distractions
usually
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Hacking is not research!
usually
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The web is not research!
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Community service is not a "distraction"!
22
Black Friday
23
Black Friday - How it works


The faculty meet and discuss each student
Key question:
Are you progressing and do the faculty believe you
will finish eventually?
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Your advisor writes a letter giving you
feedback and setting goals for next semester
Frank signs the letter
24
Black Friday – Why?
Black Friday is a good thing:
 Gives you official feedback
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From more than just your advisor!
Gives your advisor official feedback

Teaches them how to advise!
25
Black Friday – What to do


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Make sure your advisor will be there, or has
arranged for someone else to be
Talk to your advisor about what they’ll say
Give your advisor information to work with
Then, stop worrying


Go back to your work
Go to the Black Friday TG
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Agenda

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
Finding an advisor
Doing some research
Classes & other requirements
Staying sane
27
Staying Sane
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Don’t get isolated
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Remember
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spend time with people
talk to people about your work
there’s life after CMU
there’s life outside CMU
you do this because you want to
Work on something you love
28
Staying Sane: Maladies
Imposter syndrome


You think you’ve been successfully faking being
good enough to be here, but one day you’ll fail
and everyone will scorn you
Is very, very common
Best cure

Talk to other students, admit feeling that way
29
Staying Sane: Maladies
Spiraling perfectionism

Your work is too trivial for anyone to care
about and you freeze up
Best cure
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Read papers, go to talks, go to conferences,
recalibrate
30
Staying Sane: Maladies
Trouble and panic

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Failed exam or course
Research stalls or doesn’t pan out
Fight with advisor
Best Cure
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Remember it happens to everyone sometime
Remember help is available
31
Staying Sane: Maladies
Depression

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Loss of energy and interest
Unhappiness
Change in sleeping or appetite
Fuzzy thinking
Best Cure
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CMU counseling center
Many grad students encounter this!
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Resources
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Sharon (busy, but wise)
The Ombudsperson (Pat Riley)
Your advisor
Other students
The CMU counseling center
The Zephyr anonymoose (see the FZQ)
33
Fortune cookies
Never surprise or be surprised by your
advisor.
34
Fortune cookies
Once an advisor, always an advisor.
35
Fortune cookies
There is more than one partner in a
marriage.
Being concerned with only one of them is a
BIG problem.
36
Fortune cookies
You probably cannot write or speak as well
as you can hack. Practice early and often.
37
Fortune cookies
If you want to work, work.
If you want to play, play.
38
Fortune cookies
Work at least an hour a day.
Make that hour the first hour.
39
Fortune cookies
Your thesis has less to do with your career
than you think.
What you can say about your thesis has
more to do with your career than you think.
40
Fortune cookies
Be honest to yourself about your abilities
and limits.
41
Fortune cookies
Be your own advocate.
42
Fortune cookies
Work on your weaknesses;
turn them into strengths.
43
Final fortune cookie
Have fun!
44
Sample Black Friday Letters
45
Saga of Student X: Part 1
46
Saga of Student X: Part 2
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Saga of Student X: Part 3
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Saga of Student X: Part 4
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Saga of Student X: Part 5
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Some Advisors Have a Sense
of Humour
51