How to Survive as a Graduate Student
Francisco Pereira, Ted Wong
Sean Slattery, Alma Whitten, Rob Deline,
Brian Noble, Jay Sipelstein,
Jonathan Shewchuk, Benli Pierce, David Dill
How to Survive as a Graduate Student
Francisco Pereira
Ted Wong
Sean Slattery
Alma Whitten
Rob Deline
Brian Noble
Jay Sipelstein
Jonathan Shewchuk
Benli Pierce
David Dill
?
IBM
APR Smartlogik
Google
Microsoft
U. Michigan
Susquehanna
U. Berkeley
U. Pennsylvanya
Stanford U.
Why are we here?
• Learn how to survive and thrive
• Hear from the "experts"
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Outline
• Getting started
• The early years
• The middle years
• Black Friday
• Fortune cookies
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Format
• Question my authority!
• Focus on new students
• No names
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Format
• Question my authority!
• Focus on new students
• No names
unlike other departments we could mention…
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Getting started
• Getting here
• Attending the Immigration Course
• Picking your new advisor
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Getting here
• You have the ability to graduate
• You are responsible for graduating
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Attending the Immigration Course
• Go to lots of talks!
• Find out what you're interested in
• Find out who is leading what research
• Find out who is looking for students
• Go to the social events
• Get to know the other students
• Get to meet faculty
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Picking your new advisor
• Why is this so important?
• How do you choose?
• What do you look for in an advisor?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Why is an advisor so important?
• Your advisor is your mentor
• Your advisor is your manager
• Your advisor is your advocate
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How do you choose an advisor?
• Talk to potential advisors
• Talk to current and former students
• Read their publications
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How do you choose an advisor?
• Talk to potential advisors
At worse they may come in handy later
• Talk to current and former students
Don’t be afraid – they’ve had to do this too
• Read their publications
Or abstract+introduction+conclusions…
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• Approachability
• Compatibility
• Durability
• History
• Research
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• Approachability
• Can you talk to them?
• Can you have discussions with them?
• Can you talk about personal matters if they affect
you or the research?
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• Compatibility
• Do you have similar working styles?
• What do they expect from their students at
different stages?
• Hands-off, hands-on, hands-on-your-throat?
• 40 or 60 hour work week?
• What counts as research?
• How do they react if expectations aren’t met?
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• Durability
• Will they be here for all of your stay?
• Do they often go on leaves of absence?
• Do they have a business “on the side”? Are there
rumors about one being prepared?
• Are they near their tenure case decision?
• Are they new faculty?
• Are they established or a rising star?
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• History
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Have they graduated other students?
How long did that take?
Are they successful now?
Alive? Embittered? Divorced? Insane?
How successful are current students?
Have they “lost” a lot of students through advisor
changes or departures?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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What do you look for in an advisor?
• Research
• Are you interested in their research?
• How far along is it (exploration, implementation,
paper writing)?
• Do they have a large group working on one
problem/system, or individuals working on
unrelated problems?
• Are there more faculty/students involved?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Choosing multiple advisors
• Pros:
• Span research areas, skills, or styles
• Combine strengths of each advisor
• Parents v2.0
• Cons:
• Must manage several relationships
• Must balance demands
• Must ensure they meet every so often
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Changing advisors
• When to do it
• If your research interests diverge
• If your "styles" truly don't match
• What to look out for
• Changing frequently
• Changing right before Black Friday
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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The early years
• Building up your advisor relationship
• Taking classes
• Fulfilling requirements
• Avoiding common distractions
• FUD
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Building up your advisor relationship
• Meet regularly with them
• Communicate openly with them
• Manage them
• Accommodate their needs
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Doing Research
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Acquiring tools and concepts
Learning how to survey an area
Identifying a problem
Solving it
Dealing with yourself throughout
• Listen to Manuel Blum’s advice!
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When advisors go bad
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(S)He doesn’t look at me the way he used to
(S)He doesn’t spend time with me anymore
(S)He falls asleep when we’re together
(S)He never compliments me anymore
(S)He never tells me what’s wrong
(S)He never answers my calls/emails
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Taking classes
• The old way (previous century)
• Concentrate on research
• Pass your classes (B-), get an A in your area
• The apocryphal new way (this century)
• Do well in your classes (A)
• Concentrate on research (?!)
• Culture shock, yet again
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fulfilling requirements
• Teaching
• Teach a basic and an advanced class
• Keep close watch on the clock (1/2-time)
• Writing and speaking
• Practice these skills early and often
• Get lots of feedback before trying to pass
• Programming
• Talk to your advisor about expectations
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Avoiding common distractions
• Zephyr is not research!
• Slashdot is not research!
• Community service is not a "distraction"!
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Avoiding common distractions
• So what is Community service?
• Traditional
• Helps you meet many more people
• Gives a warm fuzzy feeling
• What can I do?
• DEC/5, Open House, Seminars, Coke
Machine, Espresso Machine, Software,
The Guide To Living in Pittsburgh…
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FUD: Fear, uncertainty, and doubt
• "I don't belong here": Impostor Syndrome
• "I'm the only person having a hard time"
• "I'm struggling in / failing a class“
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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FUD: Fear, uncertainty, and doubt
• "I don't belong here": Impostor Syndrome
• "I'm the only person having a hard time"
• "I'm struggling in / failing a class“
• “Hah, I feel none of the above! I scored 800
on all my GREs! I’ve published 10 papers!”
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Beating FUD
• Talk to other students (or help them!)
• Talk to your advisor
• Talk to Shawn Butler, the ombudsperson.
• Talk to Jeannette or Sharon
• Talk to Counseling Services
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Outline
• Getting started
• The early years
• The middle years
• Black Friday
• Fortune cookies
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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29 August 2003
The middle years
• Becoming self-directed
• Beating pre-proposal FUD
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Becoming self-directed
• Before:
• External deadlines
• Self-contained problems
• Now:
• Internal deadlines
• Open-ended problems
• Depth-first (aka obcessed by details)
• Breadth-first (aka little butterfly)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Beating pre-proposal FUD
• "I'm not cut out for research."
• It takes time to transition to self-direction
• It takes time to find thesis topic
• It is hard to figure out how to do research, let
alone do it…
• "I want to leave."
• It is OK to leave
• Leaving is NOT failure!
• Staying out of stubbornness can lead to failure
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Black Friday
• Don't panic!
• Ensure that you have an advocate
• Talk to your advocate before BF
• What have you (not) done
• What do you expect to do (be reasonable)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Black Friday: The process
• You fill out a form for your advisor (only!)
• Your advisor drafts a letter
• The faculty discusses and edits your letter
• You go to the Black Friday TG
• Jeannette signs the letter
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Black Friday: The letter
• "We are pleased. Next semester:“
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Keep up the good work!
Making satisfactory progress
Try to reach suggested goals
Alternatively, reach equivalent goals
• "To remain in good standing, you must:"
• Reach required goals
• No, really reach required goals
• "So long, and thanks for all the fish.“
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Black Friday: The Whys
• Lack of communication
Advisor might not be able to express disappointment…
Certain advisors may be less patient.
Language issues.
• Lack of funds
In our socialist funding system, we are the means of
production, not the People…
• Lack of direction
Once classes and TAing are over, fewer excuses…
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
Never surprise or be surprised by your
advisor.
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Fortune cookies
Once an advisor, always an advisor.
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Fortune cookies
Talk with other students and faculty to get an
outside perspective on your research.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
There is more than one partner in a
marriage.
Being concerned with only one of them is a
BIG problem.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
You probably cannot write or speak as well
as you can hack. Practice early and often.
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Fortune cookies
Hacking is not research.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
If you want to work, work.
If you want to play, play.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
Work at least an hour a day.
Make that hour the first hour.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
Keep outside interests and activities.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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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.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
Be honest to yourself about your abilities
and limits.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Fortune cookies
Be your own advocate.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Final fortune cookie
Have fun!
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