How to Survive as a Graduate Student
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
How to Survive as a Graduate Student
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Francisco Pereira
Chris Colohan
Ted Wong
Sean Slattery
Alma Whitten
Rob Deline
Brian Noble
Jay Sipelstein
Jonathan Shewchuk
Benjamin Pierce
David Dill
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
How to Survive as a Graduate Student
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Francisco Pereira
Chris Colohan
Ted Wong
Sean Slattery
Alma Whitten
Rob Deline
Brian Noble
Jay Sipelstein
Jonathan Shewchuk
Benjamin Pierce
David Dill
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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Google
IBM
Credit Suisse First Boston
Google
Microsoft
University of Michigan
Susquehanna
University of Berkeley
University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Format
• Question my authority!
• Focus on new students
• No names
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Getting started
• Getting here
• Attending the Immigration Course
• Picking your new advisor
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Getting here
• You have the ability to graduate
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Finding an advisor: step 1
• Go to lots of IC talks!
• Learn about what you are interested in
• Find out what you may not yet know
you are 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 in a relaxed setting
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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 handshake form accordingly
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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 handshake form accordingly
Don’t try to “game the system”
• Almost everyone gets their first choice
• Assignments are biased on your favour
• Be open to different possibilities
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Why is an advisor so important?
• Your advisor is your mentor
• Your advisor is your manager
• Your advisor is your advocate
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
What do you look for in an advisor?
• Approachability
• Compatibility
• Durability
• History
• Research
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
What do you look for in an advisor?
• Compatibility
• Do you have similar working styles?
• Hands-off, hands-on, hands-on-your-throat?
• What do they expect from their students at different
stages?
• 40 or 60 hour work week?
• What counts as research?
• How do they react if expectations aren’t met?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
What do you look for in an advisor?
• Durability
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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 they near their tenure case decision?
Are they new faculty?
Are they established or a rising start?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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?
Have they “lost” a lot of students through advisor
changes or departures?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
What do you look for in an advisor?
• Research
• Are you interested in their research?
• How far along is it
• exploration
• implementation
• paper writing
• Research group structure
• large group working on one problem/system
• individuals working on unrelated problems
• Are there more faculty/students involved?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Multiple advisors: more of a good thing?
• Pros:
• Span research areas, skills, or styles
• Combine strengths of each advisor
• Parents v2.0
• Cons:
• Must manage several relationships
• Must balance demands of each
• Must ensure they meet every so often
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Changing advisors
• When to do it
• If your research interests diverge
• If your "styles" truly don't match
• No problem, happens often
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Changing advisors
• When to do it
• If your research interests diverge
• If your "styles" truly don't match
• No problem, happens often
• What to look out for
• Changing frequently
• Changing right before Black Friday
• Changing more than twice…
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
The early years
• Building up your advisor relationship
• Taking classes
• Fulfilling requirements
• Doing research
• Avoiding common distractions
• Fear, uncertainty and doubt
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
When advisors go bad
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
When advisors go bad
• (S)He doesn’t look at me the way he used to
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
When advisors go bad
• (S)He doesn’t look at me the way he used to
• (S)He doesn’t spend time with me anymore
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
When advisors go bad
• (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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
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) and your research
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Taking classes
• May seem very hard or very easy
• 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
• Don’t forget your research!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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/read Manuel Blum’s advice
• More later…
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Avoiding common distractions
• Zephyr is not research!
but it can help you with many practical things
(http://zarchive.srv.cs.cmu.edu and also live with xemacs)
• Don’t mix work and play
• Try to work hard at least one hour a day
• Make that hour the first hour
• If you can’t work, go do something else!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Avoiding common distractions
• Zephyr is not research!
but it can help you with many practical things
(http://zarchive.srv.cs.cmu.edu and also live with xemacs)
• Don’t mix work and play
• Try to work hard at least one hour a day
• Make that hour the first hour
• If you can’t work, go do something else!
• Community service is not a "distraction"!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Avoiding common distractions
• Community service:
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Traditionally students run many services
Helps you meet many more people
Gives a warm fuzzy feeling
Faculty know who you are…
http://www.grad.cs.cmu.edu
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Avoiding common distractions
• What can I do?
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Coke Machine (service+coke@cs)
Espresso Machine (service+espresso@cs)
Software Collections (help@cs)
DEC/5,The Guide To Living in Pittsburgh (decfive@cs)
Student Seminar Series (sss@cs)
Tea (freecsd-tea@cs)
• IC/open house
• Admissions Committee
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Research: How’s Your Ego?
Undergraduate work
• given a task, complete it well, get cookie
Graduate work
• 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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane
• Don’t get isolated
• spend time with people
• talk to people about your work
• Remember
• there’s life after CMU
• there’s life outside CMU
• you do this because you want to
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane: Maladies
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane: Maladies
Impostor 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, very common
Best cure
• Talk to other students, admit feeling that way
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane: Maladies
Spiraling perfectionism
• You think your work is too trivial for anyone to care about
and you spend a lot of energy improving it or
trying to avoid presenting it
Best cure
• Read papers, go to talks, go to conferences, recalibrate
• Derive satisfaction from what you do,
not from comparison with others
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane: Maladies
Trouble and panic
• Failed exam or course
• Research stalls or doesn’t pan out
• Fight with advisor
Best Cure
• Remember it happens to everyone sometime
• Help is available:
• Older colleagues
• Student ombudsperson
• Frank Pfenning/Sharon Burks
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Staying Sane: Maladies
Depression
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Loss of energy and interest
Unhappiness
Change in sleeping or appetite
Fuzzy thinking
Best Cure
• CMU counseling center
• Many grad students encounter this
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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 (and you get a MS)
• Leaving is NOT failure!
• Staying out of stubbornness often leads to failure
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Sort-of-current Survival Rates
35
30
25
Got Ph.D.
Gone
20
Absentia
15
On Leave
10
5
Still Here
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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20
04
20
02
20
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19
98
19
96
19
94
0
2006 September 1
Black Friday
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Black Friday: how it works
• You fill out a form for your advisor
• You go to the Black Friday TG! Meanwhile…
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Black Friday: how it works
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You fill out a form for your advisor
You go to the Black Friday TG! Meanwhile…
The faculty meet and discuss each student
Key questions:
• are you progressing
• do the faculty believe you will finish eventually?
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Black Friday: how it works
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You fill out a form for your advisor
You go to the Black Friday TG! Meanwhile…
The faculty meet and discuss each student
Key questions:
• are you progressing
• do the faculty believe you will finish eventually?
• Your advisor writes a letter giving you feedback
and setting goals for next semester
• Frank signs the letter
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Black Friday: why?
Black Friday is a good thing:
• Gives you official feedback
• From more than just your advisor!
• Gives your advisor official feedback
• Helps them (learn how to) advise
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Black Friday: more why
• 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 just 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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2006 September 1
Useful information
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Wrap up
Things we wish we had
believed a few years ago.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
Never surprise or be surprised by your
advisor.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
Once an advisor, always an advisor.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
You probably cannot write or speak as well
as you can hack. Practice early and often.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
Hacking is not research.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
Keep outside interests and activities.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Fortune cookies
Be honest to yourself
about your abilities and limits.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
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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2006 September 1
Final fortune cookie
Have fun!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 1
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 2
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 3
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 4
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 5
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Saga of Student X: Part 5
N
o
w
Now faculty at a famous university!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1
Historical Survival Rates
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Got Ph.D.
Gone
Absentia
On Leave
19
71
19
75
19
79
19
83
19
87
19
91
19
95
19
99
20
03
Still Here
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~fpereira/ic.ppt
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2006 September 1