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How to Be a Good Graduate Student

Marie desJardins
marie@erg.sri.com

Abstract
This paper attempts to raise some issues that are important for graduate students to be successful and to get as
much out of the process as possible, and for advisors who wish to help their students be successful. The intent is
not to provide prescriptive advice -- no formulas for finishing a thesis or twelve-step programs for becoming a
better advisor are given -- but to raise awareness on both sides of the advisor-student relationship as to what the
expectations are and should be for this relationship, what a graduate student should expect to accomplish,
common problems, and where to go if the advisor is not forthcoming.

Introduction
Before You Start
Doing Research
The Daily Grind
Staying Motivated
Getting to the Thesis
Finding an Advisor
Finding a Thesis Topic
Writing the Thesis
Getting Feedback
Getting Financial Support
Advice for Advisors
Interacting With Students
Becoming Part of the Research Community
Attending Conferences
Publishing Papers
Networking
All Work and No Play...
Issues for Women
Conclusions
Bibliography

Introduction

This article originated with a discussion I had with several women professors about the problems women face in
graduate school, and how more women could be encouraged to go to graduate school in computer science.
Eventually, the conversation turned to the question of what these women could do in their interactions with
women students to support and encourage them. I volunteered that over the course of my graduate career I had
collected a variety of papers and e-mail discussions about how to be a good advisor, how to get through graduate
school, and issues facing women. They were eager to get this material, and I told them I would sort through it
when I got a chance.

After mentioning this project to a number of people, both graduate students and faculty -- all of whom expressed
an interest in anything I could give them -- I realized two things: first, the issues that we were talking about really
were not just women's issues but were of interest to all graduate students, and to all caring advisors. Second, in
order to disseminate the information I had collected (and was starting to collect from others) it seemed to make
more sense to compile a bibliography, and write a paper that would summarize the most useful advice and
suggestions I had collected.

I solicited inputs from friends and colleagues via mailing lists and Internet bulletin boards, and collected almost an
overwhelming amount of information. Sorting through it and attempting to distill the collective wisdom of dozens
of articles and hundreds of e-mail messages has not been an easy task, but I hope that the results provide a useful
resource for graduate students and advisors alike. The advice I give here is directed towards Ph.D. students in
computer science and their advisors, since that is my background, but I believe that much of it applies to graduate
students in other areas as well.

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In my experience, the two main things that make graduate school hard are the unstructured nature of the process,
and the lack of information about what you should spend your time on. I hope that this article will provide
information for both graduate students and advisors that will help make the process less painful.

I owe a debt of gratitude to David Chapman, whose paper ([chapman]) was an invaluable reference for me not
only during the writing of this article, but during graduate school as well.

The goals of this article are to raise awareness of the need for a healthy and interactive graduate student-advisor
relationship, to provide pointers and guidance for both advisors and graduate students in navigating the maze of a
doctoral degree, and to give references and resources for those who hope to learn more.

Before You Start

Many headaches can be avoided by doing some advance planning. First, why go to graduate school at all? The
usual reasons given are that a Ph.D. is required or preferred for some jobs, especially research and academic
positions; that it gives you a chance to learn a great deal about a specific area; and that it provides an opportunity
to develop ideas and perform original research. Wanting to delay your job hunt is probably not a good enough
reason. Graduate school is a lot of work and requires strong motivation and focus. You have to really want to be
there to make it through.

It helps to have a good idea of what area you want to specialize in, and preferably a couple of particular research
projects you might like to work on. Look for books and current journals and conference proceedings in your area,
and read through them to get an idea of who's doing what where. (You'll be doing a *lot* of reading once you start
graduate school, so you might as well get used to it.) This is where advisors first enter the scene: faculty members
ought to be willing to talk to undergraduates and help them find out more about research areas and graduate
schools. Try to get involved in research: ask professors and TAs whether they need someone to work on an
ongoing project, or start an independent research project, with guidance from a faculty member.

Contact faculty members and graduate students at the schools you're interested in. Tell them about your
background and interests and ask them what research projects they're working on. A good way to do this is via
electronic mail if possible -- e-mail is much easier and quicker to respond to than a paper letter. A good advisor
will be willing to answer these kinds of inquiries (although if they're busy they may give you only a brief answer
or point you towards a graduate student -- you'll have to use your intuition to decide whether they're brushing you
off or just busy). If you can't get any answer at all, consider that that individual might not end up being a very
accessible advisor. Asking these questions will help you narrow down your choices and may increase your
chances of admission if the professors you contact become interested in working with you.

Your best bet is to find a school where there are at least two faculty members you'd be interested in working with.
That way, if one doesn't work out, or is too busy to take on a new student, you have a fallback position. It's also
important to most people to feel comfortable with the community of graduate students. It pays to talk to some of
the graduate students (both junior and senior) to find out how they like it, which advisors are good, and what kinds
of support (financial and psychological) are available. Because there are so many students applying to each school,
even highly qualified applicants are often rejected. You should apply to a range of programs -- and don't take it
personally if you do get rejected by some of them.

You can increase your chances of getting into graduate school by getting good grades, especially in upper division
classes in your area of interest, having a broad background in your field and in related fields (for example,
psychology classes are useful for AI students), getting a high score on the GRE if required, developing good
relationships with your professors and work managers (this is very important for getting good recommendations),
working on a research project, and having a clear sense of what you want to work on (although it's always all right
to change your mind later). Also, it's a good idea to start thinking early about sources of funding: apply for an
NSF fellowship and ask your advisor or department office about other fellowships.