How to be a successful PhD studentBy Cin-Ty Lee5 Jan, 2011 Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Knowledge, understanding & societal contributionPh. D. = philosophiae doctor Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Year 1 of graduate schoolYou know nothingYou dont even know where you are goingAnd the journey is steep Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Post-oral examsYou know somethingYou have identified a problem you are working onStill, no end in sight Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件After your experiments are doneYou know a lot and youre wiserYou can see the finish lineYou know what you have to write to finish Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Bottle of topicsSearching for questions Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Year 1 of graduate schoolYou know nothingYou dont even know where you are goingAnd the journey is steep Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Build your arsenal of knowledge-build foundation first Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Arsenal grows sand grain by sand grain Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件ReadTake classesTalk to colleaguesBuild a reference collectionMake a scrapbook Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件How do you identify a problem or ask a question? Aack! I know a lot but all my knowledge is fragmentary! Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Understand Landscape of Knowledge-make connectionsConnections = hypothesis = question/problem Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Luck favors the prepared mind-Louis Pasteur如何成为合格的博士生课件Begin with a connection-connections lead to other connections-ideas begin to florish and branch out-pick some research directions and follow them Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件But you dont want to pick too many problems/questions- You will get lots of grass, but in the winter, they will all die back down Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Lady luckLi/NbBlake dyers stuffBuild up your knowledge treeWhat type of tree are you? Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件The good and the bad of questions-bad questionill-defined, no answer, too difficult-good questionwell-posedleads to testable hypothesesdifficulty is within reason Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Bad questions/problems for a PhD thesisWhat is the origin of life?I want to solve global warmingI want to end world hungerWhat is gravity?How do mountains form?Why do animals sleep? Dream?I want to cure cancer.These are certainly worthy questions/goals, but they are unrealistic ways to begin as they are ill-posed, too ambitious, too vague, or simply have no answer for mortals like us. Start small. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Ill-posed question: Why do rivers meander?Why shouldnt rivers meander? Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Better posed questionWhat are the physical parameters that define whether a river meanders or flows straight? Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Who cares about this question?ImplicationsWhere should I build my house, bridge, farm?How do I control flooding?How do I preserve river eco-systems?Taps our fundamental curiosity Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件A good question should lead to a good hypothesisCut bankerosionPoint bardepositionIn outer bend, the river is erosive. On inner bend, the river deposits sand. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Hypothesis: In outer bend, the river is erosive. On inner bend, the river deposits sand.Water velocityShear stresserosiondepositionwater velocities in river must straddle the critical line Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件VoutVinVout VinVout =RoutRinVinHypothesis: In outer bend, the river is erosive. On inner bend, the river deposits sand. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Hypothesis: In outer bend, the river is erosive. On inner bend, the river deposits sand.Water velocityShear stresserosiondepositionNo meanderMeanders! Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件What have we done?Followed our curiosity with a questionMade observations from natureDeveloped a testable hypothesisWhats next?Testing the hypotheses by constructing an experiment Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件What if our hypothesis is wrong?Well, you wont know until you try to test it.If youre wrong, you still learned something.Better to have learned something than to have done nothing at all. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Dont be afraid to try things.Dont be afraid to make mistakes.Learn from your mistakes. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Post-oral examsYou know somethingYou have identified a problem you are working onStill, no end in sight Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Thinking and executing your proposed studyMotivation why is the problem interesting?What is the hypothesis?How will you solve the problem?What did you find?What do your results mean?What is the next step? Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Progression of your science is nonlinear-be prepared to make mistakes-be prepared to reconsider your hypotheses, methodsREALITYIDEALIDEALMotivationMethodsResultsDiscussionConclusions Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件When is too much data enough?When do you stop? Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件After your experiments are doneYou know a lot and youre wiserYou can see the finish lineYou know what you have to write to finish Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Outline of a paper1.IntroductionMotivation, context, backgroundHypotheses2.MethodsExperimental setupAnalytical techniquesNumerical techniques3. ResultsData and observations4. DiscussionComparison to other workMeaning of your observations5. Conclusions/SummaryBrief overviewOutlook for future work Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Outline structuresGOODGOOD-Flow should be unidirectional (like a river)-there should not be flashbacks!MotivationMethodsResultsDiscussionConclusions Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Some more words of wisdomSometimes, if youre excited, if you think its beautiful, then thats all that matters. Pursue your love. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件Van Gogh paintingDont forget about the big picture如何成为合格的博士生课件 Cin-Ty Lee, 2011Pay attention to details & get the holistic experience如何成为合格的博士生课件Balance work and play to be creativeTime spent on personal lifeTime spent on researchThreshold of minimum researchDeviation from 1:1Research is not for youWorking too hard0+-Work too muchPlay too muchCreativity/Productivity IndexOptimum!Deviation from life in balance Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件The going will be rough Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件But its worth it!-you made it -you can do anything now! Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件You now have your PhD.But its only the first of many more hills!( Cin-Ty Lee, 2011What is the origin of life?I want to solve global warmingI want to end world hungerWhat is gravity?How do mountains form?Why do animals sleep? Dream?I want to cure cancer.如何成为合格的博士生课件One last wordPay back by teaching others and bringing everyone up with you.Share your knowledge and your enthusiasm. Cin-Ty Lee, 2011如何成为合格的博士生课件