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Category Archives: Graduate school
The monastic glory of a seven year Ph.D.
Anything you do for seven years is a way of living, not preparation for something else in the tangle of life. It is the time from birth, when you are just working out that you are no longer a part … Continue reading
Other kinds of graduate school fun
One of the fun things about seminar trips is you get to meet some wonderful graduate students. I am not alone in viewing invitations by graduate students as the hardest to turn down. The trip I made in the fall … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Life in a biology department
Tagged bonding, Graduate school, humor, pranks, retreats, spoofs
2 Comments
Why you should aim for a three year Ph.D. degree
Why not get your Ph.D. in three years? Can’t you learn what is needed in this time frame? This may sound ridiculous to an American who may hardly even have identified a thesis topic by their third year. How did … Continue reading
Posted in behavioral ecology, Graduate school, Managing an academic career
Tagged critical thinking, goals, Graduate school, Ph.D., Research, writing
5 Comments
Do you celebrate a paper submission with cognac?
There are celebrations for milestones of various kinds. In Japan I hear turning 60 is a big deal. Birthdays, graduations, even publishing can be celebrated. But why not celebrate something that is under your control? How about cheering when you … Continue reading
Why it is OK to have kids in grad school or as a post-doc
There was a post by Leonard Cassuto on having kids in graduate school and what a difference it made to one student when she heard that it was explicitly all right. The point that Leonard made was that our role … Continue reading
Quick tip for picking a great graduate program: look to the postdocs!
What if there is one simple way of assessing a program, something that is flexible, responds rapidly to increasing and decreasing quality, something that applies to the whole place but can also be used to understand one potential investigator over … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Postdocs
Tagged academia, excellence, grad school, postdocs, Research, university rankings
2 Comments
How to motivate a graduate student
When you are motivated, ideas bubble up in the middle of any activity. When you are motivated, you find solutions and links across different areas of your endeavor. When you are motivated, you find joy that carries you through the … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Research
Tagged butterflies, Graduate school, independence, joy, learning Ph.D., motivation, undergraduates
1 Comment
Gulbenkian in Portugal, best Ph.D. program ever?
What about a program that is interdisciplinary and means it, including various things close to evolutionary biology, and also history of the field? It brings in a tiny class of 15 people or so from around the world to a … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Undergraduates
Tagged evolutionary biology, grad school, Portugal
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How to avoid choosing vampire professors for graduate school
A vampire professor will suck you dry. They will rob you of your life essences. Exactly which essence they will remove might vary with professor. Some will suck away all your time. Such a professor will notice when you arrive … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Undergraduates
Tagged Graduate school, ideas, professor, vampire
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Sociobiology 