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Tag Archives: Graduate school
Choosing a graduate program: only three things matter
It is that wonderful time of year when you have heard where you have been accepted. You will be told about the hundreds of advantages of the program that is trying to recruit you. Your offer letters most likely have … Continue reading
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
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
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
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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How getting into grad school in cell biology or neuroscience is different from ecology or evolution
You would think getting into grad school in one or another area of biology would be more or less the same. You might even think that if you went to a better undergrad university, had better grades, more research experience, … Continue reading
Posted in Graduate school, Interviewing, Undergraduates
Tagged admissions, ecology, evolution, Graduate school
5 Comments
A rant on letters of recommendation that include passwords and check boxes
This is the time of year we write letters of recommendation. If you have a lot of students, you may be writing a lot of letters. Each student will need several letters. We generally use the same letter for different … Continue reading
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