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Official Ph.D question/advice thread Official Ph.D question/advice thread

08-08-2010 , 10:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCubsGo
cobra, that sounds like an awful situation. ouch...makes my situation seem much less bad:

I am starting in the fall. When I was deciding in the spring where to go, I received a fellowship at my institution. My potential advisor emailed me and said this was great news, it saved her some grant money, so she could supplement my base income, giving me about 4k extra. Additionally there would be extra funds around for things like moving costs to new university, travel costs to attend a conference, etc. I accepted.

The other day I met with my advisor, and she hadn't really thought about funding at all. She had to look up how much my fellowship was, then told me that she wasn't sure if there was enough money in her grant to give me that extra 4k - ish. She said that she wants to save some money for travel costs to conferences and save it for next year in case I don't get another fellowship.

I will be okay without that extra money, but I'll be living a pretty basic lifestyle with very little spending money. After rent, food, cell phone, I'll have like $100ish per month. So that 4k makes a big deal to me. Also, my advisor said she wants to extend her grant money one more year, so she doesn't have to write a grant proposal this year. This frees up more time for writing manuscripts, she said.

Currently my relationship with my advisor is very good (I've only met with her a few times), but this comment upset me. She is getting paid 3 or 4x what I'm getting paid, and it seems like she is cutting corners. How about writing the grant proposal AND the manuscripts? Isn't that her job?

In our meeting, I didn't bring up the email where she had kind of offered the extra money. I figured that would create a lot of tension so early in our relationship. But what can I do about this? She said she'll look into the funding, see how much is left, and I should remind her in a few days.
That is bull**** on her part. She's just being lazy about writing grant proposals. If you have what she said in an email, then you need to confront her about it. A promise is a promise and needs to be kept. Being weak at this point is the wrong way to start the relationship. She'll just continue to take advantage of you. Point out that part of the reason you accepted the offer was because of this "promise". If she still refuses, go to the Head.

The fact that she's being this way already indicates that you may have chosen a lousy advisor. You might consider switching.

Back in the day, my advisor forgot that he promised me summer funding after i defended my dissertation. I called him on it, showed him the emails, and he never held it against me. Unless she's a total ****, she shouldn't hold that against you either.

Quote:
How about writing the grant proposal AND the manuscripts? Isn't that her job?
Yes, that is her ****ing job. You have every right to be pissed.
08-08-2010 , 11:00 PM
Just wanted to add that, in general, if you are promised funding, get it in writing. If your advisor asks you to help with a grant proposal in exchange for some funding, get it in writing. Always get everything in writing.

You guys have no idea how little power you have when an Associate or Full Professor denies ever saying anything about funding to you. And many will. This business is full of lazy, worthless crooks, imo.
08-09-2010 , 12:46 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by findingneema
It's probably a very short list. Canadians are not eligible for funding from NIH Training Grants and things like that.

Yeah, but getting top postdocs and big papers is super hard outside the top programs.

UCSF.
UCSF eh. What lab were you in? My wife did her PhD at UCSF (BMS), I was a postdoc.

The postdoc/papers problem is difficult. However, it really isn't program specific. It seems as though it is much more PI specific. As you must remember from UCSF, postdocs end up there for a long time if they aren't lucky. They go from postdoc to research associate waiting out data that would get them very high impact publications. Most of the postdocs in the labs near me were there for a minimum of 5 years and many hung on for much longer. It really depends on your expectation for your first academic position. Moreover from what I've heard from friends who now have their own labs the job market continues to be rather dismal.

Funding foreigners with NIH funds can be done if the Dept. is good at funneling funds through various sources.
08-09-2010 , 12:55 AM
when applying to doctoral programs and grad schools in general, how important is your major gpa vs. your overall gpa?
08-09-2010 , 01:18 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by nutrients
when applying to doctoral programs and grad schools in general, how important is your major gpa vs. your overall gpa?
Depends on the school, the field, and the advisor. Some programs even only look at the last 60 hours of your major GPA and ignore the rest, assuming that lots of freshmen waste their first year getting drunk/high/etc.

Call the schools you're interested in and ask them.
08-09-2010 , 03:53 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by poincaraux
When you email her to remind her, do so by replying to the original one with a note at the top saying "hey, just following up on our conversation from last week where you said you'd check into the funding discussion below."
I think that would be too passive/aggressive and create an uncomfortable atmosphere. My future career is dependent on this person's close supervision, at least for couple years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Peter
That is bull**** on her part. She's just being lazy about writing grant proposals. If you have what she said in an email, then you need to confront her about it. A promise is a promise and needs to be kept. Being weak at this point is the wrong way to start the relationship. She'll just continue to take advantage of you. Point out that part of the reason you accepted the offer was because of this "promise". If she still refuses, go to the Head.
For one, I wouldn't call it a promise. But then the wording is deceitful. From the email:

"...frees up a chunk of my grant money which should allow me to supplement your support with additional money from my grant, (~$4000) ... saves me some grant money, I should also have additional grant money to spend on other things that will help your professional development (e.g., more travel money; perhaps even money available to buy you a computer, etc.)"

The other thing is that even if it is a promise, I can still live somewhat comfortably; just without any luxuries like going to a concert or getting drunk at the bars. And I'd still be making about $4k more than my second option offered, so it's relatively good. I'd rather be at my current place without the extra funding. So I don't think I would want to risk getting off to a good start because of this money issue. It doesn't seem worth it.

Quote:
Back in the day, my advisor forgot that he promised me summer funding after i defended my dissertation. I called him on it, showed him the emails, and he never held it against me. Unless she's a total ****, she shouldn't hold that against you either.
This is comforting, but I find it really odd. Do you think he honestly just forgot and overlooked it? Or over some period of time, he consciously changed his mind?
08-09-2010 , 09:10 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Peter
Just wanted to add that, in general, if you are promised funding, get it in writing. If your advisor asks you to help with a grant proposal in exchange for some funding, get it in writing. Always get everything in writing.

You guys have no idea how little power you have when an Associate or Full Professor denies ever saying anything about funding to you. And many will. This business is full of lazy, worthless crooks, imo.
I definitely am more aware of this now. While I didn't get any guarantees in writing I often received emails that said, "very high probability" or "practically a sure thing" in terms of $2500 tuition assistant awards or financial aid if I didn't land an assistantship.

It isn't normally like me to be that naive and trusting over money but I guess I was this time.

The one other factor I didn't mention is that 3 GA's defended and moved on to get jobs in the spring/summer. I was the only phd student without funding at the time so the math seemed pretty simple to figure out. Instead only one slot was available and went to a Masters student.
08-09-2010 , 12:28 PM
Quote:
For one, I wouldn't call it a promise. But then the wording is deceitful. From the email:

"...frees up a chunk of my grant money which should allow me to supplement your support with additional money from my grant, (~$4000) ... saves me some grant money, I should also have additional grant money to spend on other things that will help your professional development (e.g., more travel money; perhaps even money available to buy you a computer, etc.)"

The other thing is that even if it is a promise, I can still live somewhat comfortably; just without any luxuries like going to a concert or getting drunk at the bars. And I'd still be making about $4k more than my second option offered, so it's relatively good. I'd rather be at my current place without the extra funding. So I don't think I would want to risk getting off to a good start because of this money issue. It doesn't seem worth it.
It's entirely your choice, of course, but i wouldn't have taken that route. I know plenty of outspoken grad students who don't take things like this laying down, and to my knowledge none of them are "punished" for it. Faculty tend to respect the aggressive students because hey, they're just like us!



Quote:
This is comforting, but I find it really odd. Do you think he honestly just forgot and overlooked it? Or over some period of time, he consciously changed his mind?
My best guess is that he just wanted to save the money and "forgot" about his promise. He never gave me grief when i called him on it (i wasn't rude or anything--i just reminded him that he had promised it and that i was counting on it financially), and we are still good friends today.

If you do call her on it, be polite about it and don't make accusations. Just present it in such a way that you believe she truly forgot her promise. Then there won't be any hard feelings.
08-09-2010 , 12:30 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by cobrakai111
I definitely am more aware of this now. While I didn't get any guarantees in writing I often received emails that said, "very high probability" or "practically a sure thing" in terms of $2500 tuition assistant awards or financial aid if I didn't land an assistantship.

It isn't normally like me to be that naive and trusting over money but I guess I was this time.

The one other factor I didn't mention is that 3 GA's defended and moved on to get jobs in the spring/summer. I was the only phd student without funding at the time so the math seemed pretty simple to figure out. Instead only one slot was available and went to a Masters student.
Unfortunately, when they say "very high probability" or "practically a sure thing", it doesn't do anything for you when they change their minds.

What i typically say to a student is that "IF i have the money, you're #x on the list, but this is no guarantee that i will have the funding, so you should also be looking in other directions." Of course, i always end up having the money (i'm a grant-getting machine), so my students are prob spoiled by now.
08-11-2010 , 04:31 PM
Here's a pretty good link.
http://matt.might.net/articles/how-t...puter-science/
08-11-2010 , 11:17 PM
Any of you guys have advice on how to approach app essays? And wtf is the difference between a personal statement and statement of purpose (or for Yale a personal statement of purpose)???
08-11-2010 , 11:27 PM
So i'm doing a summer REU and getting a bit disillusioned with my lab. I'm starting to get the feel that no one in my PI's group is actively trying to get much published. i recently started looking back at their publication history and am finding they haven't really published anything except with a few grad students who have all graduated now. she only currently has 1 grad student and a few post docs.

i've started feeling like all the lab does is read papers and go in circles during group meetings with very little being done in the area of actually getting novel research done. Is this a really uncommon experience or is it standard? going into this summer i was really interested in the field but as of now am having trouble telling if the field isn't for me or if it is just a bad lab experience. I still really like the project but feel like things aren't going in a productive direction, making me reconsider my interests.

i'm not sure if this is scientific research as a whole but i have started getting the sense that everything gets wrapped up in minutiae to the point where little actually gets done. kind of ranting at this point, but any helpful advice would be welcome
08-11-2010 , 11:37 PM
The process of getting work started, polished, submitted, and published is quite lengthy in economics and I imagine so in other fields as well. I'm finishing my second REU and 8 weeks just isn't enough time to work through most projects. It sounds like this lab lacks motivation or something though. I wouldn't give up on the process but I'm a biased.
08-12-2010 , 06:13 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by furyshade
i'm not sure if this is scientific research as a whole but i have started getting the sense that everything gets wrapped up in minutiae to the point where little actually gets done. kind of ranting at this point, but any helpful advice would be welcome
Welcome to academia? Sort of hard to opine without more info, since your situation might be very field-specific. But it doesn't sound ideal.
08-12-2010 , 06:15 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoreanBuffet
Any of you guys have advice on how to approach app essays? And wtf is the difference between a personal statement and statement of purpose (or for Yale a personal statement of purpose)???
This is funny, and might not bode well for your graduate career, since graduate-level research requires the ability to search for information, and one answer to your question was posted 7 hours before you posted it.

I'm partially kidding here.

Edit: Well, here's the description from Yale's web site...
Quote:
A 500-1000 word statement concerning your past work, preparation for the intended field of study, relevant background and interests, academic plans, and career objectives is required. It should be used to describe your reasons for applying to the particular Yale department or program.
How could that possibly be any more clear?

Last edited by zoltan; 08-12-2010 at 06:19 AM. Reason: Yes, I get the dick of the year award, but really.
08-24-2010 , 05:15 PM
I earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2003 and a master's in elementary education in 2005. I have been an elementary school gifted program teacher ever since. I am interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or Ed.D. with a concentration in gifted education. I'd like to teach at the college level. Can anyone point me in the right direction or help me figure out how to get started?
08-24-2010 , 05:25 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fernwood
I earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2003 and a master's in elementary education in 2005. I have been an elementary school gifted program teacher ever since. I am interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or Ed.D. with a concentration in gifted education. I'd like to teach at the college level. Can anyone point me in the right direction or help me figure out how to get started?
Teach what at the college level? Where do your interests lie? The way you phrase your question, it sounds as though you want to teach gifted college students? (Which I assume isn't the case.) You want a faculty position in an Education/EdPsych type department? It would be easier to comment if the question were a bit more clear.

You might want to look at Penn State's College of Education web site. I believe they have a decent program. Browsing a few web sites of programs might help crystallize your ideas.
08-24-2010 , 05:50 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fernwood
I earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2003 and a master's in elementary education in 2005. I have been an elementary school gifted program teacher ever since. I am interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or Ed.D. with a concentration in gifted education. I'd like to teach at the college level. Can anyone point me in the right direction or help me figure out how to get started?
If your hoping to teach at the college level in education you should either be thinking about adult education focus or a K-12 focus and then you could teach methods courses. I don't know of any colleges that offer a gifted education teaching course as part of their curriculum, although I could be wrong.
08-24-2010 , 08:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoltan
Teach what at the college level? Where do your interests lie? The way you phrase your question, it sounds as though you want to teach gifted college students? (Which I assume isn't the case.) You want a faculty position in an Education/EdPsych type department? It would be easier to comment if the question were a bit more clear.

You might want to look at Penn State's College of Education web site. I believe they have a decent program. Browsing a few web sites of programs might help crystallize your ideas.
Thanks for your input. If I teach at the college level, I want to teach elementary education majors. The most important factor for me to choose a program is that I want to focus on gifted education. I'm just not sure the best way for me to investigate my options. Should I try to find individual faculty members who have researched gifted programs, or is there a better way?
08-25-2010 , 11:11 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fernwood
Thanks for your input. If I teach at the college level, I want to teach elementary education majors. The most important factor for me to choose a program is that I want to focus on gifted education. I'm just not sure the best way for me to investigate my options. Should I try to find individual faculty members who have researched gifted programs, or is there a better way?
Yeah, in your case looking at programs, and then specific faculty, might be a more straightforward path. (My understanding, though somewhat limited, is that in education departments, the integration/similarity of advisor/advisee research projects is less tight.) Realize that teaching at the university level (unless all you want to do is adjunct, which is a pretty crappy lifestyle) is also very likely to require an active research program in addition to teaching requirements. On the other hand, you have broader career options (i.e. in educational administration) that could easily entail "teaching" in a less formal setting (e.g. seminars, in-service, self-developed training programs) outside the classroom. The admin path is also likely to be more lucrative and less stressful than the other options above outside of perhaps tenure-track positions.
10-29-2010 , 01:24 AM
Anyone else working on fellowships right now? I've spent so much time on the NSF GRFP essays. Revise, revise, revise. Have been so focused on plans after graduation right now my undergraduate classes have slid back on my priority list.
10-29-2010 , 02:22 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by imjoshsizemore
Anyone else working on fellowships right now? I've spent so much time on the NSF GRFP essays. Revise, revise, revise. Have been so focused on plans after graduation right now my undergraduate classes have slid back on my priority list.
I applied for NSF and DOE last year as a senior, those two and grad apps definitely hurt my grades, but at this point grades probably don't matter all that much.

Was a "finalist" for DOE SGCF .. Not applying this year.

Don't blow off your 'broader impacts' for the NSF, although it can be a pain in the ass depending on what field you are working in.
10-29-2010 , 03:22 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by notnaps
I applied for NSF and DOE last year as a senior, those two and grad apps definitely hurt my grades, but at this point grades probably don't matter all that much.

Was a "finalist" for DOE SGCF .. Not applying this year.

Don't blow off your 'broader impacts' for the NSF, although it can be a pain in the ass depending on what field you are working in.
Civil (Structural) Engineering. I have asked around and everyone has just told me "broader impacts, broader impacts, broader impacts." I made sure to throw almost all broader impacts I could think of in my essays, in addition to outlining the intellectual merits of my research. Hopefully it will be enough...
10-29-2010 , 09:18 AM
If you're a finalist for those grad fellowships, it may be worth it to reapply as a 1st year. I had a number of friends get a fellowship as a first year, and it greatly reduces your teaching load and increases your salary -- at least in math. I was fortunate to be on fellowship my first 3 years, and let me tell you, the pay increase makes a huge difference.
10-29-2010 , 12:59 PM
does anyone have good suggestions for undergrad summer research programs in theoretical CS? I did an REU last year and am having trouble finding much else along the lines of complex/multiagent systems out there.

i've applied for an internship at new england complex systems institute and will be applying for an REU at the santa fe institute, other than that i haven't found much

      
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