markadeev-blog

[markadeev-blog]

Bad and Good Application

 Reddit /Gradadmissions

·         side note – TheGradCafe is good source

Guy applied to gradschool 1st time and failed. Fixed mistakes and applied 2nd time.

  Application 1

RED FLAGS:

no idea what to research (bad SOP – statement of purpose)

no finished manuscript/thesis

no contact to profs beforehand

Application 2

Wrote in SOP:

o   How my skill set fits to new research o   Kinds of problems I want to solve o   How this department’s research/resources uniquely fits my interest

ULTIMATELY know exactly WHAT to do and HOW to do it

Finished manuscripts

Improved rec letters

More research on programs. Contact profs > see WHO IS HIRING

apply to schools where you already have positive prof contact

  START EARLY:

Timeline:

Jun-Sep: research programs, schools

 Sep: ask rec letter

Sep-Nov: contact profs

Oct-Dec: write SOP

Nov-Dec: prepare application

#phd #phd application

[markadeev-blog]

Willpower Research

Cool subreddit |theXeffect|

http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2011/12/29/a-conversation-about-the-science-of-willpower/

Psychologist Kelly McGonial:

  There is an actual research on WILLPOWER.

Very similar to mind-body response to stress.

 EXTERNAL stimuli > BODY/MIND STRESS response (alarm clock, injury)

INTERNAL urges > WILLPOWER (Pause-and-Plan) response. WANT against HAVE to do. Have to is prefrontal cortex.

  Goals

Stress > immediate goals

Self-control > long-term goals

Willpower as muscle

Gets exhausted handling stress. Gets trained as new to do/not do behaviours become habits.

Willpower bad:

Sleep < 6h

Nutrition - processed food

 Alcohol

Willpower good:

Meditation

Physical exercise

Making resolutions

Think big and small

·         Keep big picture, the ultimate why I do this

·         Divide into simple daily steps, once they become a habit add new steps.

[markadeev-blog]

Unwritten Rules of PhD

Skills:

Instrumental are execution of a number of tasks in order to reach your goal (supposedly PhD). 

Expressive skills are showing others how involved you are in the work (staying late just for the boss, without progress).

Soft skills are important. Right cup of coffee – right person+question+time. Can get you far in life. Only trust advices of people who have successfully done it (for example, who have PhDs already – the higher the better). Don’t waste time on rumors/advice among fellow students.

Academic positions:

Research assistant – performs the work on grant money, all credit goes to grant holder. 

Postdoc – guy who has finished PhD and decides on future career, f.e. building up for academic ladder. 

Research fellow – kind of postdoc with sometimes permanent position in the lab, produces articles. 

Reader – revises articles, transition to Professor. 

Professorship may come with position (head of some department on the campus), or from sheer amount of scientific work. Is honorary and permanent, lecturing can be quite rewarding. 

Senior Professor – next levelup, be careful with those old guys.

[markadeev-blog]

Unwritten rules of PHD

Making PhD is proving you are good in science. Just as cupboard master produces highly crafted masterpiece cupboard, you make PhD to show how good you are for academia.

Process

Selection

Demitransfer

Transfer

Articles

Dissertation, viva

Advice

Read – aprx 100 articles for good background. messy complicated science in the form of articles, not books! books are good in the beginning for introduction to the topic. Extract main info, keep organized bibliography.

Theory – understand theory, what are the gaps, how it leads to your question, what are possible answers and how these answers contribute to the field.

Write – as much as possible, practicing is important. According to dry requirements – grammar, norms, citations; conveying message – showing expertise, making statements, forming a story.

Expose – feedback with supervisor, present to committee, outsiders. Having unofficial circle with experts in the field who give you feedback (journal club).