WHERE SMART PEOPLE READ | EARLY CAREER ADVICE đ PERSONAL FINANCE
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Questions to ask when you visit a prospective graduate school
First of all, congratulations on getting into your graduate program! Now, it is time to visit the prospective graduate school and determine if it is a good fit for you after all. The things you learn during the visit will help you make an informed decision and set you up for success. You will get the…
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Why is graduating with a Ph.D. so hard? (And what you can do about it)
Graduating with a Ph.D. is just plain hard for many reasons. I made a non-exhaustive list below of the things that prevent people from graduating, and suggestions to combat these obstacles. Your data does not make sense. Or worse, you donât have data because your experiment is broken. Suggestion: Consider performing your analysis on a…
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How to Land Your Dream Postdoc
Do you need help to land your dream postdoc? Earning a great postdoc opportunity is one of the key ingredients to successfully finishing up graduate school and greatly boosts your chances of graduating in a timely manner. My book on How to Land Your Dream Postdoc is underway now! What the book covers How to…
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Things you need to buy if you are adopting a cat
Are you a graduate student thinking of adopting a cat? Cats are both very independent as well as loving. They are the perfect Ph.D. companion. I couldn’t dream of getting through mine without my son who is a cat. Before adopting a cat, I didn’t know much about them, though. What do they need? What…
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STEM resources and ideas for kids interested in science
In this post, I share STEM resources from an outreach effort that I have been part of for some years. Whether you are a parent or do a lot of science outreach, I hope that the list I have compiled below can help with your efforts to educate young students on STEM topics. ASPIRE is…
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The science of publishing a paper in a journal
Publishing a paper is kind of like going through pregnancy and giving birth: it is painful and takes a long time from start to finish. This is especially relevant if you are the corresponding author, as you will then need to go through all the stages of the pregnancy â er, publishing process: Write the…
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Research papers you could write in graduate school
In this post, I write about the four types of research papers that you could and are encouraged to contribute to during graduate school. Note that two or more of these could be combined and so, for example, you could write only one or two total papers during your Ph.D. and still accomplish most of…
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This is the highest payoff activity during your PhD
Focusing on the highest payoff activity in graduate school is well-advised as doing a Ph.D. is extremely overwhelming and daunting. It is normal to have difficulty managing all your responsibilities. The good news is a comprehensive understanding of your responsibilities and priorities will help you get through anything, including a Ph.D. Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash Tasks…
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The How to PhD book is LIVE on Amazon!
I am excited to announce that the How to PhD book is now out! Both the Kindle and Paperback editions are available for purchase on Amazon. This is a step-by-step PhD book and graduate school guide complete with everything you need to know to succeed at all stages of your PhD from applying to graduate…
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Proof is ordered, the How to PhD book will be out soon!!
The How to PhD book While every Ph.D. is unique, each one is a journey filled with challenges and struggles. How to PhD: The Graduate School Handbook is the first book of a series and also the first of its kind. It is a book filled with everything I wish I had known before starting…
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How to pick a college major
Somehow, I knew when I was 11 years old that I wanted to be a physicist. Right since the first-ever Physics chapter, I studied in school – “Rest and Motion”, I was hooked! Rest and motion are relative! How cool is that! So, I picked Physics as my major in college. But, I daresay, I…
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How to beat demoralization in graduate school
Beating demoralization is, of course, easier said than done. Itâs like you are so out of it, you canât even. When your brain is so burned out and heart so heavy with all the shits that are going on, you need to take a step back and do one or more of the following. It…
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How to Establish a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
I attended the panel discussion on “Best Practices for Establishing a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace” at the American Physical Society’s April Meeting this year. I felt that it was important that the discussion we had reaches a wider audience, hence this post! The panel consisted of JesĂșs Pando, Willie Rockward, Arlene Maclin, and Ansel Neunzert.…
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10 tips on giving a great talk
I have compiled 10 tips on giving a great talk in this post đ Getting ready to give your first talk? Or just looking to improve your game a bit? We can ALL do better at giving talks. Talks are tricky and there is a great variety of them too: talks given to your research…
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How to succeed in the Ph.D. candidacy exam
Worrying about your Ph.D. candidacy exam (prelim)? Been there, and here to help! I will cover everything from what candidacy is and what a first-year grad student should focus on, to what to do on the day of your oral exam. It’s an exam. Get ready to study đ Make sure to visit your school’s…
