Tentative weekly plan

Broadly what we plan to discuss. Quite possible that things will get shuffled around.

January 6: Introduction. Why are we here? Why get a PhD?

In week 1, we will get to know each other. We will share our reasons for joining the Ph.D. program and how those may have evolved since first applying to grad school. We will also discuss our objectives for the seminar, including content and workload (which will be light) and Allen School community guidelines for creating a respectful and inclusive environment for all.

January 13: Choosing exciting and significant research topics

In week 2, we will read and discuss inspirational articles about the elements of compelling research and ways to approach the question of choosing research topics. We will explore concerns you may have such as whether the research you are doing excites you and fits you, and how to make sure your research focus evolves in the most positive and productive way possible. We will discuss common pitfalls, mistakes and misconceptions that sometimes arise early in grad school and get ourselves psyched up for a future of inspiring and well-motivated research.

January 20: The advisor-advisee relationship

In week 3, we will review basic rules of thumb about getting the most from your relationship with your advisor and making sure the relationship is mutually beneficial. Your relationship with your advisor is vital to your professional success and will remain important throughout your career. Your advisor should be someone that you resonate with, whose research vision inspires you, whose working style and personality mesh well with yours, who is supportive, whom you deeply respect, and who elicits your best in terms of high quality research, creativity and productivity, a sense of well-being, and an entree into the computer science research community.

January 27: Elevator pitches and presentation skills

In week 4, we will discuss the importance of developing a concise, exciting 5-minute long elevator pitch about your research and delivering informative, sit-up-and-take-notice talks. You will each get a chance to practice these skills on topics directly relevant to you and your research.

February 3: Hard work, time management and work-life balance

We all know how important working diligently and with focus is in grad school. Yet, many of us struggle with procrastination, occasional lack of motivation, and time management issues. In week 5, we will discuss the reasons we procrastinate, techniques for managing our time effectively and how each of us can be the best “whole” person possible.

February 10: Reading/reviewing research papers

On the scholarly path, you will need to read and understand many and varied research papers. There is always more to read than the time one has available. Therefore, you need to prioritize what you read while making sure that you are gaining depth and expertise. You will not only want to comprehend the technical contributions of the papers you read, but also identify their strengths and weaknesses, and, importantly, the research avenues they open and inspire. In week 6, we will discuss approaches to doing just that.

February 24: Expectations, comparisons, impostor syndrome and feedback

We all realize that grad school is challenging and our colleagues are smart – often brilliant – and dedicated. Are they smarter and accomplishing more than we are? In week 8, we will discuss some of the common difficulties grad students face in terms of self-confidence and mental health, and identify resources for getting help when you need it.

March 3: Handling feedback

We will discuss the crucially important topic of how to handle feedback, especially from your advisor(s). This is something many students struggle with, e.g. taking it personally rather than acting on it constructively, or getting depressed about it when we shouldn’t. We will be bringing in a panel of four faculty to provide their wisdom and advice on this topic.

March 8: Academic Writing

Writing papers. Fun for some, but dreaded by many. This week, we will study key principles and practices of well-organized, carefully crafted technical writing. Sandy Kaplan, the CSE writing guru, will join us for this session.

March 10: Catch up; open up; wrap up!

In our final meeting, we will circle back to the question of how to handle tough situations that can arise in grad school, including advisor/advisee issues and disparaging feedback, using role play. We will then summarize the key takeaways from the quarter and take a victory lap!