15 pieces of advice i wish my phd advisor had given me
TRANSCRIPT
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
1/12
10 pieces of advice I wish myPhD advisor had given me
Jim KuroseDepartment of Computer Science
University of MassachusettsAmherst, MA USA
http://www.cs.umass.edu/~kurose
1112
1415
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With great affection and apologiesto my advisors
Mischa Schwartz, EE Department,
Columbia University
Yechiam Yemini
CS DepartmentColumbia University
and a disclaimer..
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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I wish Idtaken more
math courses!
#1
Take math courses!
everymath courseIve taken hasbeen valuable
wont have timelater
research fieldsdraw increasinglyon math as they
mature theory is timeless!
study
broadly
I wish Idtaken more
math courses!
Important coursesoutside CS
signal processing control theory information theory nonlinear optimization stochastic processes game theory domains: systems
biology, economics,
#1
studybroadly
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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I wish Idtaken more
math courses!
you will never
again have somuch relaxedtime to study,learn, think
Sorry for that pieceof bad news but
its true
#1study
broadly
Choosing, defining a researchproblempick your problems carefully!
whats the fundamental issueyoure solving?
will the problem be of interestfive, ten years from now?
focus on fundamentals in aworld with an increasingly shortattention span
A fool can ask more
questions in a minute
than a wise man/woman(or a Yoda) can answer in a lifetime
QoSmulticast
congestion control
P2Psensor networks
energy
#2
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Choosing, defining a research
problem There are lots of smartpeople out there!
avoid crowded areasunless you have aunique talent, viewpoint
low-hanging fruit hasbeen picked
researchers working onnext big thing are not inthe crowd
take risks (its research)Wisdom of crowds?
Choosing, defining a researchproblem complexity,
sophistication arethemselves not ofinterest
simple is sometimesharder!
time
solutions in use
understanding ofproblem area
solutions proposed
early middle latesol
utioncomplexity
[adapted from Hluchyj 2001]
!!
!!
maximum impact / mindshare
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Choosing, defining a research
problemavoid point solutions
insights that cut acrosssolution space vs pointsolution
what broaderconclusions can bedrawn from your work?
solution space
.
You are here (but shouldnt be)
Publishing publish where you will get
mindshare, impact
there islife beyond sigcomm,infocom
quality over quantity:
avoid LPUs
1 widely-read/referencedpaper >> K mediocre papers
PhD thesis != magnum opus dont be driven by conference
deadlines
dont submit just to get reviews
#3
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Time: your most precious resource
give yourself time tothink
manage your timecarefully: consciouslychoose how youspend your time
learn to multiplex
Only how to book
recommended by BillClinton
Ive given away 50+
#4
Time
Learn how to write reallywell
can notoverstressimportance of good writing
the most important course?
unfair advantage inpaper, proposal review
outstanding investment ofyour time
study role models
http://www-net.cs.umass.edu/kurose/writing/
"No tale is so good that it can't be
spoiled in the tellingProverb
#5
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Top-10 tips for writing a paper
1: Every paper tells astory
2. Write top down
3. Introduction: crucial,formulaic
4. Master basics oforganized writing
5. Put yourself in placeof reader
6. Write precisely (bespecific, dontembellish)
7. No one (not even yourmother) is as interestedin this topic as you
8. State results carefully
9. Study the art of writing
10. Good writing takestime
Recommended reading:
Writing for Computer Science
by Justin ZobelThe Elements of Style
by William Strunk E. B. White(50 years old and still a classic!)
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Learn how to speak reallywell
cant overstress importance ofgood speaking
important course toteach/take?
unfair advantage in mindshare
convey exciting story/message
thoughtful
engaging
clear, concise
practice, practice, practice videotape, critique yourself
study role models
#6
Learn the processof doing research
our field is a guild
grad student = apprentice
professor = master artisan
its about more than the resultsin your thesis
youll be generating resultsfor a lifetime
knowing process is whatsmost important
why your advisor cant (andshouldnt) solve (or evendefine) the problem for you
apprenticeship
#7
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Think about what you want to do afterwards
academia: teaching schools
research-1 schools
big v small; public vprivate
country?
do you love (or at leastlike) to teach? students?
industry:
many different types ofindustry settings
startup
big industry
research labs
research institutes
#8
A community of scholars
meet people, listen,collaborate
good students, colleagues,
friends
approach, talk withpeople
interactions with peerstudents
research discussions
paper presentations
practice talks
.
#9
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Identify role models
who does somethingyou care about reallywell?
how do they do it?
many role models:
no one does everything
find your balance
get a mentor be a mentor
#10
The last word
Have fun enjoywhat you are doing
Best piece of advice Iever received (1984):Pick a place, job where youll
have fun, enjoy living, enjoyyour colleagues. Without that,no level of success will makeyou happy.Jack K. Wolf
#11
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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What have others added (1)?
learn how to deal with rejection
itll happen now and then, for the rest of yourprofessional life (hopefully not with your partner)
learn from rejection: Whywas paper/proposalrejected? What did/didnt reviewers see/like?
know your secret weapon
what unfair advantage do you have over everyoneelse?
learn how to change topics boring to do same thing for 30 years!
What have others added (2)?
learn how to deal with stress
life balance, life changes, too much work
learn how to multiplex
youll be doing it the rest of your life
learn how to read/review/write fast, but well
and follow the 90/10 rule
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8/7/2019 15 Pieces of Advice I Wish My PhD Advisor Had Given Me
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Questions!
What did I miss?
What advice would you give to 1st year student?