0 What is Graduate School: Goals and Skills

I really didn't know what to expect from attending this session, but it did seem to be a productive use of my time.

Margaret Martonosi, Princeton University
Krasimira Kapitanova, University of U. Virginia

"We don't have any kids, but I have a dog that I treat like a child"

this was a HORRIBLE statement to make in front of a group of women considering a PhD. Enough said.

Prepping for the qualifying exams
- talk to veteran students how your school's system works
- sometimes students don't have the full story: ask your adviser too
- ask your department for prior versions of the exam


Progressing in Research

• Relax: your advisor often gives you first research problem
• Balance: concrete enough to make progress <--> far reaching enough to be research
• Read other papers

How to make Progress

• break the big problem into steps
• break the first few steps into even more steps
• eventually: a to-do list becomes a roadmap for what to accomplish each day

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship."

- Louisa May Alcott