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Grad students are often terrified by stories they've heard
about the advisor from hell or ultra-competitive departments. But
while nightmare stories do happen, there are some simple tips on
avoiding these grad school pitfalls.
Power Plays
It should be no surprise to you that many grad programs are
intensely competitive. If you thrive in this kind of environment,
you may want to look for such a school. But if you'd rather have
a more supportive environment, make sure you're familiar with the
program's atmosphere. The attitude of the faculty towards student
cooperation can go a long way to encouraging or discouraging a
cooperative environment. Be sure that you've visited the campus
beforehand, and interviewed both the students and professors.
Adam Szpiro, who received his Ph.D. from Brown University in
1998, says that in his department "there was no sense of
competition between students, so we were all generally very
willing to help each other. Matters were also helped
significantly by the fact that students tended to work together
in groups in most of my classes. This was neither actively
encouraged nor discouraged by the faculty, but there was never
the concern that working together constituted cheating."
One thing to keep in mind: Even within the same school,
departments can vary tremendously in terms of the way students
interact with each other and with their professors. So if you
have friends who are in the same school, but in a different
program, be sure to investigate this information for
yourself.
Singing the Advisor Blues
Choosing an advisor is another huge consideration for any grad
student. Most programs require you to choose an advisor by the
end of your first year, if not before. Your advisor will be the
most powerful figure during your grad school life"there is no
such thing as doing too much research on this professor before
your choice is final.
As one grad student counsels: "Choose your advisor wisely. You
will be working for your advisor like you would work for a boss
at a company. It's most important that you get along well with
this person, and that he or she is a good manager."
This professor can literally make or break your academic
career. Not only will your advisor help you on your thesis or
research project, but he or she might also employ you as a
research or teaching assistant, help you shape your proposal,
advise you on studying for your comprehensive exams and defending
your dissertation, and giving you job recommendations once all
this is over.
More Information
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