Guide to a PhD
Couple of points to remember as one starts for PhD, and also while in pursuit.
Before Starting
Plan on making your PhD worth the while.
Try to understand the difference between a newly minted martial arts black belt holder vs a 60 years old Sensei who has been a black belt for two generations. Think through about what you intend to do with your PhD as you move on in life.
Start writing your thesis from day 1. You can always cut it short
Keep your eyes on the prize — excellent innovative research starts with the end in mind.
Keep separate designated time to read.
During literature survey, document every paper that you read
Reading is enough when you recognize all the citations in a related paper.
Identify the gaps in literature. Check for the scale of experiments.
Reach the point where you stop learning, researching and start contributing
Question yourself till you are forced to say “I don’t know”, and then get to know.
Identify np-hard vs np-complete problems
Attend research group meetings of different professors.
A good problem for you is something that you can look at and answer two questions — is it important to solve and am I equipped to solve.
A research topic that has practical applicability, commercialization potential and can lead to some employable/transferable skills
Do not go for defaults. Better do something new than maintain dinosaurs.
Go for exciting enough vs most exciting
Make sure that your research topic is neither too broad nor too narrow, neither over researched nor under researched.
Make a good first impression in everything
Build an academic brand through blogs/websites
Try to get fellowship. Gain independence.
Collaborate, talk to people. But not to too many.
While pursuing PhD
Focus, do not get distracted.
Work Smart.
Show up in the lab.
Balance research with exercise and extra curricular activities.
Maintain good relationship with guide.
Take sign off from guide for the important things in research.
Take help when needed, only after having worked hard enough on it.
Practice speaking and writing.
Do not put fancy numbers that you cannot defend.
Publish early
Take feedback with a pinch of salt.
Keep ego aside.
Always be curious.
Embrace and learn from positive as well as negative feedback.
Work harder/smarter/better than the rest.
Run the extra mile, make the good, great.
Be the source of radiant energy, excitement and optimism.
Anticipate a deadline and maintain a calendar.
Attend conferences, workshops.
It is always about impact. About whether you have helped other people think differently about a problem they already know something about.
Work in such a fashion that others can build from it
Bring insights from different fields.
Find external collaborators.
Identify a less explored niche.
Be precise about everything — what you want to achieve, how to formulate the problem, what method you use, when and how it breaks.
Try to predict dead ends early on; circumvent by adding limitations/properties in the problem statement.
Ensure that one of your research chapters is an applied project.
Be an expert on your thesis.
