Reflections on Graduate School: Advice for New Students and Senior Researchers

It's been four years since I completed my Ph.D. I fondly remember working hard on experiments even during holidays in those happy times.

I'd like to share my philosophy on roles that many new students might be curious about.

Advice for New Students:

• Follow senior students and participate in minor experiments or meetings.
• Quickly identify which seniors have valuable knowledge to share and which don't.
• Adopt a learning attitude to rapidly gain knowledge and achieve results.

Pro tip:

Pay close attention to how senior students create data plots (graphs), even for small experiments. Learn plotting techniques from seniors writing papers, and offer to help with repetitive plotting tasks. This may lead to opportunities for co-authorship. Data visualization is a crucial skill that remains useful even after graduation.

Lastly, ask many questions. Don't hesitate due to fear of appearing ignorant. It's a privilege of new master's students to ask 'silly' questions. The proper approach is: 'Senior, I researched X and understood up to this point, but I'm struggling to grasp the rest.'

Remember, even Ph.D. students may not have all the answers. Study together, continuously question, discuss, and converse. A quiet graduate office is a dead office. If you're going to sit silently at your desk, you might as well go to the library. The purpose of sharing space is to exchange research findings and ideas.

Message to Senior Students:

I understand the challenges of learning as a newcomer. Please don't underestimate the difficulty newcomers face when trying to learn from you. They're in an unfamiliar environment and likely tense. Give opportunities to newcomers when they show interest. While major experiments might be off-limits, allow them to participate in minor ones and provide feedback.

Always answer questions from juniors. The most basic questions can be the hardest to answer. Although lengthy explanations might seem tedious, practicing concise teaching is valuable for future job interviews or professorship roles. It's crucial to cultivate junior students who look up to you.

While it's challenging to conduct experiments and write papers alone in graduate school, having supportive juniors can significantly accelerate your work. Always acknowledge junior contributions in papers.

Keep this mindset: 'If a junior doesn't understand, it's because I didn't explain well enough.'

Explaining your experiments and answering questions helps clarify your own research direction in real-time. These experiences will prove invaluable in the future.

Summary:

I enjoyed mentoring juniors and conducting collaborative research during my graduate studies. This approach allowed me to publish numerous papers and made my graduate life extremely fulfilling.

In today's increasingly individualistic world, it may be challenging, but I believe that mutual support and learning will lead to a happier academic life. Keep up the good work, everyone!

P.S. This is my personal philosophy, and others may disagree. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.