seven+secrets+slides+-+oct+2011.pptx

8/14/2019 Seven+Secrets+Slides+-+Oct+2011.pptx

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Overview

Your research expedition

The Seven Secrets of Highly SuccessfulResearch Students

Newton s Laws of Graduation

What to do in your 1 st year


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Seven Secrets of Highly SuccessfulResearch Students

By Hugh Kearns & Maria Gardiner

Do you want to increase the probability ofcompleting your thesis on time and be happierdoing it?

Students who know these secrets and m ak e u s eo f t h em do so.


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#1. Care & Maintenance of your Supervisor

Meet regularly Discuss and negotiate your progress regularly

Understand your different / similar styles If its not working do something about it


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#2. Write and Show as you go

If you are reading but not writing after about 3weeks you will have forgotten what you veread

Enables you to stay on track and refine yourthinking

Avoid perfectionism by setting deadlines Write journal articles as you go You need to write to produce a PhD thesis!


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#3. Be Realistic

You are learning to do research and how towrite a thesis you are not expected to knowthis already

You will be making an original contribution toknowledge

Stay focussed Go for a result and not perfection Separate yourself from your thesis


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Work related distractions demonstrating,supervisions, organising conferences / events,assisting with other research projects

Personal distractions emails, texts, facebook,sport, hobbies, partying!

Desperate distractions

#4. Say No to distractions


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#5. It s a job

Work regular hours 5 days a week If you take time off make it up Stick to your work-times and get evenings,

weekends and holidays to do what you want! Set up a proper work place away from

distractions Set deadlines and targets and agree these with

your supervisor


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#6. Get Help

You are allowed It will make your life easier It will save you time

There are many sources of help at Cambridge


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#7. You can do it

Know and believe you can do it

Keep going it will get toughat times

Keep using the other 6 secrets


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Sir Isaac Newton 1643 - 1726


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First Law A grad student in procrastination tends

to stay in procrastination unless anexternal force is applied to it

Second Law

The age, a, of a doctoral process is directly proportionalto the flexibility, f, given by the advisor and inverselyproportional to the student s motivation, m

Third Law For every action towards graduation there

is an equal and opposite distraction

George Cham, PhD Comics


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The First Law of Graduation

A grad student in procrastinationtends to stay in

procrastinationunless an externalforce is applied to it

How to apply anexternal force?

Set a deadline write

it down & tell people Set up regularmeetings to reviewprogress

Arrange a rewardconditional onachievement


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The Second Law of Graduation

The age, a, of adoctoral process isdirectly proportional to

the flexibility, f, givenby the advisor andinversely proportionalto the students

motivation, m

Controlling flexibility Agreed milestones / goals

with Supervisor/PI

Regular ProgressMeetings

Keeping motivated Regular milestones /

goals Finishing before funding

runs out


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The Third Law of Graduation

For every actiontowards graduationthere is an equal and

opposite distraction

Just say no Separate personal &

work email

Turn them off Set aside time for

them outside of work


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ResearchSkills

ResearchSkills

Personal Skills

Personal Skills

Personal Skills

Enterprise Skills

Enterprise /KnowledgeTransfer Skills

Enterprise /

KnowledgeTransfer Skills

Teaching Teaching

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 +

Post-Graduate Competency Development Framework

Subject Specific

R e s e a r c

h S k i l l s

Common

Foundation


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Post Graduate Skill Needs Research

Subject specific research skills Common research skills - Reviewing Literature,

Research Methodology etc. Foundation research skills e.g. IT, Communication,

planning and organisation Personal Skills e.g. Career Development, Personal

Development Enterprise / Knowledge Transfer Skills

E.g. Innovation, Creativity, Intellectual Property,Commercialisation, Business Finance,Entrepreneurship

Teaching e.g. supervising student labs


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What to do in your 1 st year

Book onto a Research and Communications Club See your Divisional Administrator CUED Graduate Lectures

3 Lectures in Lent Term look out for the emails

Planning and Managing a Research Project Book a course at www.training.cam.ac.uk/gdp Time Management

Book a course at www.training.cam.ac.uk/gdp

One to one Skills Analysis Book a session at www.training.cam.ac.uk/gdp Make sure your computer skills are up to date

Book a course at www.cam.ac.uk/cs/training


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Booking Courses

Book at www.training.cam.ac.uk/gdp

They do tend to fill up very quickly with our newbooking system.

It is worth going on the waiting list.

Other ResourcesVITAE www.vitae.ac.uk


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