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Originally Posted by raji  I am just starting out my Ph.D program in CS this semester. Any one here pursuing a Ph.D? Willing to share any experiences and advice?  |
Keep in good communication with your PhD supervisor. Some people spend months researching something other than what they were asked to due to not seeing their supervisor often.
Try and treat each day as if you're going to work - keep regular hours. Your no longer a student doing a fixed course with coursework and exams. Slacking is a lack of commitment and you should question whether you're still interested.
Don't throw any work away (especially important if doing a scientific based PhD). You might need it eventually. Perhaps keep a diary of work done.
Start writing your thesis at least 6 months before your due to end, most PhDs go over 3 years due to this. Submit each chapter/section to the supervisor for comment.
If you have problems with your supervisor from the start, then do something about it. See the head of the school/dept. Change supervisors. In the worst instance, abandoning the PhD and going elsewhere may be the best option. A poor supervisor easily jeopardises the whole PhD. Your thesis may not be considered acceptable by the independent examiners. Don't waste those years.
Remember about 40% of all PhDs fail. Due to:
- Students lacking commitment.
- Supervisors being poor or inexperienced.
- Loss of communication with supervisor.
- Not writing up thesis soon enough.
Good luck! The best day is when you get called back into the office after a viva and they say "Congratulations Dr........".