It's really unfortunate that the first, longest and most detailed answer to this student's questions was so very negative and discouraging. That is not a typical experience and many of us are happy we followed our interests.
> where should i click on the "like" buttom for this last answer? > > Eve > On May 27, 2015 5:55 PM, "Stephen L. Young" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Wow! I couldn¹t think of any worse advise. If I had followed these >> guidelines I would have not been anywhere near where I am today and >> would >> have not met some of the most inspiring, motivating, creative, and smart >> people, who have become some of my best friends and colleagues. >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> >> >> On 5/27/15, 6:56 PM, "Aaron T. Dossey" <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >1) I wouldn't go to grad school for science these days. Universities >> and >> >faculty are far too exploitative and the career opportunities requiring >> >a graduate degree are far too few (especially in academia and >> >government). Best to get out there and get a job and experience with >> >those years, or even start your own organization or company. >> >You may be interested in the articles and "Notes" posted on this page: >> >https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Postdoc-Union/275402225908673 >> > >> >2) It is the responsibility (one of an ever waning list) of the faculty >> >boss (referred to some as "mentor" or "adviser") to provide projects >> >(well funded ones) for their students, then spend time TEACHING them >> the >> >projects, techniques and science behind the projects. I would be >> >suspicious of any lab that requires you to come up with your own >> >project, especially if they require you to come with your own funding. >> > >> >3) If you do have project ideas, best to pursue them on your own time >> >and well separate from the lab and/or involvement of any university >> >faculty member. Basically if you know what you want to do and more or >> >less how to do it, you don't need grad school: you need >> >resources/facilities to pursue it. So, find (sit down for this) >> >COLLABORATORS (not bosses) and some sort of funding or access to lab >> and >> >equipment you need. You can even try crowdfunding, or like I said, >> >start a company or non-profit. >> > >> >4) If you DO dive into graduate school for some reason: selecting a >> >decent ethical faculty boss who actually cares about YOUR career (very >> >rare) will be your most critical decision/task. the following are >> >criteria and methods you should use: a) talk to as many people IN the >> >lab and especially FORMER lab members as possible, b) ask the faculty >> >boss how joining their lab will help your career, what you will BE >> >TAUGHT, what projects are available and what FUNDING is driving those >> >projects (and listen closely to the answers), c) ask if you would be >> >allowed to pursue independent side projects without the faculty boss' >> >involvement (ie: do a side project that's your idea with other students >> >or other labs in your own side collaboration - this is critical to >> build >> >toward an independent career in science, which is the main reason to go >> >to grad school in science at all). This means publishing at least one >> >paper without that faculty member and possibly even applying for a >> grant >> >or two (toward the end of your term in the lab) without their name on >> >it. If they say no, immediately find another lab. While many will >> tell >> >you no one will do this and this is unusual and you shouldn't expect >> >this freedom, that is nothing short of a lie. If you accept that lie, >> >you will find out the hard way when you try to pursue your real career >> >after grad school. d) Be SURE the lab or department will pay you a >> FULL >> >stipend you can live on AND health insurance for at least 5 years while >> >you complete your degree. e) be sure that no one in the labs you are >> >considering has taken more than 5 years to finish their Ph.D. or 3 >> years >> >for Masters. f) if you determine that a graduate degree is ABSOLUTELY >> >REQUIRED for your career goals (think about this carefully) then do a >> >Ph.D. rather than a masters. g) I do not recommend young professors >> >without tenure, or working for older or higher ranking professors that >> >also have adminstrative appointments on top of their professor job >> >(things like also being the "director of the center for X" etc. I >> >consider moonlighting and almost a guarantee that you'll never see >> them, >> >which means you'll never learn anything or be taught anything by them >> >which is the entire point of grad school). h) Also have a frank >> >discussion about how authorship is handled in the lab AND if you are >> >expected to write grants (don't do it if you won't be listed as a >> >co-PI), and even about how patents will be handled... and get those >> >things IN WRITING! >> > >> >5) Do not be placated, pacified, bribed, distracted or fooled by >> >anything else. a LITTLE higher salary, a boss that smiles a lot, >> >showering you with compliments, students (especially early grad >> students >> >or undergrads) who say things like "they are SO nice to me, they let me >> >go to conferences" (something they should all offer by default, at >> least >> >1 conference per year for you to present at).. etc... can distract >> from >> >the more important issue: how going to grad school will benefit your >> >career and get you quickly into an independent science career within >> 2-3 >> >years after graduating (max). >> > >> >Those are some good solid things that should take you a long way toward >> >your next set of decisions which will be critical for your career >> >success (or lack of it) for some years to come. What you decide to do >> >at this stage of your career will have long lasting consequences. >> > >> >Let me know if you have further questions! >> >ATD of ATB >> > >> > >> >On 5/27/2015 2:21 PM, Emily Mydlowski wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> >> >> >> I'm delving into the graduate school search (MS and PhD programs) >> quite >> >> heavily and am seeking advice regarding approaching faculty with a >> >>research >> >> project. The system I'm interested in working on is that which has >> many >> >> unanswered, interesting questions I would love to pursue. From a >> faculty >> >> perspective, is proposing a project topic (too) bold of a move to a >> >> potential advisor? >> >> >> >> Any advice would be much appreciated. >> >> >> >> All the best, >> >> >> >> Emily Mydlowski >> >> Northern Michigan University >> > >> > >> >ATD of ATB and ISI >> >-- >> >Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. >> >Biochemistry and Molecular Biology >> >Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs LLC >> >World's Largest supplier of Cricket Powder / Cricket Flour ! >> >Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Food Ingredient >> >Innovation >> >ABOUT: http://allthingsbugs.com/People >> >LinkedIn: >> >https://www.linkedin.com/pub/all-things-bugs-dr-aaron-t-dossey/53/775/104 >> >FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs >> >ISI: https://www.facebook.com/InvertebrateStudiesInstitute >> >PHONE: 1-352-281-3643 >> >
