Hi Emily: I was in a similar situation as you several years ago. I had been working with a system and foresaw a lot of opportunity to answer some interesting/important ecological questions. I reached out to potential PhD advisors, met with graduate students and thought ALOT about it all. Not one professor with whom I spoke looked down upon my proposing my own project...to the contrary, this was viewed positively. I ended up getting this opportunity and am now finishing my PhD. The experience has been overwhelmingly positive and fulfilling, and has produced postdoc opportunities to continue doing the research that interests me.
So go for it. You will get rejections and discouragement. You will get frustrated and confused. The key is to be persistent. More practical advice: research very well different professors and research groups. Send them well-drafted emails. Go and visit them. Apply for the NSF GRFP and other fellowships. Even if you aren't successful, they really help to formulate your thoughts. Dave On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 5:17 AM, Malcolm McCallum < malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com> wrote: > If you want to know what to do in graduate school, how to go about being in > graduate school, and how to be a success in graduate school, and > successfully find a job after graduate school, > > Read this: > P.B. Medawar, Advice to a Young Scientist > > http://www.amazon.com/Advice-Scientist-Alfred-Foundation-Series/dp/0465000924 > > It will be the best $5 (used) you ever spent. > > or, read a free online copy and spend your $5 to get lunch and read the > entire thing while eating.... > http://evolbiol.ru/medawar_advice/medawar.htm > > Now, I will say that some of the advice after graduation is more attune to > someone in a research school or research-focused department. That fish > won't bite in a teaching school, or a non-research school/department. > > The guy won a Nobel Prize, he probably has a clue. > > In any case, the bottom line is no two lives follow the same road. Take > yours, and hopefully it will be fruitful. > > On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 11:14 PM, Malcolm McCallum < > malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > If you want to know what to do in graduate school, how to go about being > > in graduate school, and how to be a success in graduate school, and > > successfully find a job after graduate school, > > > > Read this: > > P.B. Medawar > > > > > http://www.amazon.com/Advice-Scientist-Alfred-Foundation-Series/dp/0465000924 > > > > It will be the best $5 (used) you ever spent. > > > > Now, I will say that some of the advice after graduation is more attune > to > > someone in a research school or research-focused department. That fish > > won't bite in a teaching school, or a non-research school/department. > > > > In any case, the bottom line is no two lives follow the same road. Take > > yours, and hopefully it will be fruitful. > > > > malcolm > > > > On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 1:21 PM, Emily Mydlowski < > emilymydlow...@gmail.com > > > 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 > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP > > Environmental Studies Program > > Green Mountain College > > Poultney, Vermont > > Link to online CV and portfolio : > > https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO > > > > “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich > array > > of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a > > many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature > lovers > > alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as > Americans.” > > -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 > > into law. > > > > "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - > > Allan Nation > > > > 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert > > 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, > > and pollution. > > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > > MAY help restore populations. > > 2022: Soylent Green is People! > > > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > > Wealth w/o work > > Pleasure w/o conscience > > Knowledge w/o character > > Commerce w/o morality > > Science w/o humanity > > Worship w/o sacrifice > > Politics w/o principle > > > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any > > attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may > > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > > the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and > > destroy all copies of the original message. > > > > > > -- > Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP > Environmental Studies Program > Green Mountain College > Poultney, Vermont > Link to online CV and portfolio : > https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO > > “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array > of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a > many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers > alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as > Americans.” > -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 > into law. > > "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan > Nation > > 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert > 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, > and pollution. > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > MAY help restore populations. > 2022: Soylent Green is People! > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > Wealth w/o work > Pleasure w/o conscience > Knowledge w/o character > Commerce w/o morality > Science w/o humanity > Worship w/o sacrifice > Politics w/o principle > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any > attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and > destroy all copies of the original message. > -- **************************** *David Daversa* *PhD CandidateEvolutionary Ecology Group, University of CambridgeInstitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of londondd...@cam.ac.uk <dd...@cam.ac.uk>ddave...@gmail.com <ddave...@gmail.com>* http://www2.zoo.cam.ac.uk/manica/DRDaversa.htm <http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/manica/drdaversa.htm>
