Resources

Lab's Mentoring Plan

Master Students

Master students joining our group are welcome to attend the lab's weekly meetings.

****** As an congenial group we also meet socially. These events are optional, there is no pressure to participate in any non-academic activities******

Students have two options:

1) Working on a client based master group project. Projects are selected at the beginning of the second semester.

2) Working on an individual research thesis. Students have until the beginning of the second semester to decide if they want to work on a thesis. By the end of the first semester they will need to submit a research prospectus (3-5 pages) of the work they are proposing to do. Students selecting this option are expected to attend the weekly lab meetings and present their work several times in our weekly meetings. For more information please check our Mentoring Plan.

Lab Best Practices

- Meeting with your advisor

1) If you would like to meet with your advisor send an email requesting an appointment.

2) Make as many appointments as you need.

3) Once you have set up an appointment be on time and be prepared.

- Recommendation letters

1) If you are planing to ask for a recommendation tell your referee about it. She/he needs to know, it would be unethical to talk about your qualifications if you have not asked the referee to do so.

2) Give referees no fewer than two weeks to send their recommendation letters.

3) Provide the referee all pertinent information, e.g., your CV, qualifications, information on the position, how/where to send the reference, deadline.

-Project, Thesis and Dissertation feedback

1) Give readers no fewer than two weeks to read and provide feedback on your work.

2) Be aware that projects, thesis and dissertation drafts always required several rounds of edits.

3) It is your responsibility to keep track of deadlines and required documentation.

Articles about navigating graduate school:

Both Science and Nature have a section on Careers and Professional Development with many interesting and relevant articles about navigating gradschool, postdocs and beyond.

1) Why comparing yourself with other graduate students is counter-productive. By Julia Nolte

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03040-7

Some Advice from wise people:

-Corner Office NYT

1) "The willingness to do really hard work is in much shorter supply than talent in the universe today" B. Roberts (Venrock, partner).

2) "Push yourself out of your comfort zone" D. Weisler (HP Inc, CE)

3) "If you want to be really good at your craft, it only comes through knowledge, and knowledge only comes through experience, and experience only comes through failure" C. Palihapitiya (CE Social Capital)

4) "You have to be willing to embrace the struggle. If you want anything great in life, you have to be willing to go through the very dark and painful moments of building something. Nothing great has ever come out of a lot of easy days. We’re in a world where so many things are available at the touch of a button. We forget that only through struggle is our character really tested. " Leila Janah (CE Samasource).

-From: https://dariusforoux.com/lessons-mentors/

  1. “If people want to go. Let them. And wish them well.” Over the course of your career, you’ll lose friends, colleagues, team members, employees, bosses, partners. Stuff happens and people move on. Friends become enemies. Know when it’s time for you to move on. And never hold a grudge.

  2. “Treat people well. The world is small.” We’re humans. And humans are emotional. And emotions make people do weird things. Don’t do weird things to people.

  3. “Life is not fair. Get over it.” Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re sad. You didn’t get that promotion. No one cares about your product. These things happen. Don’t wish things were different. Just be better next time.

  4. “I always make the best out of everything.” Stop trying to find your passion. And don’t be a spoiled little brat. Just enjoy your life, have fun, relax, be a sport. You don’t need a dream job or a million dollars to do those things.

  5. “I hate it when people are not prepared.” No matter how small your next assignment is, come prepared. It’s the difference between an amateur and a pro. Know your stuff.

  6. “Hard things will always remain hard. Things don’t get easier by putting them off.” Difficult conversations, firing people, admitting mistakes, saying you’re sorry. You never really get used to hard things. It’s always better to rip the band-aid. Just get it over with.

  7. “Not everyone thinks the same way you do.” I often hear people saying: “That person doesn’t understand me.” Have you ever thought that it might be the other way around? People are different. Do your best to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

  8. “Bad people only hurt themselves. I feel bad for them.” Never try to get back at bad people. Their punishment is that they are a bad person.

  9. “I fail all the time. I just don’t give up.” Failure is overrated. It’s merely a different word for learning. We just get all emotional about it. “I suck.” No, you don’t. But if you give up you do.

  10. “Why does everyone want to be happy all the time?” There’s nothing wrong with being sad, angry, frustrated. Just don’t stay in those emotions. Acknowledge it, and then move on.

  11. “People are in love with their own voice.” Sometimes it’s good to shut up and listen to other people.

  12. “Resting is more important than working.” The art of resting is a difficult thing to learn. We’re all so restless. We want things to happen today, now, this very instant. Let it go. Just breath for a second. Rest.

  13. “My goal is to learn one new thing every day.” Learning is something you do deliberately. Remind yourself every day that you want, no NEED, to learn something new.

  14. “People who always complain give me a headache.” Don’t be a party-pooper.

- From Amy Morin: 13 things mentally strong people do not do

Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong (and much happier person).

1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.

2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.

3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.

4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.

5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.

6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.

7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.

8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over They accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.

9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.

10. They Don’t Give Up After the First Failure They don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.

11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.

12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything They don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.

13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.

- From Beverly Law, professor emeritus, advice to PhD students (GCB January 2021):

"Figure out who you want to be and what you want to do, and go for it. Know what tools you need to do it and take the classes you need to master them, even if they aren't required, and find other learning opportunities to fill out skills. Think out of the box and think big. Because the outdoors was my world, I was usually the only woman with a group of guys on trips in the outback. As a competitive swimmer, I was the only woman swimming with the boy's team and I was the captain of our women's water polo team where my role was to call the shots. I was and still am quite comfortable being outnumbered, and haven't let it stop me from pursuing my goals. Don't let the fact that you are different stop you from being what you want to be and doing what you want to do. Realize you have a contribution to make to the world and this is your chance. Times get tough, but keep charging ahead. When that passes, you realize it really wasn't such a big deal. Don't let your own mind betray your dreams and goals. When challenged by those who aim to undermine you, take the moral high ground and don't give up. If you say you are going to do something, follow through and don't leave people hanging. Your integrity and respectfulness are some of your most important characteristics that you need to be mindful of throughout your career, starting now."