Prospective Students

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A research career isn't an easy thing. The first thing I ask someone thinking about graduate school is why they want to go to graduate school, and whether they really need to go. A lot of people go to grad school in paleontology for the wrong reasons. Because they don't know what they want to do with their lives, because it seems easier than joining the real world, because they like dinosaurs. The reality is, you should only go to graduate school once you've decided what you really want to do with yourself, and you know it requires a PhD. It's too much work just to kill some time. And while it's true that college is easier than the Real World, graduate school is harder in a lot of ways- longer hours, less pay, worse odds. As for liking dinosaurs, well, my five-year-old nephew likes dinosaurs too, but that doesn't mean he'd do well pursuing a PhD in the subject. You should only go to graduate school if you've identified a prospective career- such as being a research scientist- where graduate school is a requirement for entry. If you're not certain yet, take a year off, work, or travel, read some books and see what gets you fired up.

So should you be a scientist? Well, that's another tough question. It's not easy. There is no shortage of scientists (and certainly not paleontologists) and there are not a lot of jobs. Maybe around 10% of people with a PhD end up with a tenure-track job these days. And the pay is much less than you'd make in the private sector, and the hours are long. There's a lot of uncertainty- short-term contracts as a postdoc, a long tenure process in North America. And the competition- for funds, for papers, for promotion. It's not easy. But it can be very, very rewarding.

What I tell people is that if you have your heart set on this- you know the odds, but you've got a passion for this, you're the kind of person who collects insects and fossils because you love it, you like reading papers about new discoveries, and just don't think you'd ever be satisfied in your heart of hearts doing anything else- working in finance or consulting or a big corporation or whatever- then think about a career in the sciences. But be realistic. It's not going to be easy. And if you go into it thinking it will be, thinking the statistics about jobs can't possibly be right or can't apply to you, that retirement is suddenly going to create a lot of new job openings... you're not going to make it. Only a handful of people end up with a research job- and it's not random. The people who get jobs are doing it differently than the people who don't.

The next thing I tell people is: pick a supervisor, not a school. It does matter where you go to graduate school- a lot. But if you end up at a big-name school with a supervisor who ignores you or undermines you, or a group of people you don't get along with, it's gonna be rough. Graduate school is different because you depend a lot on your supervisor- for a place to work, for projects, materials, funds, advice, and ultimately the signature that makes you a PhD.

The key thing is not to pick the school, but to pick the supervisor- someone you think you'd get along with, someone you want to talk science with over a beer, someone you think you can trust, someone who has a track record. Ideally, a mentor; minimally someone who will let you get on with your stuff, assuming you're independent and self-motivated. There's a relationship, personal and professional, and the nature of relationships is finding the person who's going to be right for you, and it's different for different people.

There's a book called _Getting What You Came For_. If you've read this far and I haven't yet terrified you out of a career in science, go pick it up; it will save you a lot of grief.

As for me, I am always looking for strong students- which to me means driven and passionate about learning about and doing science. I'm less interested in grades than evidence of research experience, especially independent research or published research. Drop me a line; if you have access to funds you can apply for, I'm happy to assist with an application.

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