Help you to better manage your graduate study!

For your time management:

Although there are no core-hours, you are supposed to do your research in the lab. In general, you need to spend at least 2 out of 3 units in a day: morning, afternoon and evening. e.g., if you do not show up this morning, you should come this afternoon and evening. This regulation helps you to do research efficiently.  

Lab facility management & cleanliness:

Taking good care of the facilities is your responsibility. Many of the facilities you are using were well preserved by our former group members. As the facilities are going to be used by our future members not just only for you, please always take good care of them.

Coursework:

Each MS student needs to complete the coursework in the 1st year of the MS study. The required classes are CFD, Numerical Analysis, Heat Convection, and Combustion Theory. The other elective classes SHOULD be thermofluid-related. 

Deadlines:

Please keep in mind that you always need to pay attention on deadlines of any applications that you will need to submit during your MS study. Your miss may cause your financial or time losses. Do not wait for my reminders as I am very busy and cannot take care of you as a babysitter.  

For any labor jobs assigned, complete it within 48 hrs after receiving assignments.  

Data Management: 

Step 1. Name a SINGLE folder with your FULL name (e.g. Wei-Kai Chiu) in a non-primary disk. 

Step 2. Create subfolders for each of your topics that you have been or had conducted: (e.g. 3D_in_cylinder_combustion; practice).

Step 3. Categorize your data in each subfolder: (e.g. Mesh, FLUENT_case_files, FLUENT_data_files, M-files, Fortran_files, Tecplot_files, References, Thesis, Travel_Grant) 

The pic below shows a BAD example. Please NEVER save your permanent data in the PRIMARY disk:

Teamwork:

Always help each other on labor jobs or paperwork. It saves us time. 

Stipends of research assistants: 

(read it carefully before you raise a concern)

• Q: What does "research assistant" mean? 

• A: The grant source is from my research projects. It means that you get paid by assisting me in research, including all the commands and instructions I assign to you. In other words, if you do not help or assist me in RESEARCH, you are DISQUALIFIED to get paid. 

• Q: How much do you get paid as an RA? 

• A: For students who received the monthly stipends, the amount is based on the contributions per month. In general, a 2nd-yr student expect to receive $0-8000/month and a 1st-yr student expects to receive $0-5000/month.  

• Q: Why are you doing multiple research projects? Can you decline a secondary project?

• A: No, you cannot. All the projects are relevant to CFD. I always need you to learn skills from different projects. Later, you will gain experience to be independent on a thesis study. 

• Q: Why are you getting paid from a project that is doing by other members?

• A: Not every project is granted by a sponsor. However, it does not mean that the non-granted projects are unimportant. We always need members doing non-granted projects that could be a grant source for the upcoming years. 

• Q: Why do 2nd-yr students get more stipends? 

• A: By the time you become a 2nd-yr student, you tell me the answer. No doubt that a senior student produces more significant research work than a 1st-yr students. 

• Q: How do I evaluate your monthly performance in research?

• A: 1. Your weekly updates in research; 2. Your responses to my commands and instructions.

• Q: Why are you getting lower stipends than others?

• A: 1. You had late responses to me; 2. You did not assist me in research; 3. Your research update is insignificant; 4. You wasted me too much time to teach you the fundamentals; 5. You keep wasting my time in research.  

• Q: Can you get additional stipends?

• A: Yes, I can help you to get involved in a fully independent project. However, you need to independently complete the project without my huge help. Do not expect me to be your tutor and help you to secure any fellowship.

• Q: What if you do not accept the deals above?

• A: I suggest you find other advisers who can meet your need.

Stipends of teaching assistants:

(read it carefully before you raise a concern)

• Q1: What does "teaching assistant" mean? 

• A: It means you get paid by assisting me in teaching. 

• Q2: What work do I expect you to do?

• A: 1. generating HW or exam problems; 2. helping students to solve problems; 3. setup the facilities in the class; 4. grading HWs or exams; 

• Q3: Can I pay you RA + TA stipends?

• A: Yes, but you have to tell me that you can do ALL the tasks described above every week. If your work is 3 and 4 in Q2, which do not need much of your time and brain. I evaluate your part-time labor job by the basic rate $150/hr (this is the rate policy by the university). In other words, the "bonus" of your TA stipends is counted in your performance in research (That is why you receive "reduced RA stipends" + TA stipends).