What I Wish I Knew

Learning, Adapting, Growing

Robin Brewer, associate professor of information, shares insights from her first years as both a student and faculty member, and why embracing feedback and curiosity matters most.

Q: Thinking back to your first year as a student, what’s one experience, challenge, or piece of advice that stuck with you?

Be social — a PhD isn’t only about the research but the connections you form along the way. I greatly enjoyed my doctoral experience because I joined organizations, met people in other PhD programs who welcomed ranting and gave advice, and met students from other universities at conferences. Although you asked for one piece of advice, I would also strongly urge students to find a hobby they like to do in their first semester and continue that hobby throughout. Trying to make time for a hobby in the third year can be hard if you haven’t practiced in the first year. My hobby was eating at fun (and wildly cheap) restaurants in Chicago. :)

Q: What do you remember most about your first year teaching, and how has it shaped the way you show up in the classroom today?

I remember spending a ton of time trying to make every lecture and slide deck perfect during my first year of teaching, thinking that if I spent the time once that I wouldn’t have to spend as much time in the future. Little did I know that starting a tenure-track position in the fall of 2019 would mean that I would have to recreate the class THREE times (synchronous in-person, synchronous remote, synchronous hybrid). But, aside from that, it was an important lesson because it taught me: 1) every cohort of students will have different learning styles/preferences, 2) to adapt, and 3) to avoid trying to be perfect in the classroom. For first-year students engaged in research, a similar lesson will apply: Nothing you share with your advisor will be perfect. Get feedback early and often, and get comfortable with feedback and iteration early.

Q: What’s one lesson you’ve learned (either from students or experience) that continues to influence your approach to education?

My approach to education is to continue to learn. Best practices evolve — think about stances on LLM use for education now vs. three years ago. Always strive to learn as a PhD student, but don’t think that learning only comes from being a student in a class. You can learn from a more senior student, a new idea can come from someone else’s presentation at a conference, a better work process or vision for your career can come from an internship. Continue learning! (It’s also great for neuroplasticity in later life, from an aging researcher.)