What’s the Most Valuable Part of Grad School?
by
Graduate school can be pretty overwhelming at first. So many questions, so few answers. With all of these new responsibilities, it’s hard to know how to prioritize them. As a result, every decision can seem epic and therefore incredibly stressful.
To help highlight some of the most important decisions, we want to know what you think is the single most important part of graduate school. What part specifically has contributed most to your career development and advancement?
[poll id=”5″]
Do you think there’s something else that should be on the list? Want to expand on your selection? Let us know!
dayman
wrote on August 31, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I would love to say that the personal growth stuff like relationships with colleagues and developing critical thinking skills is most important, but if I am looking strictly at "advancing [my] career", sorry but publications trump all. You could be terrible person with no friends, but if you have 10 science papers, you are still going to get a job. Yeah, the other stuff helps, but sadly none of it matters without those publications.
If the question was "What part of grad school is the most valuable for personal growth", publications would be at the very bottom of my list.
dayman
wrote on August 31, 2009 at 9:17 pm
also: yeahhhhhhh for the ability to have html tags in comments!
FedUp
wrote on May 24, 2013 at 5:12 pm
At first I thought the same too – then I thought of all the people I know who just follow directions from PIs that are good at management and get more data than get a clue. And if these people go on to a post-doc where they would be expected to work totally alone they are not going to make much of a career.
So since everything eventually depends on the PI (references, the ability to publish, his/her network, mentoring and to SOME extend how much you get to learn) I have to go with PI.
joanne
wrote on September 1, 2009 at 2:34 am
I agree with dayman. For me it was definitely the PI I worked with. His guidance enabled me to develop critical thinking skills. Unfortunately though, it comes down to the publications. You could have a micromanaging advisor who doesn't allow you to think for yourself but you get great publications because of ideas that are handed to you or projects that have already been set up. This doesn't make a great scientist, but it'll get you the job. Go figure.