NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 How to PhD: Perspectives from three ECE Professors Jan Allebach Electrical and Computer Engineering Purdue University

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Is a Ph.D. right for you? Hard work Major commitment Major rewards Helps to be passionate about what you do

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 So you’ve decided to get a Ph.D. What do you do next? Identify a graduate area, i.e. AC, BME, CE, CNSIP, MN, ESS, VLSI  What do you find exciting?  What courses do you like?  What do your fellow students have to say? Choose a major professor  What kind of research do they do?  What is their style for working with students?  Where have their advisees gone after graduation?  What do your fellow students have to say?  Do they having funding for you?

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Factors that influence choice of dissertation topic If research is sponsored, may depend on type of funding  Government  Industry Style of your Major Professor  Open-ended  More prescribed

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Characteristics of dissertation research Must meet standards for good scientific practice  Fully documented  Reproducible Should address an important problem, not just an interesting problem Should be conducted in the context of the current state-of- the-art in the your area Should be substantially novel and demonstrate a significant advance to the current state-of-the-art

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Some other thoughts about dissertation research Your dissertation need not be a monolithic entity – it can be a series of relatively independent substantive projects Don’t be afraid to fail – but if you are going to fail, don’t take too long to do it Don’t reinvent the wheel – borrow freely from others, but only with permission and attribution

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Communications – “Good enough” is not “good enough” Applies to all areas of professional communications  Presentations  Papers  Even Learn to be your own worst critic  Read, revise, re-read, revise ….  Dot the i’s and cross the t’s What are you trying to say?  It is clear?  It is concise? Take every opportunity to improve your English language skills

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Be a sponge Use on-line databases to scour the literature related to your chosen research problems Follow the leading journals in your area Read the papers written by your fellow students in your research group Attend preliminary examinations and final defenses in areas related to your research problem If you have the opportunity to attend a conference, get as much out of it as possible Talk to your professors and fellow students

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Be a squeaky wheel “My graduate students are my most important resource” It is in my own best interest for them to be as effective as possible Ask for what you need Don’t wait for your Major Professor to request a meeting with you

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Build a network This is one of the most important outcomes of your graduate school experience It is not only what you know, but also who you know If you attend a conference, meet as many people as possible Socialize with all your fellow students – not just those of your own nationality Stay in touch

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 Graduate school can be… Stressful Scary Demanding Frustrating

NCN Spring Dinner – 04/21/09 But overall, it should be fun!