Helpful Suggestions for Students on Year of Scholarship (Research)

Congratulations on your decision to take a research leave of absence. Below is a perpetually growing list of suggestions to help you get the most from this year. Don't be shy about giving any suggestions you may have as the year goes on. This is a very special time that can have a profound influence on your future. We want you to have a good year.

1. Keep reviewing your goals in order to stay on track. You have a limited amount of time and it will pass quickly. Be sure you are where you want to be. Feel free to pay me a visit for advice if something doesn't seem right.
2. Stay focused ... the more different things you work on in this (relatively) short period of time, the more superficial your project will be. Less is more. Working on one project, deeply, will give you the best chance of doing something significant.
3. Make sure your mentor doesn't forget you want to work on a project that will lead to a paper. (He/she hopefully knew that before you even began). Keep up the dialogue.
4. Your mentor can't do everything. You will need to establish relationships with a network of people, within and outside your group, who can help with various aspects of your project, e.g., individual specialized techniques, biostatistics, and data analysis. If you are nice, they will be too.
5. Try to arrange to have a place to work, to put your papers, and a computer. Given the shortage of space in many departments, this may be the toughest challenge of all!
6. Keep good notes on as you carry out your experiments. If you are not given established protocols, write up the instructions you are given very carefully. Then, do a dry run to practice and to see if you have left anything out. Don't do this with irreplaceable material. Give yourself the chance to learn from your mistakes without wanting to slit your throat - or have someone else do it for you.
7. Try to get opportunities to present your work at internal conferences. It is great practice for the future and good to begin in front of a friendly (and forgiving) audience. After a few months you might be able to do a "Work in Progress." Towards the end, or even during the next year, you might be able to present your results at a national meeting. This will enhance your Curriculum Vitae nicely.

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