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Last Updated: Tuesday, 21 July 2015 14:50

Written by Dr. Donald H. Mershon

Summary: Hard work and successful class performance continue, of course, to be important, but the optimal mix of academic activities will differ. Individual course grades are not themselves your goal. Most PhD graduate programs put a larger emphasis on research – learning how to do it, how to analyze and interpret data, how to communicate the outcomes and formulate new questions. Lots of reading is an obvious given in a graduate program, but it is not limited to work assigned by others. A graduate student is also expected to find whatever sources will aid him/her to become an expert in a chosen specialty. Finally, beyond the formal aspects of your education, you should be building networks and attending/participating in conferences that extend your knowledge by allowing you to interact with established professionals/researchers beyond your home institution.  

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