Academic Misunderstanding: Finding an Advisor

A few days ago, I heard a child studying in a graduate school say: "The senior told me that the most important thing in doing research is to find a teacher you are willing to follow for the rest of your life!" "So, I found a teacher of such and such, and this is the person I want to follow for the rest of my life! "

Mom, this makes me embarrassed and nervous. In fact, I really wanted to ask him right now: Without a teacher, can you do research? ? ?

Also, the embarrassing thing about these remarks is that I thought it was a marriage proposal!!!!

Did you just mean a lifetime? It really doesn't take so long, maybe you've finished writing your graduation thesis!

At the same time, it makes people nervous: God, this child has a constitution that is very easy to be deceived by cults! ? Classmates, wake up! Don't be superstitious about authority figures! (grabs and shakes)

During the schooling period, many younger brothers and sisters will worship a certain teacher very zealously. Of course, admiration for teachers can be a source of motivation for learning, which would have been very good.

However, this kind of fanaticism is sometimes double-edged: first, the types and dimensions of knowledge in the university are very wide, and excessive loyalty to the views of a specific teacher sometimes makes people refuse to refer to the possibility of different understandings, thereby damaging The development of independent thinking.

Second, teachers are also human beings, so they may not always be kind and wise. We know this by looking at the cases of many wolf masters. Or, the teacher may be kind, but he is actually just babbling and scribbling pie. If you foolishly follow it as a standard, it will be funny.

So, as the old saying goes, you still have to learn to judge everything for yourself.

When I was in college, what my professors told us was: you have to train yourself to be " the kind of person who can do research even if you don't have someone to guide you "!

Today, after I have graduated from my doctoral program, I still feel that this statement is completely true.

I certainly don't mean to say that the instructor can of course let you eat grass. (They also receive a meager guidance fee)

I don't know about other disciplines, but at least in the writing group, the title of "advising professor" is actually a senior and comrade-in-arms who can lead you to understand basic academic writing norms (during the oral exam).

They have been rolling around in academia for many years, and they are already familiar with common misunderstandings and arguments in academia, norms in academic writing, and feasible writing strategies. And use this academic knowledge to guide your dissertation. Make your paper as close as possible to the passing line of the academic writing standard.

Pass line?

Don't let me write great works?

Many younger brothers and sisters imagine that they can create freely in their thesis. But in fact, to write a masterpiece of creation is basically more difficult than reaching the sky.

Because academic writing norms, written or unwritten, are complex enough on their own. You also have to avoid landmines in these cracks, and only by reading a lot of books and papers can you squeeze out a little space that allows you to be creative.

Plus the standard for a master's thesis isn't really being creative. Instead, it focuses on data collection and combing, systematic induction and discussion. (Although the doctoral class will emphasize originality, it is still difficult to achieve)

So, don't imagine that you can write a masterpiece like "Being and Time", thank you!

Of course, professors will have their own preferences in writing strategies and topic selection, so the guidance style will vary, and the requirements will vary. So unless there is a character issue, I can't generalize about which professor is good or bad, because it really depends on the individual.

My personal advice is: you need to find a professor who can communicate with you, get along well, and give advice you can understand and use.

In other words , instead of choosing "a teacher I admire very much," I will choose "a teacher I admire and can discuss with him in a normal way."

Because if you admire your teacher very, very much, then when you can't write a paper, you will be more stressed and want to avoid seeing the guidance. Because you always don't want to make a fool of yourself in front of your idol.

But unfortunately, writing a thesis will keep making a fool of yourself. Only after repeated revisions full of blood and tears will you get an evolved and better version.

Also, if you don't see your advisor at least once a semester (ideally once a month, but it also depends on your teacher's availability) to discuss your dissertation progress or stalls, then you're fine. High chance of not graduating , no kidding with you. it is true!

Second, you worship a teacher too much. You can't tell whether it's his personal insistence or the common requirements of the academic community, you may accept all his requirements. Even you will spend too much time pondering the details of the thesis for the sake of performance, in order to achieve the affirmation of idols.

Because of your admiration, you will also find it more difficult to maintain a normal mind than the average graduate student, and it is easier to get to the point where these pressures may overwhelm you and make you completely unable to write.

In short, when looking for a supervisor, it is not about finding a lifetime spiritual mentor or academic idol, but someone who can accompany you to find the driving direction of your own research and let you learn to steer for yourself!

Remember, the same flesh and blood, really don't think too much.

I hope everyone finds a professor who matches their attributes and graduates smoothly! :)))