Customer Reviews

Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first I'd like to say that there are many references out there, online, that one can find about how to excel the PhD years and beyond. However, the author compile it in a very good, organized way, that practically explain how to tackle the common situations during the PhD years.
It's a small, practical book, that you can bring anywhere in your pocket, I recommend this book to all PhD students, alumni, and everyone who is thinking about doing a PhD.

I'm currently in my third year as PhD student, and I came across a news item annoucing the book. I thought it would be a great source of external advice, besides the advice I get from my own advisors. And when I began reading the book, I knew I had struck gold: The style of the book makes it a pleasure to read, and the tons of advice in the book range from very practical to almost psychological.

There are chapters in the book that give tips on preparing for your first conference (you don't have to go to *every* session, have fun!), prepare for meetings with your advisors, and how to steer those meetings to be productive for you as well.
And finally there is a chapter that helps you make the choice of what to do after your PhD, and reminds you that you have to start looking long before it all ends (even though it may seem that it never does ;)).

Since reading it, I often look back into it, rereading tips. I've given this book to all other graduate students in my group, who have all thanked me for doing that.

An indispensable book for every PhD student with advice from the very first day to career advice at the end of your PhD. The authors manage to discuss many items in a clear, concise, and comprehensive way. In this book you can find practical advice like; how to get started on your first day, time management, presentation, writing skils and so on. However, we value that the authors pay attention to other important aspects aswell, like dealing with setbacks, something every PhD student encounters but which is not often discussed. Other aspects, as the role your personality plays in communication with your supervisor and a method to monitor your progress are interesting subjects too. In short; everything you always wanted to know about a PhD, but were afraid to ask.
If you want to know what a PhD is about, read this book! If you want to make a good start with your PhD, read this book! And if you are a PhD student, treasure this book!

Marjan de Vries and Ans Rekers, trainer and PhD councellor University of Amsterdam

This book should be in the drawer of every PhD student. It is like a hitch-hiker's guide to the PhD. Don't panic! Grab a towel and open the book "Mastering your PhD". It helps you to find some certain things to stick to in the uncertain world of a PhD. I recommend it to all the desperate students and not just to the desperate ones!

If you happened to have a dedicated mentor and coach, a caring and experienced friend, or in case you thought you're the happy-go-lucky shooting star ... then you won't need neither my advice nor that from these dedicated counseling experts, Pat Gosling and Bart Noordam, who have now published the improved 2nd edition of this excellent piece of wisdom and wit, which can severe the purpose: they tell you about getting started, setting goals, coping with setbacks and with (difficult) lab mates, timelines, what's important about reports, presentations, thesis and defense ... and this booklet is just a very useful companion for advice or confirmatory assurance. As a communications coach in the biosciences myself, this is one of the two books that I strongly encourage my PhD students to have (the other one being: Divan's - Communication Skills in the Biosciences)... just in case a coach was not available, here are the best alternative choices.
Theodor C.H. Cole, IPMB - Heidelberg University

I like the part where they tell you about the setbacks and the path that you can go into after PhD. Examples of the book are helpful. However, the contents are still a bit general. Honestly, I was feared after reading some part of the contents as it really describe what you will face during PhD. I hope I am able to do well in PhD.

This book is like an outline. It presents all of the essential topics you will need to consider as your progress towards your PhD. But it's so abbreviated, I honestly think somewhere out there someone has written a better essay on this topic and posted it on the internet. With enough time spent Googling you could put together all this information.

Talk to some friendly faculty members at a graduate program near you instead.