Thousands of doctoral students across the U.S. struggle for years with challenging thesis topics, difficult advisors, and financial troubles. With so much pressure and often not much support, it is no surprise that many graduate students contemplate giving up. Fortunately, students can now find answers to their dilemmas in The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.: 200 Secrets from 100 Graduates, by Dora Farkas, a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After two years of research and 100 interviews with Ph.D.s from nearly 50 universities and over 30 disciplines, Dr. Farkas compiled an extensive resource guide with down-to-earth advice from successful Ph.D.s to help students plan and execute a research proposal, work efficiently with advisors and coworkers, write and defend their theses, and optimize their job searches. The Smart Way to your Ph.D. shows students how to get their graduate studies on track, finish their theses, and land their dream jobs.
The Smart Way To Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates
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Editorial Reviews
Review
An extensive compendium of friendly tips for finishing one's doctorate, "The Smart Way to Your Ph.D." can lend a helping hand at nearly any stage of a graduate program. -- Kirkus Discoveries
About the Author
About the author: Dora Farkas, Ph.D., completed both her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and her Ph.D. in Toxicology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After she earned her Ph.D. she worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Tufts University in Boston. She is the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students, and can be reached at www.phdnet.org,
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More About the Author
Dora Farkas, Ph.D., completed both her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and her Ph.D. in Toxicology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After she earned her Ph.D. she worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Tufts University in Boston. As a graduate student, and later as a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Farkas realized that there was a real need for a guide book to help doctoral students finish their degrees more efficiently. In order to write "The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.", Dr. Farkas interviewed 100 Ph.D's, including professors and industry professionals, as well as graduate school deans and career advisers. With up-to-date online resources and a wealth of tips and tricks, "The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.", answers questions about nearly every stage of graduate school, including the application process and the job search.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Don
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is similar to others in the genre (e.g. "Getting What You Came For"). Its primary distinction is that it's new. It is well-written and organized, and easy to skim. I do recommend getting a treatise like this, as opposed to spending hours collecting various articles on the Internet.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By F. Janos
Format:Paperback
If you want to get your degree in the US this is the right resource-book for you! Its approach is very down-to-the earth: through interviewing 100 graduates in a variety of fields and universities the author successfully tipifies the problems which one can encounter during the many years of gradutae studies, offering possible solutions for each of them, and all this in a very enjoyable style. If you are just thinking about entering a graduate program this book helps you to compare your expectations with reality and make a wise decision. If you already are tackling problems in the middle of the fight for your Ph.D. degree the author helps you to take a step back, analyse where the problem lies and how to solve it. Given the broad basis of interviewees it is hardly possible that you cannot find a case similar to yours so that you can see what had worked for others when looking for a solution.
The very thorough Appendix, which includes a wealth of information about financial aid, research databases and job-searching resources, makes it even more worth the money.
The very thorough Appendix, which includes a wealth of information about financial aid, research databases and job-searching resources, makes it even more worth the money.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the most insightful book on graduate student life that I have ever come across. Its way more than a guide. Instead, it is more of a treatise on how to deal with issues that come up during graduate school. In particular, the author provides relevant personal accounts about students who encountered difficult situations and discusses how they chose to react to them. In addition, the text also showcases stories of happy students, and elaborates on what they did to be successful.
The strength of this book is that it systematically breaks down graduate school into modules, so that you can see the forest for the trees and hopefully not get lost. Its also written in such a way that is both entertaining and useful and not just anecdotal such that you can apply the material presented immediately.
My favorite chapter was chapter 5, "Master Your People Skills". It was my favorite chapter because it remarkably describes strategies for dealing with difficult people, and categorizes difficult people by personality type. Although chapter 5 was my favorite, the most useful for me was chapter 6, "Write and Defend Your Thesis". I recall during the "10-15 hour-sleep-deprivation-100m-dash-thesis-writing-phase" of my life being most stressful, and this chapter really helped me stay focused.
Finally, I would like to share that this book really helped me during some really stressful times during grad school. There were times when I felt totally abandoned, and super isolated from the world, and it was because of the encouragement I received from this book, that I was able to stay focused and graduate.
The strength of this book is that it systematically breaks down graduate school into modules, so that you can see the forest for the trees and hopefully not get lost. Its also written in such a way that is both entertaining and useful and not just anecdotal such that you can apply the material presented immediately.
My favorite chapter was chapter 5, "Master Your People Skills". It was my favorite chapter because it remarkably describes strategies for dealing with difficult people, and categorizes difficult people by personality type. Although chapter 5 was my favorite, the most useful for me was chapter 6, "Write and Defend Your Thesis". I recall during the "10-15 hour-sleep-deprivation-100m-dash-thesis-writing-phase" of my life being most stressful, and this chapter really helped me stay focused.
Finally, I would like to share that this book really helped me during some really stressful times during grad school. There were times when I felt totally abandoned, and super isolated from the world, and it was because of the encouragement I received from this book, that I was able to stay focused and graduate.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great guide
I haven't finished the book but so far so good, I did spot some spelling mistakes that's why I am giving it a 4 stars instead of 5 stars.
Published 3 months ago by Benjamin Bish
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great information, But I do not recommend the kindle version
The information given in this book was very relevant and helpful. As a student entering a PhD program this coming fall, I am definitely glad that I have read this book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by amh3891
3.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible editing
The editing is awful, but the content seems like it might be worth slogging through so, many, sentences, with way, too many, commas. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Nom de Bloom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book that prepares you for grad school
I really am enjoying this book. I haven't finished it completely yet but its the kind of book that you can skip to the chapters that are relevant to you at that moment. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Trisha
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great prep for PhD applicants especially those in life sciences
I found the information and advice in this book invaluable. Having already completed a masters degree in the UK I wasn't sure if any additional prep for a PhD in the US would be... Read more
Published 13 months ago by London138
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Anecdotal Information...
I still have yet to really read this in depth...When I do I will endeavor to return and update my review.
Published on April 24, 2010 by Francisco Morazán
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive guide to PhD fun and foibles
I'm finding this to be a wonderful resource, I'm very happy to recommend it. Solid and sensible, Dr. Farkas covers all the bases.
Published on December 16, 2009 by K. Springer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book Review
This book was a great tool to help me determine if I wanted to pursue a PHD. I would recommend this reading to anyone who was interested in going this route to see if they really... Read more
Published on December 16, 2009 by Everything of Interest
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good reference
Reading the relevant sections (to my situation) in this book helped me realize that I was on the right track, as far as my program, advisors and all the other resources i needed to... Read more
Published on November 24, 2009 by endinsight
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great grad school reference guide
The independence granted in graduate school can be a blessing and a curse. Falling under the "curse" side of things is the fact that we often end up wasting a lot of time... Read more
Published on October 17, 2009 by BenchFly
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