Thoughts on graduate school _ Secret Blogging Seminar.pdf

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1、Thoughtsongraduateschool

2、SecretBloggingSeminarhttp://sbseminar.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/thoughts-on-graduate-school/AbouttheseadsThoughtsongraduateschoolMay13,2009PostedbyNoahSnyderinmathlife.trackbackThepastweekortwowhilemythesiswasoutwaitingforcommentsputmeinsomewhatofaretrospectivemood.SoIthough

3、twhilethingswerefreshinmymindI’dtrytopulltogethermyadviceforgraduatestudents.I’mgoingtotrytogiveadvicewhichitispossibletodisagreewith,whichwillhopefullysparksomediscussion.(ThatwayIcanlearnsomethingtoo!)Necessarilyallofthisisgoingtobebestsuitedforpeopleinasimilarsituationtomeandmostofmyfriends(atat

4、opschool,planningtocontinueinresearch,etc.).I’llorganizemythoughtsaroundthefollowingideas.PrioritizereadingreadablesourcesBuildnarrativesStudyothermathematician’stasteDooneearlysideprojectFindaclumpofothergraduatestudentsCastawidenetwhenlookingforanadvisorDon’tjustworkononethingDon’tgraduateuntilyo

5、uhavetoPrioritizereadingreadablesourcesWhenyouareabeginninggraduatestudentyoufaceaproblem:papersarewri
enforexpertsandyouarenotanexpert.However,theonlywaytobecomeanexpertistoreadmoremath.HowtobeatthisCatch22?Wellthegoodsideisthatthekeytobecominganexpertisn’tknowingthemainpointsofpapers,it’sknowingt

6、hematerialthat’simplicittoallthepapersinthefield.Thismeansratherthanchoosingpapersbasedontheirmaintheoremsyoushouldinsteadchoosewhattoreadbasedonwhatiseasiestforyoutoread!Ifyouarestrugglingwithapapergiveupandreadsomethingelse.Don’tspendasemesterstrugglingthroughonepaper.Readgoodtextbooks,readexposit

7、orysourceswheneverpossible,whenyoufindanauthoryoufindeasytoreadthenreadalltheirpapers.(IwishI’dthoughtofthislastbitofadvicesooner.)Theyouofthefuturewillbemuchmuchbe
eratreadingallmath,sotheyouofthepresentonlyhasacomparativeadvantagereadingthingsthatareeasytoread.Asacorollary,chooseclassesbasedonthete

8、acher,notbasedonthematerial.BuildnarrativesMathematiciansarepeopleandpeoplelovestories.Peopledon’twanttohearyourtheorems,theywanttohearthestoryyou’retellingwiththem.Similarlyifyouwanttounderstandafieldyounee