The First Year of Grad School

[MicroBalrog]

So I survived the first year of grad school (technically it ends next week).

My marks for the first semester of this year have just come in (and they're rather good). But now I am beginning to do something which concerns me: which is, work on my thesis.

My advisor is basically the most eminent professor this uni has, covered in degrees and honor titles and so forth, Oxford graduate and suchlike. Now I ain't aiming for honors. I'm aiming for marks in the 3.3-3.6 range so I can go through to the Ph. D. stage and then become a professor in some 2nd-rate college and earn $50,000 a year. That's my goal in life.

Now, that's not the point here. The point is, I've written my thesis proposal and submitted it to this guy a while back. It's a page long. And he's supposed to come back to me with comments and until he does, I'm not supposed to be plowing ahead with the thesis.

The thesis is supposed to be written in chunks, with the professor approving and commenting on every chunk before I steam ahead with the next one. And I need to finish it by this time next year.

I've heard way too many horror stories (including some from other professors) about guys who've done everything right and got delayed a year or more because their professors were lazy 'tards about returning their work on time. I'm becoming concerned that the fact this fellow is taking near two weeks (probably more, judging by my conversations with him) to read and comment on a one-page proposal might be a portent of things to come.

[Waitone]

A thesis is not the time to freelance the process.  If your advisor is late he is the one with the problem, not you.

BTW, good luck!

[Fly320s]

Micro, what course would you like to teach once you finish you PHD?

[MicroBalrog]

Micro, what course would you like to teach once you finish you PHD?

Five years from now? Assuming I survive?

18th-19th Century American History. Failing that, something else with "History" in the title. :D

[roo_ster]

Get in front of him on a regular basis. 

Not just appointments to discuss this particular topic, but any and all opportunity to interact with him and give him the chance to think of you as a fully-developed human.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Assuming I survive?


only the good die young    don't worry

and what  roo_ster said is good advice in many areas of endeavor

[T.O.M.]

Ditto on roo-ster's advice...and maybe a bottle of whatever sprits he enjoys, while the two of you wax philosophic about some historical issue.

[AJ Dual]

Five years from now? Assuming I survive?

The hidden impact and contributions of proto-Marxist homosexual, bixexual, and transgendered individuals and the unspoken truth of malleable gender-roles and polyamory, on 18th-19th Century American History.

That as a thesis should get you a PhD in most any modern American University. Sources citing Wikipedia, non-peer-reviewed propaganda of special interest groups, internet discussion boards, news editorials, and a bunch of made-up flim-flam should suffice.

However, you might need to watch out. Going that route might get you lifted out of teaching entirely and get you made a dean of an entire department. Possibly at a Catholic University.

(As Cosine can attest...)

[Physics]

It's good that you are thinking of this now.  Procrastination will kill you on your thesis.  I am having the same problem with my advisor, in that I have submitted multiple chapters that he has yet to read and give feedback on.  

In your situation,is it possible to write the thesis now and give each section to him when you are supposed to? That way, as soon as you are allowed to submit each section, it is already done, and you just hand it to him

Is there any reason why you can't write drafts for each section ahead of schedule?  At least start an outline. Do you have any other people who can proofread your work before submitting to your advisor?  That way it is mostly perfect when you submit, and you don't have to wait multiple times for each section.

Bug your advisor.  Make it very well known that you are there to succeed and you just need his help jumping through the hoops.  Being a good, motivated student will usually motivate an advisor to help you more.  At least in my experience, many students promise a great deal and deliver very little.  This is what got me into the PhD program, actually delivering, and got my labmate denied; not delivering.


Oh and congrats on your first year completed.  It feels good doesn't it?

[Fly320s]

so I can go through to the Ph. D. stage and then become a professor in some 2nd-rate college and earn $50,000 a year. That's my goal in life.

Don't you ever want to leave the university-life?

[MicroBalrog]

Don't you ever want to leave the university-life?

*is perplexed*

No?

[230RN]

Five'll getcha eight he's resting on his tenure.

No, make that 3'll getcha 10.

[MicroBalrog]

Five'll getcha eight he's resting on his tenure.

No, make that 3'll getcha 10.

And then people ask why I want to stay in academia.

[MicroBalrog]

My professor has seen the research proposal. Requested minor edits. Is content now, but will request the help of another professor to oversee the process - I'll be writing a comparative history thing about... umm, obscure stuff going on in late 17th-century England and Russia, and the original prof has very limited knowledge of Russia.

I have a gnawing feeling something will go horribly, horribly wrong.