Comments on: Being a mentor http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2008/01/26/being-a-mentor/ life, life in science, miscellaneous thoughts Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:38:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: drshellie http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2008/01/26/being-a-mentor/#comment-516 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:11:40 +0000 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2008/01/26/being-a-mentor/#comment-516 I think the best thing to do is to be truthful, but not exaggerate. So instead of saying "it's impossible to take data because the machines never work," "advisors keep you here like slave labor," or "my advisor is a complete idiot and doesn't have any idea what I should do," go for more accurate statements about your own experience, like "for the last 6 months I have been really frustrated, because I haven't been able to take any data," or "One hard thing about grad school is that you don't know how long it will take; I'm a fifth year and it isn't clear when my project will finish," or "I am reading about a topic right now and trying to define a clear project-- I'm hoping I can get my advisor to take a more active role but so far s/he is leaving it mostly up to me, which I think is very difficult." I think the best thing to do is to be truthful, but not exaggerate. So instead of saying “it’s impossible to take data because the machines never work,” “advisors keep you here like slave labor,” or “my advisor is a complete idiot and doesn’t have any idea what I should do,” go for more accurate statements about your own experience, like “for the last 6 months I have been really frustrated, because I haven’t been able to take any data,” or “One hard thing about grad school is that you don’t know how long it will take; I’m a fifth year and it isn’t clear when my project will finish,” or “I am reading about a topic right now and trying to define a clear project– I’m hoping I can get my advisor to take a more active role but so far s/he is leaving it mostly up to me, which I think is very difficult.”

]]> by: sciencegirl http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2008/01/26/being-a-mentor/#comment-513 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:17:28 +0000 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2008/01/26/being-a-mentor/#comment-513 When I was considering grad school, it was the honest "I was not sure I could do it also" responses that made the biggest difference. The excited responses, on the other hand, were somewhat of a downer (if I really should do this, shouldn't I be more excited?) Now that students younger than me ask me questions, I don't always know what to say. Paining a cheery picture doesn't seem appropriate as grad school is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. I want to be honest without discouraging them, but how exactly do you do that? When I was considering grad school, it was the honest “I was not sure I could do it also” responses that made the biggest difference. The excited responses, on the other hand, were somewhat of a downer (if I really should do this, shouldn’t I be more excited?)

Now that students younger than me ask me questions, I don’t always know what to say. Paining a cheery picture doesn’t seem appropriate as grad school is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. I want to be honest without discouraging them, but how exactly do you do that?

]]>