How to Succeed in Postgraduate Study

Introduction

Marie desJardins

This article originated with a discussion I had with several women academics about the problems women face in undertaking postgraduate study, and how more women could be encouraged to undertake postgraduate study in computer science. Eventually, the conversation turned to the question of what these women could do in their interactions with women students to support and encourage them. I volunteered that over the course of my postgraduate career I had collected a variety of papers and email discussions about how to be a good supervisor, how to get through a postgraduate program, and issues facing women. They were eager to get this material, and I told them I would sort through it when I got a chance.

After mentioning this project to a number of people, both postgraduate students and staff -- all of whom expressed an interest in anything I could give them -- I realized two things: first, the issues that we were talking about really were not just women's issues but were of interest to all postgraduate students, and to all caring supervisors. Second, in order to disseminate the information I had collected (and was starting to collect from others) it seemed to make more sense to compile a bibliography, and write a paper that would summarize the most useful advice and suggestions I had collected.

I solicited inputs from friends and colleagues via mailing lists and Internet bulletin boards, and collected almost an overwhelming amount of information. Sorting through it and attempting to distill the collective wisdom of dozens of articles and hundreds of email messages has not been an easy task, but I hope that the results provide a useful resource for postgraduate students and supervisors alike. The advice I give here is directed towards Ph.D. students in computer science and their supervisors, since that is my background, but I believe that much of it applies to postgraduate students in other areas as well.

In my experience, the two main things that make postgraduate study hard are the unstructured nature of the process, and the lack of information about what you should spend your time on. I hope that this article will provide information for both postgraduate students and supervisors that will help make the process less painful. I want to emphasize that postgraduate study is not easy, and these suggestions will not always be easy or even possible to follow (and they may not even be the ideal goal for you, personally, to strive for). You shouldn't let that discourage you: start small, think big, and keep yourself focused on your ultimate goal, which shouldn't just be to get through your postgraduate program, but to enjoy yourself, make progress towards being able to do what you want to do with your life, and learn something in the process.

I owe a debt of gratitude to David Chapman, whose paper [4] was an invaluable reference for me not only during the writing of this article, but during my postgraduate studies as well.

The goals of this article are to raise awareness of the need for a healthy and interactive postgraduate student-supervisor relationship, to provide pointers and guidance for both supervisors and postgraduate students in navigating the maze of a doctoral degree, and to give references and resources for those who hope to learn more.