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--- wishidknown [2026/06/24 19:14]
asimons Edited for a 5 year timeline
+++ wishidknown [2026/06/25 12:58] (current)
asimons [Miscellaneous advice] Updated content!
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-====== Useful things to know when starting graduate school... ======
+====== Useful things to know when starting graduate school... a Timeline======
-===== ...as contributed by experienced grad students! =====
-===== A Timeline ... put together by graduate students who wish they had known. =====
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 N.B.: This document is written from the viewpoint of students who intend to stay in academia. Let this note be a plea for someone knowledgeable in obtaining jobs outside of academia to revise this document.
-**For all of the miscellaneous basic needs (food, housing, etc) that you need to juggle while also doing your PhD work, [[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lJWo_JPrb5ivOo63VzPPxZ8xEOXLhbXbyMcZSMUQ0bs/edit?tab=t.0# | this]] is a wonderful resource.**
+**For all of the miscellaneous basic needs (food, housing, etc) that you need to juggle while also doing your PhD work, look at the [[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lJWo_JPrb5ivOo63VzPPxZ8xEOXLhbXbyMcZSMUQ0bs/edit?tab=t.0# | UC Davis Basic Needs Document]] is a wonderful resource. It is continually updated, and has lots of information about free and reduced cost access to basic needs.**
 Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Summer before Year 5 | Year 5=graduation year
@@ Line 200: / Line 194: @@
 As long as you are signed into eduroam or the math wifi, you can access tons of journals through the university library subscriptions for free (even non-math ones like IEEE). If you want to do this off-campus, and are using Mac or Windows, use the [[https://library.ucdavis.edu/vpn/|library VPN]] (If you're using linux, I suggest contacting the math IT). This is extremely valuable once you are doing research.
 . FOOD!
 There are lots of opportunities throughout the year to get free food as a math grad student.
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   * [[http://cityofdavis.org/city-hall/public-works/bike-pedestrian-program/bike-month|May is Bike Month]].  On May 9th, 3rd street gets closed down from A street to B street and all the bike places in town give away free stuff, including lunch for the first 100 attendees.  Get food and free lights and reflectors, pedals, frisbees, caribiners, and enter to win a nice road bike.
 . School Supplies
 The department provides red, black and blue pens, pencils, whiteboard markers, white and colored chalk, sharpies, notebooks, printer paper of all sorts of colors, staples, rubber bands, ... in the mail room.  Obviously you shouldn't take **all** of one item, but at least you don't have to go out and buy your own supplies for discussion.
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 ===== Miscellaneous advice =====
+**Fill out your FAFSA every year!** To be considered for many forms of financial aid or assistantships, a student must file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). We recommend that all graduate students fill out an FAFSA because the department uses many funding sources that require this form.
-Find an advisor quickly: to do this, try to develop relationships with many faculty members. Don't feel too committed to any single topic of research when you start. And attend SEMINARS! At least one per quarter.
+**Apply to internal departmental awards.** The two to apply for are the Alice Leung (research) and the William K. Schwarze (teaching) awards. You should apply because there are plenty of other awards that don't have a formal application process. But if you submit an application for something else, the awards committee will see your name and all the cool things you've done, and you might end up with a different award!
-Math 290-a group or individual reading class. You can do this with any prof you like and learn about topics that you want to learn. Especially helpful if there isn't a course about the topic, or if you would like to know a professor better before you decide on an advisor.
-Find an advisor fast: to do this try to develop relationships with many faculty members. Don't feel too committed to any single topic of research when you start. And attend SEMINARS! At least one per quarter. (This advice is so important, we felt like we just had to include it twice in order to make sure you pay attention to it!)
-The professors are friendly and like it when you talk to them.
-Math takes time to absorb. Don't expect things to make sense at the first reading. Keep plugging away at the paper, and eventually it will all fit together. Four hours spread over four days is more time than four hours in one day.
-Keep a list of courses you've taken, talks that you've given in seminars (like RFGs, Student-run seminars, etc.) and what conferences you've attended. You'll need this list when you apply for funding from conferences (not to mention jobs). Some people put this list on their webpage and it will save you time if you can just cut and paste instead of regenerating this list each time.
-Here's a suggested progress flow chart for making your way through the program.
-st year: taking classes and looking for an advisor
-Summer between 1st and 2nd Year: Preliminary exam, and finding professor do to summer project with
-nd Year: take more classes and continue working with various professors and topics
-nd- 3rd Year: Find advisor, take Qualifying Exam
-Sip margaritas
--5th year: Try to work a couple hours (1-4hrs) each day on research. It's okay to take breaks. Go to conferences, talk to people about what you're interested in. Keep in contact with your thesis committee members if possible. As for anything else, I'm still trying to figure this out.
-Whenever you request a letter from faculty, they're going to feel a lot more comfortable if you accompany the request with a signed waiver of access form. Although you are not legally required to do this, it nonetheless just makes practical sense to do so, seeing it from faculty's perspective. Letters are written for different purposes. For example, a letter written for an internal campus fellowship goes to a far different audience and serves a far different purpose than, for example, a letter to Harvard. A student, not realizing this, could read one letter and erroneously conclude that a similar letter would be written on a "multipurpose" basis to, wherever.
-For a variety of reasons, therefore, it will enhance faculty enthusiasm for letter writing if you pro-actively address this issue and provide the waiver simultaneously with the request.
-If you took a course equivalent from another university and you want it to substitute for one of our classes here: Submit a written request to the chair of GGAM or the chair of GPC and a copy to Celia; get approval in writing; make sure a copy of said approval is in your file in Celia's office; reference approval when noting the substitution on your Progress Checklist.
-When submitting request, submit supporting documentation such as transcript and course syllabus.
-Note: this can all be done via email.
-Laptop Security Suggestions
-Do not leave your laptop unattended. Avoid leaving it here overnight.
-If you must leave it overnight, try to keep it out of plain sight and secured if possible. e.g. Locked in a desk drawer.
+**Go to seminars.** Read more above. Seriously though, do it.
-Get a cable lock for your laptop if it can take one. Many laptops have a security slot that can take a cable lock. The slot is usually about 1/4" x 1/8".
+**Give talks!** It is blatantly obvious to job search committees who has practiced giving talks before and who is relatively new at giving talks. So practice in a supportive environment of your peers well before you might need to give job talks.
-Use a screensaver with a password mechanism.
+**If you learn you don't like research, that's ok.** Finish your prelim exams and courses, get your master's degree, and go get a job that will make you happy. Your life is too valuable to spend multiple years underpaid and in misery. There is no shame in doing what makes you happy.
-Set a password to be able to log into the laptop.
+**Talk to other grad students!** Often, the people who feel happiest doing research believe that (1) their research has value and (2) have a sense of community around their research. You get both of these things by talking to other people about the kind of math you like doing. Feeling isolated tends to create negative feelings about your research.
-To be considered for many forms of financial aid or assistantships, a student must file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). We recommend that all graduate students fill out an FAFSA because the department uses many funding sources that require this form.
+**Take care of yourself, mentally and physically.** To get a PhD, your brain has to function on a pretty darn high level. To set yourself up for success, eat well, sleep well, and do some form of exercise.
 ====== Links to other grad student advice articles ======

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