This is my first semester being a PhD student. I’d like to know how to be a good PhD candidate. So, I searched for some opinions on the internet and meditated a lot about being a good PhD candidate.
I agree with the opinions in the “What Makes a Successful PhD?”. This blog put forward some keywords that made me think a lot about being a good PhD candidate, which are motivation, desire to learn, perseverance, and a good idea.
Motivation
When we choose to be a PhD, we have a motivation to pursue the PhD degree. With this motivation, we can face the challenges and setbacks we met in our PhD life. For me, the motivation is yearning for the future that one day I can be a faculty in a good university. I will be a teacher and researcher at that university. I will teach the students and help them get the knowledge and learn the lessons for a better life. I will be devoted to studying and being an expert in my research field.
Desire to learn
I believe that desire to learn is the basic to be a PhD candidate. For now, I found that I need to learn a lot, such as new coding language, new simulation tools, and so on. Luckily, I am curious about new things and I love learning. Whenever I learn new knowledge, new analysis tools, new coding language and apply these to solve problems I have a sense of achievement and feel happy. I believe that lifelong learning is required to be a teacher and researcher.
Perseverance
Challenges, setbacks, and suffering will be an indispensable part of PhD life. When I know that one day I will be a teacher and researcher, and a PhD degree is required to be that, perseverance will help me to be a good PhD. What I need to know is that everything has a solution. When I meet challenges and setbacks, I need to find a way to solve them and do not escape.
A good idea
Publications are required to be a good PhD. A good idea will be the start of a paper. I was wondering how can I get a good idea. I asked my advisor about this. He told me that doing more reading in the research field and communicating with others will give me some inspiration to get a good idea that I am interested in. When we read a lot and this information will be processed in our brain. At one moment, a good idea will just appear in our minds.
Reference
https://www.findaphd.com/advice/blog/5076/what-does-it-take-to-make-a-successful-phd