No Time to Lose

This is a factual account of how my advisor changed my mind about research in my first doctoral program.

Mystery

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before I started my Ph.D. program. I believed that if I studied hard, I would complete my Ph.D. program successfully. I would make every effort to emulate my advisor, Dr. Tiffany Koszalka, and contribute to our field in the future. With that belief in mind, I led a quite pleasant life in my first semester in my doctoral program. After I completed the assignments and tasks assigned by the course instructors and my advisor, I just explored topics that interested me and wrote articles based on my imagination. Yes, just based on my imagination. I never thought of reading some research books and finding some models or guidebooks for me to write. I wrote many articles in English and Mandarin. I never thought about how busy the faculty in our department are. I disturbed each of them to help me revise some " proposals" or "papers." Interestingly, they all politely turned down my requests to revise them.

Face-to-face meeting with my advisor

In my second semester, I asked my advisor to help me revise another proposal for grants in Maxwell. To my surprise, she agreed immediately and asked me to come to her office. I was delighted at that time, but when I got there, she didn't want to take a look at my proposal. Instead, she asked me for my research questions and my methodologies. At that time, I couldn't explain my research very well. She was not surprised and went on to to tell me that grants only went to students who worked on dissertations, and that therefore I should focus on my dissertation and teaching.

I froze for a moment and realized I hadn't thrown myself into my research interest or become passionate about a research topic. I hadn't read enough literature related to my topic or explored the field thoroughly. I had no plan.

She helped me go through the whole process of our Ph.D. program and asked me questions about my scheduling and planning. She emphasized the mental energy required to apply oneself to the issues at the core of my research. After the talk, I realized I had spent a large amount of time without a meaningful goal. I followed her instructions and continued to read a set of well-respected papers in my field. I gradually developed my interest in methodologies and technical conventions.

Finding my feet

Her words were ingrained into my brain. I realized that this was the only time during my academic career when I would be able to focus completely on my research without having to worry about other responsibilities. I feel bolstered and comforted after the meeting. How lucky I am to have the time to read books during this period. I am determined to hone my skills as a researcher and develop my expertise to defend my dissertation successfully and win the all-university Doctoral Prize.

Time is limited for me, and I will be patient and learn everything I can about good research, good data analysis, and good teaching. I know it takes time to build skills. With my advisor's help, I will keep working hard. Dr. Koszalka, I promise I won’t let you down!