├── LICENSE ├── README.md ├── cold-emails.md ├── paper-writing.md ├── related-work.md ├── steady-progress.md └── working-with-mentor.md /LICENSE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | MIT License 2 | 3 | Copyright (c) 2021 Jia-Bin Huang 4 | 5 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy 6 | of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal 7 | in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights 8 | to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell 9 | copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is 10 | furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: 11 | 12 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all 13 | copies or substantial portions of the Software. 14 | 15 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR 16 | IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 17 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 18 | AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER 19 | LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, 20 | OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE 21 | SOFTWARE. 22 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Awesome Tips [![Awesome](https://cdn.rawgit.com/sindresorhus/awesome/d7305f38d29fed78fa85652e3a63e154dd8e8829/media/badge.svg)](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome) 2 | 3 | A curated list of tips on various topics. 4 | ### Doing Research 5 | - [How to make steady research progress?](steady-progress.md) 6 | - [How to do experiments?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1647098218172252160) 7 | - [How to get unstuck?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1717381151508054029) 8 | - [How to decide what to work on?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1628521223838654464) 9 | - [How to keep track of literature?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1426039195542360070) 10 | - [How to come up with research ideas?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1423499757591400448) 11 | - [How to cope with paper rejection?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1443248831102136333) 12 | - [The Road to Becoming an AI Ninja (guest lecture at Harvard University)](https://www.dropbox.com/s/2s0wt4uxv9vk3gb/2022_11_18%20Guest_lecture_Harvard.pptx?dl=0) 13 | - [How to Drive Your Research Forward](https://bsky.app/profile/jbhuang0604.bsky.social/post/3lcbmsfnzm224) 14 | - 15 | ### Working with your mentors 16 | - [How to share progress with your mentors/collaborators?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1453378296608137229) 17 | - [How to meet with your advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1653614931202195458) 18 | - [How to work with my mentors effectively?](working-with-mentor.md) 19 | - [How to work with your advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1546361365778022400) 20 | - [How to work with a busy advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1665183152887808000) 21 | - [How to work with your senior advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1563740402657775618) 22 | 23 | 24 | ### Writing 25 | - [How to write the Introduction?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1638029709073166336) 26 | - [How to write the Related Work?](related-work.md) 27 | - [How to write papers that are easy to read?](paper-writing.md) 28 | - [How to write a paper that looks like a good one?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1437443017510621185) 29 | - [How to write clear and concise sentences?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1437931004451250176) 30 | - [How to draw an overview figure?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1665738070002483201) 31 | - [How to create a good table?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1626372600824844289) 32 | - [How to write math in a paper?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1643118681960923137) 33 | - [How to prepare journal response letter?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1387148974377865219) 34 | - [How to prepare supplementary material?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1592563395936817154) 35 | - [How to cite papers?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1672342931473137664) 36 | 37 | ### Presentation 38 | - [How to start a presentation?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1548882661581754370) 39 | - [How to end a presentation?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1549959041908150275) 40 | - [How to handle questions in a presentation?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1553583984948531205) 41 | - [How to present a line plot?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1506101759911116809) 42 | - [How to prepare your presentation slides?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1397058827405742085) 43 | - [How to organize your talk?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1509033327981965313) 44 | - [How to make a research poster?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1438948793718804486) 45 | - [How to present a poster at a conference?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1518097856325996545) 46 | - [How to design your presentation?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1865199644415832424) 47 | - [How to avoid common mistakes in your presentation?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1866987294894231756) 48 | 49 | ### Communication 50 | - [How to present your work via videos?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1752768310087737588) 51 | - [How to disseminate your research?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1379448897823776769) 52 | - [How to ask research questions?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1472808608874352641) 53 | - [How to make a research poster?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1438948793718804486) 54 | - [How to improve asynchronous communication?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1515912622721355781) 55 | - [How to communicate clearly?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1520615196498214913) 56 | - [How to set up a good calendar invite?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1528566229505650691) 57 | - [How to get remembered?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1611588521440976898) 58 | - [How to schedule a meeting?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1866260228150337632) 59 | 60 | ### Career 61 | - [How to prepare your Curriculum Vitae?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1433651068282540033) 62 | - [How to find a research internship?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1438337355031719941) 63 | - [How to intern?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1505734716657438724) 64 | - [How to find research opportunities?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1627191986091438080) 65 | - [How to prepare for a graduate school interview?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1482238901595127808) 66 | - [How to improve graduate application after submission?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1472410988322377732) 67 | - [How do I maximize my chance for PhD programs?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1425204888301150208) 68 | - [How to ask for a letter of recommendation?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1522072974068703233) 69 | - [How to survive the first year of PhD?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1523505108318924802) 70 | - [How to prepare a phone interview for faculty positions?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1852505510035026086) 71 | - [How to get a tenure-track faculty job?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1533302893364789257) 72 | - [How to email faculty as a prospective student?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1592024757062750209) 73 | - [Fantastic Faculty Jobs and How to Get Them?](https://www.dropbox.com/s/avkflol8mx99c7e/2022_12_05%20Academic%20Job%20workshop.pptx?dl=0) 74 | - [How to find a good PhD advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1636597849130450948) 75 | - [How to write an email to a potential advisor?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1694789023175266553) 76 | - [How to invite yourself to give a talk?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1704969868301201723) 77 | - [How to get people to know you?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1704714420989862299) 78 | - [How to schedule your defense?](https://x.com/jbhuang0604/status/1896673265378308497) 79 | 80 | ### Productivity 81 | - [How to manage your time?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1430003911037947904) 82 | - [How to be productive?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1430003911037947904) 83 | - [How to develop a productive routine?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1570131220499148800) 84 | - [How to multitask?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1643454248229785604) 85 | - [How to know when to stop working on a project?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1665218942611124225) 86 | 87 | ### Networking 88 | - [How to network in a in-person conference?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1517352789780934656) 89 | - [How to network in a virtual conference?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1446692346800873477) 90 | - [How to write good cold emails?](cold-emails.md) 91 | - [How do I get professors to answer my emails?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1441548826645602309) 92 | 93 | ### Financial 94 | - [How to save for retirement as a graduate student (in the US)?](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1510479669962940416) 95 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /cold-emails.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Writing Cold Emails 2 | 3 | [[Link to the original tweet](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1420611695848869892)] 4 | 5 | Writing emails to a stranger could be daunting, but it's a great way to build connections, explore opportunities, and even advance your career. 6 | 7 | How do we write an effective cold email? 8 | 9 | Check out the thread below for some ideas. 10 | 11 | 12 | ## Contents 13 | 14 | Your email should contain the following four elements. 15 | 16 | - Greeting: "Hello" 17 | - Introduction: "My name is Inigo Montoya." 18 | - Context/Connection: "You killed my father." 19 | - Call for action: "Prepare to die." 20 | 21 | 22 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127597993-dd517966-7685-481d-9adb-3892096d230e.mp4 23 | 24 | 25 | ## Greeting 26 | 27 | Understand basic email etiquette. Do not use Miss / Mrs. particularly if you know the recipient has a PhD. Respect their expertise. 28 | 29 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E7cBs5DWEAAFWRq?format=jpg&name=large) 30 | 31 | Image credit: [link](https://twitter.com/brandonbayne/status/1416508720683622407) 32 | 33 | 34 | ## Introduction 35 | 36 | A simple one would work. My name is NAME. I am a POSITION from AFFILIATION. I am writing to WHAT DO YOU WANT 37 | 38 | ![Figures](https://media.giphy.com/media/Q7LP0tm86sBWIqjFCL/giphy.gif) 39 | 40 | ## Context 41 | 42 | Provide SPECIFIC context, personal connection, background information in your email. Do your homework! 43 | 44 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127597929-7bc7c8db-602e-4340-a544-9d6b29979e1c.mp4 45 | 46 | 47 | ## Call for action 48 | 49 | Spell out what you expect the recipient to do after reading the email. Make it ACTIONABLE (e.g., set up a short meeting, answer a question, or prepare to die). 50 | 51 | 52 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598163-446fa368-375b-4c97-a5ff-f5fe27fcbc70.mp4 53 | 54 | 55 | ## Consistent format 56 | 57 | This pitfall is quite common in inquiry emails from prospective students. Ex: 58 | 59 | "I am fascinated by your work and ." where paper titles are of inconsistent font type/sizes. This almost surely indicates that you are sending massive emails. 60 | 61 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598224-54e9863b-442d-4de7-8efe-3db8b05b922e.mp4 62 | 63 | ## Your name 64 | 65 | Make sure that you full name "in English" appears as the sender. Don't use your favorite anime character's name or some unmemorable ID (e.g., A90291053@school.edu). 66 | 67 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598270-0cee3271-1f30-42c1-9c78-e0e3c25bf568.mp4 68 | 69 | 70 | ## Make it clear and structured 71 | 72 | Emails are not just plain texts. Make the main points stand out using bold/italic fonts. Itemize your talking points to make the email easier to read. 73 | 74 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598333-8d5c64fd-2e41-4899-958a-84e4b2ea290a.mp4 75 | 76 | ## Quality 77 | 78 | For prospective students looking for advisors, remember that your email is a WRITING SAMPLE. If your email is not clear or has lots of errors, it could actually hurt your case. Revise the emails before you send them. 79 | 80 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598384-c4f1fc83-e479-4b74-9f6a-1afaa4e70e83.mp4 81 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /paper-writing.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Tips on paper writing 2 | 3 | 4 | [[Link to the original tweet](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1279992087497314305?s=20)] 5 | 6 | Sharing one idea I found useful for paper writing: 7 | 8 | **Do NOT ask people to solve correspondence problems.** 9 | 10 | Some Dos and Don'ts examples below: 11 | 12 | ## Figures 13 | 14 | Don't ask people to match (a), (b), (c) ... with the descriptions in the figure caption. 15 | 16 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNsmMMWoAE0Yhu?format=jpg) 17 | 18 | 19 | ## Figure caption 20 | 21 | Use "self-contained" caption. It's annoying to dig into the texts and match them to the figures. Ain't nobody got time for that! ⌚️ 22 | 23 | Also, add a figure "caption title" (in bold fonts). It allows readers to navigate through figures quickly. 24 | 25 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNtPhnXsAEtrsR?format=jpg&name=medium) 26 | 27 | 28 | ## Notations 29 | 30 | Give specific, meaningful names to your math notations. For example, the readers won't need to go back and forth to figure what each term means. 31 | 32 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNukcgXQAY3Ebi?format=jpg&name=medium) 33 | 34 | ## Which 35 | 36 | I found that many of my students love to use "which" in their sentences. I hate it ... because I often cannot figure out what exactly "which" refers to. Break it down into simple sentences and spell out what that subject of the sentence is. 37 | 38 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNu82eX0AEZZm2?format=jpg&name=medium) 39 | 40 | 41 | ## Respectively 42 | 43 | It's hard to parse which corresponds to which in the sentence that ends with "respectively" (have to solve a long-range correspondence problem). Break them them so that one sentence talks about one thing. 44 | 45 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNvqUwXkAAfDu3?format=jpg&name=medium) 46 | 47 | ## Citations 48 | 49 | People like to use many acronyms for their methods. It may be hard for readers to memorize/match which method/dataset/metric you are referring to. Adding citations is an easy way to fix this. 50 | 51 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcNx219XQAAlqe1?format=jpg&name=medium) 52 | 53 | ## Names for notations 54 | 55 | When using notations in the sentences, mention their "names" as well. The readers won't need to flip through your papers to look up what these notations mean. 56 | 57 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcPzNv7WAAA_dQX?format=jpg&name=medium) 58 | 59 | ## Connect figures with equations, notations, and sections 60 | 61 | I view the overview figure in a paper a centralized hub that connects all the important equations, notations, and sections in one place. This makes it easy for people to understand how everything fits together. 62 | 63 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcQh1LxXYAYCixH?format=jpg&name=medium) 64 | 65 | ## Tables 66 | 67 | Factorize the variants/attributes of different methods so that it becomes clear to compare one with another. 68 | 69 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcQn3_9X0AQmDtp?format=jpg&name=medium) 70 | 71 | ## One table, one message 72 | 73 | Decompose your big table so that each table conveys exactly one thing. This avoids people from having to compare results from distant rows. Having multiple smaller tables gets the point across easier. (Don't worry about the redundancy.) 74 | 75 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcSpe1PXsAY1pjG?format=jpg&name=medium) 76 | 77 | ## Group subfigures 78 | 79 | Don't ask readers to figure out the grouping (b-c) and (d-e) in the caption when you explicitly group them. 80 | 81 | How to create underbracket? Ex: 82 | 83 | $\underbracket[1pt][2.0mm]{\hspace{\FIGWIDTH}}_% 84 | {\substack{\vspace{-2.0mm}\\ 85 | \colorbox{white}{(a) Input}}}$ 86 | 87 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Epk2z1nW8AErvCC?format=jpg&name=medium) 88 | 89 | ## Parallelism 90 | 91 | When applicable, use repetitive grammatical elements in your sentence. It helps the readers to easily parse the parallel concepts you want to convey. 92 | 93 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyKZAeyXEAMc6A9?format=jpg&name=medium) 94 | 95 | ## Table organization 96 | 97 | Merge tables sharing the same structure. Label the metric (the larger/smaller the better) with up-arrow and down-arrow so that your readers don't need to look them up. 98 | 99 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyKZGYuXEAIs3-w?format=jpg&name=medium) 100 | 101 | ## Shape attributes 102 | 103 | Leverage the shape attributes (color, thickness) to encode the message. 104 | 105 | Also, use a deemphasized image in the background to avoid mental matching. 106 | 107 | ![Figures](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyKakvOXIAIpxUk?format=jpg&name=medium) 108 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /related-work.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Writing Related Work 2 | 3 | [[Link to the original tweet](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1417117742302433286)] 4 | 5 | I enjoy reading/writing the related work section of a paper. It helps organize prior research and put the contributions of the work in proper context. 6 | 7 | But HOW? Check the thread! 8 | 9 | ## Divide and conquer 10 | 11 | No one likes to read 1-2 pages full of texts. Identify a couple of important “topics” relevant to your research. Add paragraph titles (\paragraph{}) so that it’s easy to navigate. 12 | 13 | ## Topic 14 | 15 | For each topic, write about 16 | 1) the TRAJECTORY of the research progress as a story and 17 | 2) the RELATIONSHIP of prior art and this paper. 18 | 19 | ## Trajectory 20 | 21 | Describe what the problem is, why is it challenging, and what people have done in this field to tackle the problem? Connect existing work into a clear research trajectory. 22 | 23 | ## Avoid laundry list 24 | 25 | Organizing and writing a topic as a clear trajectory is not easy. So instead of learning what to write, it’s often helpful learning what NOT to write. 26 | 27 | No “authors A did blah blah. Author B did blah blah. Author C”. Focus on the work, not the people. 28 | 29 | ## Don’t use citations as nouns 30 | 31 | Your sentences should still be complete and correct even if you remove all the parenthetical citations. 32 | 33 | ## Don’t just describe, RELATE it 34 | 35 | In each topic, articulate the relationship between prior work and yours. Ex: 36 | 37 | Our work is similar as we also … 38 | Our work differs in … 39 | Unlike/in contrast to …, we … 40 | 41 | ## Identifying the key differences 42 | 43 | Try finding ONE key contrastive concept to separate your work from others. Highlight them with \emph. Ex: 44 | 45 | - Multiple -> Single 46 | - Content-agnostic -> Content-aware 47 | - Static -> Dynamic 48 | 49 | ## Be respectful 50 | 51 | Do not trash prior work. The authors may likely be your reviewer… 52 | 53 | ## Be generous 54 | 55 | Make sure that you cover all the important references. Giving people credits does not make your work less worthy. 56 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /steady-progress.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # How to make steady progress in my research? 2 | 3 | [[Link to the original tweet](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1419880122006519809)] 4 | 5 | I worked so damn hard but "IT JUST DOESN'T WORK!" 6 | How can I unblock myself quickly and make good progress toward the goals? 7 | 8 | Below I compiled a list of tips that I found useful. 9 | 10 | 11 | ## Imagine success 12 | 13 | Forget about all the technical difficulties for a moment. Imagine you finish your project successfully, would you find the outcome exciting? 14 | 15 | If not, drop the project. Yep, just drop it. Free up your time to work on important problems. 16 | 17 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598836-21f6d798-5722-4361-b322-17397abca8fc.mp4 18 | 19 | 20 | ## Work backward 21 | 22 | Say your project involves three steps: A -> B -> C. 23 | 24 | First, assume that you have perfect output of B and work on the step C. 25 | 26 | Next, assume that you have perfect output A and work on the step B and so on. 27 | 28 | In the end, you will have a fully working method. 29 | 30 | Okay, this is weird. WHY? 31 | 32 | Because you get to 33 | 1) see final outcome early 34 | 2) measure the performance upper bound 35 | 3) focus on each task with perfect inputs without distraction 36 | 4) figure what are needed to achieve the desire results. 37 | 38 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598869-d509e7cb-fd3d-4b00-8c98-f52ea6a0d9a8.mp4 39 | 40 | ## Toy examples 41 | 42 | Design toy examples that capture the essence of your problem. They are sufficiently simple so you can focus on the core problem. 43 | 44 | It's also often helpful to construct/synthesize such toy examples so that you have access to all the ground truth in all the steps. 45 | 46 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598916-84c5dab4-40c0-4a96-8597-e9301673bbf0.mp4 47 | 48 | ## Baseline first 49 | 50 | Don't know where to start? Start with trying out baseline methods on your problem. 51 | 52 | It helps identify limitations of the state-of-the-art. If they work perfectly well, why do you need to work on this problem? 53 | 54 | Finding specific gap helps motivate your work. 55 | 56 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598954-9b4d339c-8680-45ed-8eb6-2121420cf9e3.mp4 57 | 58 | ## Simple case first 59 | 60 | If your method does not work on simple/trivial cases, how could you expect it to work on unconstrained, real-world cases? 61 | 62 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127598996-8fb68359-dc3a-4654-9714-d7b0c9952db9.mp4 63 | 64 | ## One thing at a time 65 | 66 | When doing experiments, change exactly ONE thing at a time. This helps you understand what the results mean. 67 | 68 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599041-7efa7e30-7872-4128-ab68-ffead74d2935.mp4 69 | 70 | ## Identify proxy 71 | 72 | Do not use full-scale experiments (that may take weeks to complete) as the only way to validate your ideas. Run smaller-scale/simpler experiments with short turnaround time so you get to iteratively refine your ideas a lot faster. 73 | 74 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599091-aa952c0a-970c-476f-963b-358ccf55f6a5.mp4 75 | 76 | ## Automate everything 77 | 78 | If you find that you need to do the same task twice, write a script for that. 79 | 80 | Your future self will thank you. 81 | 82 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599125-8689bbda-5c78-4519-b732-12491ac8ef65.mp4 83 | 84 | 85 | ## Visualize everything 86 | 87 | You cannot debug what you cannot see. Investing time in visualizing your inputs/intermediate steps/outputs is definitely worthwhile! 88 | 89 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599163-160b670c-4290-4137-8a65-16c769b9975d.mp4 90 | 91 | 92 | ## Quantify success 93 | 94 | Instead of always eyeballing a few results on your own, identify a couple of quantitative metrics for your problem and let them guide your exploration. 95 | 96 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599203-96af318a-2026-4d7f-8d98-5ee3494ff20a.mp4 97 | 98 | ## Make the best use of machine time 99 | 100 | Plan your experiments so that your machines still work for you while you are not working. 101 | 102 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599236-f53f245e-f73e-4f61-8ba6-d65c25e7a028.mp4 103 | 104 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /working-with-mentor.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # How to do research with my mentors effectively? 2 | 3 | [[Link to the original tweet](https://twitter.com/jbhuang0604/status/1418407079077842944)] 4 | 5 | I get this question frequently in my open office hours. 6 | I am still learning as well but I hope sharing my ✌💰 may be helpful to some. 7 | 8 | Key idea: **Help them help you!** 9 | 10 | How? Check out the thread 🧵 11 | 12 | ## Frequent update 13 | 14 | Setting up weekly meeting with your mentors is great. But, do NOT stay silent during the week. Nothing is more frustrating to learn that the student got stuck 20 mins after the meeting last week in a meeting. 15 | 16 | Your mentors want you to succeed! Help them do so! 17 | 18 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599835-97e0f52b-2703-4100-b7aa-27236a0a0780.mp4 19 | 20 | ## Manage meetings 21 | 22 | Before: send results/agenda whenever they are available. Give your mentors time to digest them. 23 | 24 | In the meeting: progress update. Reserve the last 10 mins to discuss next steps. 25 | 26 | After: Send a summary and an actionable plan to keep everyone on the same page. 27 | 28 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599883-274af3a5-4ffd-444d-9a80-28f639042a64.mp4 29 | 30 | ## Stick with the plan 31 | 32 | Once you have an actionable plan that everyone agrees with, please stick with the plan. Quite often junior students may go ahead and work on some other tasks instead. 33 | 34 | If you think the plan should be revised, talk to your mentors and convince them. 35 | 36 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599915-f43211be-b087-4133-b78a-b3dd3514812d.mp4 37 | 38 | 39 | ## One single slide deck 40 | 41 | Put ALL the progress/results/figures/discussions in one single slide deck. This saves 5 mins in the meeting locating files and trying to retrieve results two weeks ago when someone asks for it. 42 | 43 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127599972-4f268319-381e-4b28-a8b1-f15ee3b05283.mp4 44 | 45 | ## Pls no "It doesn't work" 46 | 47 | "Say sth like: I’ve narrowed down the problem to step B. Until step A, you can see that it works, because you put in X and you get Y out, as we expect. You can see how it fails here at B. I’ve ruled out W and Z as the cause.” http://people.csail.mit.edu/billf/publications/How_To_Do_Research.pdf 48 | 49 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127600020-5195585d-ce5f-4c9a-8ecf-c338654708b7.mp4 50 | 51 | 52 | ## Do not avoid meetings 53 | 54 | When you make less progress or get stuck somewhere, it feels right to cancel the meeting as you have nothing to report. No! That's a TERRIBLE idea! Discuss the problems with your mentors/collaborators. Help them help you get unstuck. 55 | 56 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127600077-964686e3-d89c-4987-860d-cf36daaa668e.mp4 57 | 58 | ## Don't try figuring everything out yourself 59 | 60 | If you spend 15 mins googling and still don't know where to start, please reach out to your peers/mentors. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. 61 | 62 | https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/987204/127600165-6407b713-a983-4181-bdf3-fe42a93ebcc7.mp4 63 | 64 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------