这是每一个面临读博的学生甚至开始读博的学生的困惑。
1.基本概念
博士:在美国叫A Doctor of Philosophy degree, 简称Ph.D.,是最高学位。读一个博士需要做两件事:一是完全掌握一个科研领域,二是在这个领域开创新理论。
掌握一个科研领域
要通读所有这个领域的文献。一般开始时是看书,然后要找学术期刊杂志,会议论文和研究报告。一般在读博之前,学校会有一些方法来考核你对某一个领域地掌握情况。比如要有相关专业本科或者硕士学位。然后,为了证明对本专业的了解,你需要修研究生专业课程,通过考试并确获得较高的平均分。最后还要通过一个评委会的考核(博士中期考核),评委都是博士。
开创新理论
博士和其它学位的本质区别就是一个字:科研(Research)。要开创一个理论,学生必须探索,调查,思考,总结。学术界用“科研”来表示这种行为。“科研”经常暗示着要“实验”。但是科研绝不仅仅实验,还要解释和深层理解。以计算机科学专业为例,科研意味着要探索并发现数字计算和通信领域的新法则。必须要发现帮助建立和使用计算机制的新技术。要寻找新抽象、新算法、新规则、新机制。要获得博士学位,必须要写博士论文,并且通过博士论文口头答辩。
成果的关系
科研的成果可能可以开发新产品或者改善现有的。但是,博士论文的价值不是用商业效益来评价的。必须要引导将来的研究和知识体系。博士成果的效益常常不会在短期创造,而是在长期才慢慢体现。
2。问自己几个问题
决定是否要读博士之前,先问自己几个问题:
你想做科研工作吗?
你要考虑你的长期目标。因为PhD是训练你的科研能力。如果将来不做科研,博士不适合你。
你想进高校工作吗?
博士是进入高校任教的必要条件。
你有足够的能力吗?
评价一下自己是否有下述能力。
智力:显然
时间:往往比你想想的要长,你能承受吗?
创造力:读博需要你用新的思路看待问题。问问自己喜欢“脑筋急转弯”吗?你学高数时感到有意思吗?
好奇心:你是不是强烈的想知道周围事物背后的规律?
适应能力:读博常会出乎意料的困难。你可能会到一个没有人知道答案的领域。你能忍
受郁闷吗?能忍受住找没人知道的答案时的枯燥吗?
自我驱动:教授不会告诉你怎么做。你能自己给自己长期科研的动力吗?
竞争能力:你将与最聪明的人共事,别人会将你与这些人比较。你扛得住吗?
成熟:读博时间大部分由你自己支配。你要自己安排自己的日程。
3。警告(博士不是。。)
让自己有声望:你毕业后,你周围每个同事都是博士。
保障自己观点正确:博士只在一个领域有权威。这并不代表所有领域的权威。
自己的目标:如果你只想要各文凭,很多方法都比这容易。
工作的保障:很多公司不要博士。即使要了,当公司不景气时先把科研部门砍掉。
让自己和家人更有面子:你妈可以很骄傲的说自己孩子是个博士。但这不是你读博的理由
证明自己的聪明:你要长期从事枯燥的工作,多次面对失败,折磨你的意志。
将来就研究一个领域:一辈子只吃一碗饭?你将来要不停地科研,学习新方法、新理论
找工作更容易:搞笑!
比其它选择好:每个人都要决定自己究竟要什么,什么最能激励自己。
赚钱更多:至少5年之内你的收入是负的。除非你爱科研,否则这不是最好的赚钱方法。
4。还有几个好消息
如果你有能力和兴趣,搞科研将获得与所有其它工作不同的奖励。你能遇到这个星球上最聪明的人,甚至与他共事。你将不停的超越自己。你将解决以前从没有人解决的问题。你将改变人们的生活方式。
1.基本概念
博士:在美国叫A Doctor of Philosophy degree, 简称Ph.D.,是最高学位。读一个博士需要做两件事:一是完全掌握一个科研领域,二是在这个领域开创新理论。
掌握一个科研领域
要通读所有这个领域的文献。一般开始时是看书,然后要找学术期刊杂志,会议论文和研究报告。一般在读博之前,学校会有一些方法来考核你对某一个领域地掌握情况。比如要有相关专业本科或者硕士学位。然后,为了证明对本专业的了解,你需要修研究生专业课程,通过考试并确获得较高的平均分。最后还要通过一个评委会的考核(博士中期考核),评委都是博士。
开创新理论
博士和其它学位的本质区别就是一个字:科研(Research)。要开创一个理论,学生必须探索,调查,思考,总结。学术界用“科研”来表示这种行为。“科研”经常暗示着要“实验”。但是科研绝不仅仅实验,还要解释和深层理解。以计算机科学专业为例,科研意味着要探索并发现数字计算和通信领域的新法则。必须要发现帮助建立和使用计算机制的新技术。要寻找新抽象、新算法、新规则、新机制。要获得博士学位,必须要写博士论文,并且通过博士论文口头答辩。
成果的关系
科研的成果可能可以开发新产品或者改善现有的。但是,博士论文的价值不是用商业效益来评价的。必须要引导将来的研究和知识体系。博士成果的效益常常不会在短期创造,而是在长期才慢慢体现。
2。问自己几个问题
决定是否要读博士之前,先问自己几个问题:
你想做科研工作吗?
你要考虑你的长期目标。因为PhD是训练你的科研能力。如果将来不做科研,博士不适合你。
你想进高校工作吗?
博士是进入高校任教的必要条件。
你有足够的能力吗?
评价一下自己是否有下述能力。
智力:显然
时间:往往比你想想的要长,你能承受吗?
创造力:读博需要你用新的思路看待问题。问问自己喜欢“脑筋急转弯”吗?你学高数时感到有意思吗?
好奇心:你是不是强烈的想知道周围事物背后的规律?
适应能力:读博常会出乎意料的困难。你可能会到一个没有人知道答案的领域。你能忍
受郁闷吗?能忍受住找没人知道的答案时的枯燥吗?
自我驱动:教授不会告诉你怎么做。你能自己给自己长期科研的动力吗?
竞争能力:你将与最聪明的人共事,别人会将你与这些人比较。你扛得住吗?
成熟:读博时间大部分由你自己支配。你要自己安排自己的日程。
3。警告(博士不是。。)
让自己有声望:你毕业后,你周围每个同事都是博士。
保障自己观点正确:博士只在一个领域有权威。这并不代表所有领域的权威。
自己的目标:如果你只想要各文凭,很多方法都比这容易。
工作的保障:很多公司不要博士。即使要了,当公司不景气时先把科研部门砍掉。
让自己和家人更有面子:你妈可以很骄傲的说自己孩子是个博士。但这不是你读博的理由
证明自己的聪明:你要长期从事枯燥的工作,多次面对失败,折磨你的意志。
将来就研究一个领域:一辈子只吃一碗饭?你将来要不停地科研,学习新方法、新理论
找工作更容易:搞笑!
比其它选择好:每个人都要决定自己究竟要什么,什么最能激励自己。
赚钱更多:至少5年之内你的收入是负的。除非你爱科研,否则这不是最好的赚钱方法。
4。还有几个好消息
如果你有能力和兴趣,搞科研将获得与所有其它工作不同的奖励。你能遇到这个星球上最聪明的人,甚至与他共事。你将不停的超越自己。你将解决以前从没有人解决的问题。你将改变人们的生活方式。
R: 为什么读博士以及有什么意义zz
I just read that article and its comments. I want to say something for those
who come to US with a PhD offer in pure science (or applied science in
unpopular topics). Some students come to United States knowing for sure that
they will devote their entire life into a specific academic field. Those
people will have a great time/career in US. The rest of them, not so sure
what they want, not so sure what they like to study, not so sure whether
they want to be a faculty or white collar, they will face a dilemma within
the first two years of their stay in US. Completing a PhD requires a lot of
energy and time; you couldn’t finish a PhD just because you need to finish a
PhD. If you don’t LOVE your major, when you turn 25, you will face a lot of
questions: do I want to spend the rest of my 20s in the dam’ lab, studying
something I don’t like, writing papers which I think are useless, seeing
some genius coming with incredible ideas while I need to get used to being
ignored and learning to ignore my own failure? If those ideas ever cross
mind during the first two year, a PhD degree is a waste of time. Some people
think (especially before they come to US) that they could graduate with a
master or transfer to another major to get a master, and then find a job
outside the camp. We could see some successful stories on internet. But a
lot of people mistake those stories as their prospected stories. There are
so many deaths before one person come out alive from the battle. And
remember: only success people will post their stories, just as only winner
could mark their name in history. In US, if you want to find a job with a
master in science (not CS or EE, etc), you have to have the following items:
1) Excellent Communication Skills. Some people think they could improve
their English once they land. Well, only handful of them could achieve that
goal. Most people only used a few words in their department and everything
works fine. But put them in an interview, the picture changes completely. A
position for master always requires heavy communication with others
(clients, or other staff in the other departments). In a simple way, a
master is always hired because companies need someone to translate
complicated pure science knowledge to simple language so that everybody else
could understand. If they need someone to build up the knowledge, they will
hire a PhD directly.
2) Correct major which is hot in the job market. Some people think they
could get a data analysis position with a math master in algebra. That’s
ABSOLUTELY not true when you are holding F1 visa (well, it’s already
extremely difficult even you don’t have the visa problem). With F1 visa, you
could only possible to get interview when they have the name of your major
in their ad. Visa is the very first challenge of the job hunting for Chinese
(masters, I mean). More than half of my phone interviewers rejected me with
the only question they asked: what visa are you holding? The feeling is the
same as you finished the first in your exam, but the company shows you the
door when they know none of your relatives works in that company. Only big
or rich corporations will sponsor H1 visa for masters. A line like “We
normally don’t sponsor for H1 Visa” could be translated into “We will
consider sponsor H1 visa for a PhD, when the job had been post for three
months and no candidate passed all our interviews.”
3) Correct level for the position. If in an ad, they said that position is
for college or PhD, a master will never get an interview from that job.
Americans will not hire a master when the job only requires the knowledge of
an undergraduate student, especially for F1 students. They would think, with
too much knowledge and no legal right to stay, you just want to get sponsor
and will leave for a better job soon. (here is a note, once you get an H1
Visa, the visa will “kind of” follow you as long as you are employed,
regardless the shift of your employer. So it’s reasonable that the company
will doubt your intention.) I point this out because a lot of people think
there a lot of jobs for pure science. Yes, there are a lot, but not for a
master level. People who are interested in their probabilities of getting a
job could consult yahoo hot job section.
I just listed the big three because I want to move out from that depressing
topic. With so many difficulties, one might think: maybe I should finish PhD
and get a better chance in job hunting (I saw some people used it as an
excuse to postpone their problem). I could say that’s even a worse decision.
People usually finish PhD in their late twenties. With absolutely no working
experience outside camp and a heavy PhD, it’s even harder to find a job
outside camp. Company hire PhD for their specific needs; they paid for a
high price to get someone exactly the way they want. If the field you
studied for five years is not exactly the field they are working in, you
will not get the interview. And people who are not anxious for a PhD always
choose the easiest fields, which are not popular in job market in most
cases. Imagine how sad it is when a person reaches his/her thirty and feels
he/she spend the best time of his/her life studying something he/she doesn’t
like, but still end up with a tough time in job hunting.
Switching major is one solution. But most hot majors don’t give out
financial aids, and they are as hard to apply as you are in China (even
harder if you are not in a great school with high GPA). More and more
departments in good schools consider master degrees as their economic
recourses, so they will not give financial aids to students.
PhD students are poor in US (although they are rich in knowledge). You might
think your aid is a lot of money (timing eight). But you will soon find out
that even people from the bottom of the society live better than PhD
students. In a world like US, people could enjoy their live in unbelievable
ways, but not with the amount of money PhD student gets. A lot of adventures
you could only do when you are twenties, but you don’t have the money; when
you finally have enough money, you are already too old for the game.
I have to say, some people claim loudly they would succeed in US. Well,
about 5% of them will become big shots in the market/field; the rest will
end up worse than those who proceed with caution. I believe thinking is much
more powerful than speaking.
Chinese always tend to simplify successful stories to make them become
myths. However, for most audience, they just become easy tasks. I was a
student who succeeded after painful waiting and countless failures. So I
hope my words represent some of those who fail in silence.
Please, only people who stay in US for more than two years could give
negative remarks to this article. This is for those majors in science like
math, physics, etc; this article is NOT for those majors in CS, EE etc.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You believe, when you have reasons to believe.
who come to US with a PhD offer in pure science (or applied science in
unpopular topics). Some students come to United States knowing for sure that
they will devote their entire life into a specific academic field. Those
people will have a great time/career in US. The rest of them, not so sure
what they want, not so sure what they like to study, not so sure whether
they want to be a faculty or white collar, they will face a dilemma within
the first two years of their stay in US. Completing a PhD requires a lot of
energy and time; you couldn’t finish a PhD just because you need to finish a
PhD. If you don’t LOVE your major, when you turn 25, you will face a lot of
questions: do I want to spend the rest of my 20s in the dam’ lab, studying
something I don’t like, writing papers which I think are useless, seeing
some genius coming with incredible ideas while I need to get used to being
ignored and learning to ignore my own failure? If those ideas ever cross
mind during the first two year, a PhD degree is a waste of time. Some people
think (especially before they come to US) that they could graduate with a
master or transfer to another major to get a master, and then find a job
outside the camp. We could see some successful stories on internet. But a
lot of people mistake those stories as their prospected stories. There are
so many deaths before one person come out alive from the battle. And
remember: only success people will post their stories, just as only winner
could mark their name in history. In US, if you want to find a job with a
master in science (not CS or EE, etc), you have to have the following items:
1) Excellent Communication Skills. Some people think they could improve
their English once they land. Well, only handful of them could achieve that
goal. Most people only used a few words in their department and everything
works fine. But put them in an interview, the picture changes completely. A
position for master always requires heavy communication with others
(clients, or other staff in the other departments). In a simple way, a
master is always hired because companies need someone to translate
complicated pure science knowledge to simple language so that everybody else
could understand. If they need someone to build up the knowledge, they will
hire a PhD directly.
2) Correct major which is hot in the job market. Some people think they
could get a data analysis position with a math master in algebra. That’s
ABSOLUTELY not true when you are holding F1 visa (well, it’s already
extremely difficult even you don’t have the visa problem). With F1 visa, you
could only possible to get interview when they have the name of your major
in their ad. Visa is the very first challenge of the job hunting for Chinese
(masters, I mean). More than half of my phone interviewers rejected me with
the only question they asked: what visa are you holding? The feeling is the
same as you finished the first in your exam, but the company shows you the
door when they know none of your relatives works in that company. Only big
or rich corporations will sponsor H1 visa for masters. A line like “We
normally don’t sponsor for H1 Visa” could be translated into “We will
consider sponsor H1 visa for a PhD, when the job had been post for three
months and no candidate passed all our interviews.”
3) Correct level for the position. If in an ad, they said that position is
for college or PhD, a master will never get an interview from that job.
Americans will not hire a master when the job only requires the knowledge of
an undergraduate student, especially for F1 students. They would think, with
too much knowledge and no legal right to stay, you just want to get sponsor
and will leave for a better job soon. (here is a note, once you get an H1
Visa, the visa will “kind of” follow you as long as you are employed,
regardless the shift of your employer. So it’s reasonable that the company
will doubt your intention.) I point this out because a lot of people think
there a lot of jobs for pure science. Yes, there are a lot, but not for a
master level. People who are interested in their probabilities of getting a
job could consult yahoo hot job section.
I just listed the big three because I want to move out from that depressing
topic. With so many difficulties, one might think: maybe I should finish PhD
and get a better chance in job hunting (I saw some people used it as an
excuse to postpone their problem). I could say that’s even a worse decision.
People usually finish PhD in their late twenties. With absolutely no working
experience outside camp and a heavy PhD, it’s even harder to find a job
outside camp. Company hire PhD for their specific needs; they paid for a
high price to get someone exactly the way they want. If the field you
studied for five years is not exactly the field they are working in, you
will not get the interview. And people who are not anxious for a PhD always
choose the easiest fields, which are not popular in job market in most
cases. Imagine how sad it is when a person reaches his/her thirty and feels
he/she spend the best time of his/her life studying something he/she doesn’t
like, but still end up with a tough time in job hunting.
Switching major is one solution. But most hot majors don’t give out
financial aids, and they are as hard to apply as you are in China (even
harder if you are not in a great school with high GPA). More and more
departments in good schools consider master degrees as their economic
recourses, so they will not give financial aids to students.
PhD students are poor in US (although they are rich in knowledge). You might
think your aid is a lot of money (timing eight). But you will soon find out
that even people from the bottom of the society live better than PhD
students. In a world like US, people could enjoy their live in unbelievable
ways, but not with the amount of money PhD student gets. A lot of adventures
you could only do when you are twenties, but you don’t have the money; when
you finally have enough money, you are already too old for the game.
I have to say, some people claim loudly they would succeed in US. Well,
about 5% of them will become big shots in the market/field; the rest will
end up worse than those who proceed with caution. I believe thinking is much
more powerful than speaking.
Chinese always tend to simplify successful stories to make them become
myths. However, for most audience, they just become easy tasks. I was a
student who succeeded after painful waiting and countless failures. So I
hope my words represent some of those who fail in silence.
Please, only people who stay in US for more than two years could give
negative remarks to this article. This is for those majors in science like
math, physics, etc; this article is NOT for those majors in CS, EE etc.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You believe, when you have reasons to believe.