Stefu's theory of nicknames: Everyone's alias can be shortened to 6 letters or less

[Zero-Tau]

Originally posted by Stefu
Yep. That's my theory. Everyone's Net nickname can, and at some point will, be shortened to six letters or less.

Come on, I dare ya. Prove me wrong.

On another forum, I use the nickname Watcher. How are you going to shorten that?

[TCO]

Originally posted by loinburger
What's "fast"? I might be able to pull one off in two-and-a-half or three years if I busted my balls...

The norm used to be about 4 years from bachelors to Ph.D. That is now considered a little fast. 3 years is considered noteworthy. Just realize people will be much more impressed with a quick Ph.D. than a good one. It is not uncommon to hear of much longer Ph.D.'s although this varies by field and by school. NU chemistry had a reputation for wanting to go more by the old system, nominally 4 years.

I personally think the whole system (at least in chemistry) is kind of overdone. It's basically a system of getting low-priced (but quite bright lab techs) to do work for a while in exchange for the union card. I was done with classes in a year (took some more next year, just because I was interested but I was considered odd...and was discouraged from doing so.) And I had "learned how to do research" in a few months. Within 2 years I had enough papers to stitch into a thesis. I could have gotten out in 3 years, but stayed because employers didn't take me seriously when I started interviewing at the 2 year point. And because I wanted to do a masters in Mat Sci along with the chemistry. Plus, it was relaxing and I had another free year of scholarship. But from a career basis, I would have been better out, stitching it together and getting out quicker. Granted, I picked an easy project and had some advantages in terms of maturity and previous training. But still there are lots of people in Berkely spending 6 or 7 years doing their Ph.D. when they ought to be out in 4.

WRT you: How long have you been there? Where are you? Describe the program. Do you have a masters? Need more data to give an opinion.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
wow, I think it will take me 5 or 6

Jon Miller

Too long. Try for 4. If not possible, push for 5. Even with a solid first 2 years of coursework (no research). That is 2-3 years to do your research. REalistically a thesis is a glorified research paper. If you get 3 decent publications, that should be enough for a dissertation (nobody will read the thing anyway after you leave). Just slap an lit search/intro on the front, maybe a section on experimental methods if you want to give mroe detail than possible in your publications, and you are good to go. That's sort of a minimalist version. But I had about 9 pubs when I left: 5 or 6 of which were solid individual peices of work. Make each pub a chapter, add the front stuff and you've got your dissertation.

Don't feel like you have to explain the photelectric effect. How many people really do. I've seen lots of people at the 7 year mark, just wrapping all theri crap into a snowball, pushing the dissertation through and getting the piled high and deeper. If you just do some useful publications ASAP, you can do better than that anyway. Don't worry about making a fundamental breakthrough. Just get about 3-5 papers in the equivalent of Chemistry of Materials or Journal of Applied Physics (don't need to be in Phys Rev or Nature...just solid sub-specialty journals) on related theme. And than wrap and fly.

Jon, when picking an advisor, make sure that you discuss length of time requirements. Also talk to the students under them. And get the facts on their last 3 students graduated and how long it took. Professors have a huge incentive to keep talented grad students once they are productive. Just realize that.

[Jon Miller]

physics averages 5.5

anything over 6 is considered long

anything under 5 is considered quick

under 4 is very quick, I don't know personally anyone who had done it (I know someone who did it in math, but I only know one person who did it in math)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

I was going to try for 4, but now I am thinking 5 or 6

I mean, I am not pushing myself this year (an just taking the standard, am not putting in any extra work...)

Jon Miller

[Stefu]

On another forum, I use the nickname Watcher. How are you going to shorten that?

"Watch".

And I didn't even break a sweat!

(Is this enough to jack my thread back? )

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Locutus

Anyone who can think of a corruption of my name that I haven't seen before gets a cookie

Cutie!

[loinburger]

Originally posted by GP
WRT you: How long have you been there? Where are you? Describe the program. Do you have a masters? Need more data to give an opinion.

I've been at Wright State University (right next to Wright-Patt airforce base) for two weeks, been working on my research for six. I'm scheduled to get my M.S. in December 2003, and (if my class load this quarter is any indication, and it oughta be a pretty good one) there shouldn't be any roadblocks in that plan. (This is why I don't really need to make up my mind on the doctorate for another year.) The program's focus is very heavy on the AI (language processing, machine learning, etc.), with just a smattering of everything else (numerical analysis, compilers, etc.) -- most of the non-AI Computer Science courses are actually counted as Computer Engineering courses instead.

This is the page describing the doctorate requirements. Most people complete the required 136 credit hours in 4-5 years (or more), since the average full-time grad student takes (IIRC) 32 credit hours per year. I'll be completing the required hours in 2-3 years, though, since I'm required to take 48 credit hours per year to keep my assistantship. Assuming I don't **** around on my thesis it'll mostly just be a matter of convincing my advisor to let me go when the time comes, but I don't foresee any problem there -- he's decided that he likes me, God help him, so he's more than reasonable in dealing with me.

[TCO]

Originally posted by loinburger


I've been at Wright State University (right next to Wright-Patt airforce base) for two weeks, been working on my research for six. I'm scheduled to get my M.S. in December 2003, and (if my class load this quarter is any indication, and it oughta be a pretty good one) there shouldn't be any roadblocks in that plan. (This is why I don't really need to make up my mind on the doctorate for another year.) The program's focus is very heavy on the AI (language processing, machine learning, etc.), with just a smattering of everything else (numerical analysis, compilers, etc.) -- most of the non-AI Computer Science courses are actually counted as Computer Engineering courses instead.

This is the page describing the doctorate requirements. Most people complete the required 136 credit hours in 4-5 years (or more), since the average full-time grad student takes (IIRC) 32 credit hours per year. I'll be completing the required hours in 2-3 years, though, since I'm required to take 48 credit hours per year to keep my assistantship. Assuming I don't **** around on my thesis it'll mostly just be a matter of convincing my advisor to let me go when the time comes, but I don't foresee any problem there -- he's decided that he likes me, God help him, so he's more than reasonable in dealing with me.

I don't quite follow the whole deal. You're new at school but were doing research before (in private sector perhaps?) That should help you. It sounds like you can cram the hting out reasonalby fast, from what you are saying. Especially since it seems like Wright has a heavier emphasis on courserwork and less on research than typical (say for a science degree at a "research university"). Regardless, you should still have a discussion with this guy about timeline before signing on. And than make sure that you keep having discussions and stick to your plans.

Have you published? Do you have some stuff that is ready to be published. That's all that anybody cares about in the end. I published stuff after having my arguments with my prof, that he didn't want to publish. And it was the smartest thing I did. Even the fookers who act like they don't care about pub count...do care.

[TCO]

I looked at the requirements page, but it doesn't really tell the story. You need to know from other people how much of a thesis is required. (look at a couple). How much you are expected to publish? How long other grad students typically take? (Ask some.) That is the stuff that matters. Not that coursework stuff. You will jam that out in any program. The place where the get you is on the research side.

One other thing, a bif part of the value of the Ph.D. is in the prestige. I would check with other Ph.D. graduates of Wright (not a well-recognized name) to see how much their Ph.D. was valued. Just want to make sure that the resume bullet is worth the time. I really don't know the answer, but its something to check.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by GP
I don't quite follow the whole deal. You're new at school but were doing research before (in private sector perhaps?)

Sorry I wasn't clear -- my prof gave me my assistantship six weeks ago, but classes didn't start until two weeks ago, so I wound up putting in 80-odd hours worth of research before school technically began.

Have you published? Do you have some stuff that is ready to be published.

I've got a paper I wrote as an undergrad that I presented at a conference, but the thing hasn't been published yet. I'll look into cleaning it up and submitting it ASAP -- it's not very good (which is why I haven't submitted it up until now), but it sounds like that doesn't really matter.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by GP
You need to know from other people how much of a thesis is required.

Not much, I've seen a coupla dissertations and they seemed very much like "copy-and-paste" theses.

On the research end I'm required to put in (more-or-less) 20 hours a week for my assistantship, and that more than satisfies any research requirements they've got with the program (they wink at double-dipping).

I would check with other Ph.D. graduates of Wright (not a well-recognized name) to see how much their Ph.D. was valued.

Yeah, that one I don't know the answer to -- I'll scrounge around for some alums.

[Buck Birdseed]

What if you have a seven-letter one-syllable user name? Like "Schlong".

[loinburger]

I'd be tempted to go the synonym route and use ****.

[Ben Kenobi]

[unthreadjack]

Stefu-

What about strength?
[/unthreadjack]

Edit- can't count today it seems.