Graduate Student Resources

Graduate school is both extraordinarily rewarding and demanding at the same time. Getting perspectives on what to expect, how to anticipate and deal with potential problems, and just hearing the experiences of others can be invaluable.

Below are a series of resources/articles both for starting graduate students and those already well along their way. I originally assembled this list to help mentees as part of our Stanford Biology mentorship program (update: I have included it in the Stanford Biosciences Student Association (SBSA) handbook to make more graduate students in the Biosciences aware of these resources). I plan to add additional articles dealing with different stages of graduate school, including career-related decisions as the finish line approaches. I thank all those who have made me aware of certain resources going into and throughout graduate school.

If you have suggestions for articles to include or resources to add, shoot me an email or add them in the comments section below.

Advice for starting graduate students: choosing a lab

• How To Choose a Good Scientific Problem
• Decisions, decisions
• Choosing a Lab
• Choosing The Right Research Adviser
• Choosing a Thesis Lab: Things to consider before and during rotations
• PhD Students: Should You Switch Labs?
• How to choose a thesis advisor?
• How to succeed in science: a concise guide for young biomedical scientists. Part I: taking the plunge
• How to succeed in science: a concise guide for young biomedical scientists. Part II: making discoveries
• The PhD journey: how to choose a good supervisor
• What I Wish I Knew Before I Entered Grad School

Advice for starting graduate students: being successful

• A graduate school survival guide: ``So long, and thanks for the Ph.D!'' - It’s a long read, but worth it.
• 5 Ways to Adjust to Graduate School
• How to Become a Successful Scientist
• No, You're Not an Impostor
• PhD survival guide
• Surviving a bioscience Ph.D.
• Resources for surviving and thriving in graduate school (with a focus on the sciences)
• The importance of stupidity in scientific research
• Vantage Point by Richard Zare: My top 10 principles for success
• What Makes a Great Student in the Lab?
• How to Be a Good Graduate Student -- Succeeding in Graduate School
• A grad school survival guide 
• Advice I give to my PhD students
• The Worst Advice Grad Students Get
• 10 Pieces of (Bad) Advice for Young Researchers
• 101 Tips for Finishing Your Ph.D. Quickly

Career

• Navigating the Path to Industry: A Hiring Manager's Advice for Academics Looking for a Job in Industry
• Emerging network of resources for exploring paths beyond academia

Mentoring

• Entering Mentoring: A Seminar to Train a New Generation of Scientists
• Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering