Looking back: Advice to my younger self on how to make the most of PhD training

As the realization sets in that I am in the second half of my fourth year of graduate school and nearing the end of my PhD journey, I find myself reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned over my graduate studies. Though I have enjoyed my time as a PhD student, there are some things that I wish I had known earlier that could have helped me make the most of my training. For that reason, I’d like to share some advice with my younger self in the hope that it will benefit other new PhD students in the COMPASS audience.

Communicate more with your mentor. I don’t mean just about science, but about other things in your life that make you, “you.” Your PhD mentor will be invaluable in your future career, and they need to know you – really know you – in order to help you get to your next step. So be open and honest with them about yourself and your aspirations, and make an effort to get to know one another. It might be intimidating to tell your mentor the truth about yourself, like when I told my PI that I wanted to leave academia immediately after my PhD and skip the postdoc. However scary it might seem, you won’t know how they’ll react unless you try. Let them get to know you, and give them the opportunity to support you and your decisions. After we go to know each other, my mentor has been amazingly supportive and has even helped me get outside training for my new career aspirations. Trust me, you will benefit in the long run if your mentor understands and can empathize with you, no matter what lies ahead for you.

It’s okay to ignore (some) feedback. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that you ignore all feedback, or to subjectively pick and choose which input to ignore. And definitely do not be rude to those who give you feedback by dismissing it outright – they took the time to give you advice, and it should be genuinely considered. That being said, don’t feel like you have to do every experiment that someone suggests. Weigh whatever they suggest carefully, but trust your instincts. Choose your experiments, and spend your time wisely, because in the end you are the person who is the most involved in your research. This can also extend beyond the bench, because everybody will have an opinion on whatever it is that you’re doing, but in the end it is your decision that matters most.

You can say “no.” This can apply both in and outside of the lab. Since one major key to success in graduate school is proper time management, it is important to learn early that it’s okay to say “no” and not to take on anything unnecessarily. When in the lab it’s okay to say “no” to taking on new projects. If you’re communicating well with your mentor (see first tip) then your mentor will understand when you say “no” and explain why you cannot take on more than you can handle. I usually encourage new PhD candidates to leave the lab and seek other leadership experiences, but it’s also okay to say “no” to these extracurricular activities once in a while. I will stress the importance of getting out of the lab and learning other life skills that will help make you a more successful and well-rounded person, but my advice is to focus your time spent outside of the lab on activities that tailor to your goals. Keeping in mind that one of your most immediate goals should be completing your PhD, it’s okay to say “no” to some of those outside activities that can distract you or delay your graduation.

Ask for help. Whether it’s advice about your project, or asking a colleague for help with a technique, it is important to ask for help when you need it. For me, it took a casual conversation (or more accurately, lamentation) over coffee with a friend from another department to realize the benefit of sharing my scientific struggles. I had been struggling to express and purify a particularly difficult protein for several weeks, but it took just one off-hand remark from my friend to help me recognize what was wrong. It is important to realize that while you are becoming an expert in your field during your PhD training you do not have to do it alone. Seek the advice of those around you, and leverage their experiences to help you succeed.

Write more and practice communicating your science. You will need to become an expert in your PhD thesis work as well as a master of effective communication. As such, you will need to be able to describe and defend your science to other scientists, as well as non-scientists. I advise you to learn how to adapt your communication style to best fit your audience. So, to practice writing for scientists, ask your mentor to help write reviews and write as many grant/fellowship applications as you can realistically handle. You can also write blog posts (e.g., where you translate a recent scientific finding to a more general audience) in order to practice your non-scientific writing. It is very important to practice communicating your science, so take every opportunity that you can to gain experience in sharing your science and that of others with the world.

Ultimately, your time as a PhD student should be some of the best in your life. Grad school is a fun but arduous journey where you will learn a lot about yourself, as well as your science. If you have any lessons that you’ve learned during graduate school, or want to share any tips you have to make the most of graduate school, please comment below and share your best advice to your younger self with us!

About the Author:


Ashley is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Sandra Schmid at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She is investigating the mechanisms of focal adhesion turnover by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Email: ashley.lakoduk@utsouthwestern.edu Twitter: @alakoduk