1 / 39

Computer Science Graduate Student Orientation

Computer Science Graduate Student Orientation. Kevin Almeroth September 18, 2003. Schedule. 9:00-9:15   Refreshments and pictures 9:15-9:40   Welcome and Introductions 9:40-10:00   Department Information 10:00-10:10   Break 10:10-11:00   PhD & MS Information

prescott-adams
Download Presentation

Computer Science Graduate Student Orientation

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Computer ScienceGraduate Student Orientation Kevin Almeroth September 18, 2003

  2. Schedule • 9:00-9:15   Refreshments and pictures • 9:15-9:40   Welcome and Introductions • 9:40-10:00   Department Information • 10:00-10:10   Break • 10:10-11:00   PhD & MS Information • 11:00-11:30   Joe Navarro (Assoc Dean of Students) • 11:30-11:45   Matthew Allan (CS GSA Rep)

  3. Welcome and Introductions • Welcome to the Department and Congratulations on making it this far! • Introductions • Office staff: Juli Gotschalk-Pippin • Facilities staff: Richard Kip

  4. Topics Covered • Department Numbers • About our Courses • Course Load • M.S. Program Overview • Ph.D. Program Overview • Student Responsibilities • Sources of Advice

  5. Questions to be Answered • What am I supposed to take my first quarter? • How should I plan my first (and more) year? • What are my responsibilities as a grad student? • Who do I go to when I have more questions?

  6. Department Stats • 25 Faculty (plus 3 regular lecturers) • 574 CS Undergrads and 217 CE Undergrads • 198 Graduate Students • 118 PhD students (28 new—8 new transfers) • 80 MS students (27 BS/MS students) (20 new) • 2,255 Engineering (1,575 Ugrad and 680 Grad) • 19,799 Campus (16,780 Ugrad and 3,019 Grad)

  7. About our Courses • < 100: Lower division courses • 100 level: Upper division courses • 19x: special, cannot fulfill upper division reqs • 2xx level: Graduate courses • 290: special topics • Others • 595: Group Studies/Seminar • 596: Research Studies • 502: TA Training/Work • 597: Exam Preparation

  8. About our Courses • What is the one year course plan? • http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/courses/teaching.shtml • Very little change year-over-year… • Lower division courses offered most quarters • Upper division courses typically stay the same • Regular grad courses stay the same • …Except for 290 courses • Some change frequently

  9. Course Load • Critical to maintain at least 12 hours • After choosing courses, augment with 59x hours • TAs should take 502 • RAs should take 596 • Others should take 597 • Take MORE than 12 hours to give yourself room in case you need to drop a course • If you want to do research, limit the number of “real” courses • Courses have hard deadlines, research doesn’t • Easier but more important for PhD students

  10. M.S. Program Overview • Course requirements • 42 units of: • 100 level (excluding 190+) • 200 level • 595, 596, 598 • How many of each depend on which plan

  11. M.S. Program: Plans • Plan I: Thesis • Research-oriented with a formal thesis • Research: pay attention to advice on getting started • Plan II: Comprehensive examination • Course-Oriented • Plan III: Project • Research-oriented without a thesis • Compromise of thesis and exam options: less research than thesis but more courses

  12. M.S. Program Overview • Course Areas: • Foundation, Systems, Applications • Depth requirement • 4 courses in your Major area with a B or better. • Breadth requirement • 1 course in other 2 areas with a B or better.

  13. Transitioning/Multiple Degrees • Good MS students who want to continue with their PhD are encouraged if their work is good. • Project/Thesis advisor is the key. • PhD students can earn an MS degree along the way: • Use thesis option • Complete course requirements • PhD Proposal satisfies thesis requirement

  14. Ph.D. Program Overview • Course requirement • 8 graduate courses with a grade of B or better • Really quite minimal! • Yearly evaluation (important!) • The 4 Milestones • Screening Examination • Major Area Examination • Dissertation Proposal • Dissertation Defense

  15. Ph.D. Screening Examination • 10 subjects (optional sub with two others if CSE) • Each subject corresponds to an upper division course • Two subjects correspond to a graduate course • Examination given in the Fall & Spring. • Pass a subject by either: • Passing the subject examination • Get a grade of A- or better in the (ugrad or grad) course. • Deadline: Complete all 10 within 6 quarters. • TA/RA deadline: Complete all 10 within 3 quarters.

  16. Ph.D. Screening Examination • Recommendation for Passing • Plan the graduate courses you want to take in your first year • Identify areas those courses will satisfy • Identify which remaining areas you think you can pass through the exam, take those. • Study and take courses for the rest. • Another option • Take all the exams and see what happens

  17. Ph.D. Student Evaluation • All Ph.D. students are evaluated • First year is critical • Complete screening exam requirement • Work on major project (grad classes) • Continue project work as independent study or start new research project • Progress in finding an advisor • Plan for Summer 2004 • TA evaluations • Participation in Department activities • Remaining years are based on research progress

  18. Other Activities • Research Groups • 595 seminars (including TA training and introduction to research in Fall and Winter) • Department Colloquia • Distinguished Lecturers and other visitors • Graduate Student Association • Social Events • Friday coffee hours, picnics/cookouts, etc.

  19. Sources of Advice/Information Advisors • Other students • Dept WWW pages Graduate Program Assistants Graduate Advisors Faculty Advisor Initial Advisor Research Advisor

  20. Summary • The Program • Learn the system (classes, infrastructure, etc.) • PhDs: Use sources of advice, get into research • MS: Develop study plan, decide direction • Sources of Advice • Grad program assistants, grad advisors, academic advisor, research advisor, other students, etc. • Life Outside of Classes • Participate in Dept activities: colloquia, GSA, WWW pages, social events (picnics, happy hours), etc.

  21. How to Succeed in Graduate School Matthew Turk CS Orientation September 18, 2003

  22. Caveat emptor • These are my opinions, not departmental policies • Talk to others to get their views • These comments are intended for those who want to do research • All PhD students, MS students doing theses and projects

  23. What is graduate school all about? • The PhD process is an apprenticeship – not a job • You’re here to accomplish something and to become something • It’s not like being an undergraduate student • Most of what you learn comes outside of classes • “What’s on the exam” is not your main concern • Requires a different set of skills • Results count (not time, not effort)

  24. Why are you here? • Possible reasons: • I couldn’t get a good job with just a BS degree. • I don’t know what I want to do, so I hope graduate school will help me figure it out. • I want to make more $$$. • My father thought it would be good to do. • Surfing in Santa Barbara

  25. Why I hope you’re here • Better reasons: • I am passionate about research, about exploring new intellectual territory, about pushing the frontiers of technology, about computers and their applications. • I want to change the world. • I want to become a world expert in X. • And fame, fortune, and surfing, too…

  26. How to Succeed in Graduate School • 10 pieces of advice guaranteed to make you a likely candidate for a Turing Award someday:

  27. 1. Manage Yourself • Goals, priorities, and planning • Set goals, and keep them updated • Make a plan for each day, week, month, quarter • “Failing to plan means planning to fail” • Prioritize – do important things first • Don’t waste time – kill your TV • Keep track of how you spend your time • Computer Science  Web Browsing Engineering • “Is this activity helping me to achieve my PhD?” • Keep a notebook, write these things down

  28. 2. Develop intellectual discipline • Think! • Set aside time for thinking. Really. • Read! • Get to know the literature in your area intimately (not superficially) • Act! • Don’t feel like you have to know everything first • Don’t worry about being wrong • Evaluate! • Solicit feedback – most ideas aren’t so good…

  29. 3. Be proactive • Don’t wait to be told what to do • Don’t be passive; in fact, be aggressive! • Make things happen • You will not be spoon-fed • What you get out of graduate school is a non-linear function of what effort you put into it. • Graduate school can be very unstructured • Unlike law school or medical school • So it’s up to you (not your advisor)

  30. 4. Learn to communicate well • Speaking • Communicate clearly • Writing • Organization and clarity • Presenting • Not just “talking,” but communicating • Even a lecture is a two-way interaction • These are skills that can be learned! • Practice talks (videotaped), write short papers, ask friends and colleagues to help you, OISS, … Your intelligence and ideas will be judged by your ability to communicate in English

  31. 5. Develop an intellectual community • Among your peers at UCSB, create something different and special • Ask questions • Discuss ideas • Brainstorm • Argue, challenge • Collaborate • Don’t be polite • Don’t be a loner

  32. 6. Schmooze! (a.k.a. Networking) • Get to know the people in the department (faculty and grad students), and other people in your field • Don’t wait – introduce yourself! • Go to conferences and meet other grad students and “famous” researchers • Be aggressive! • Talk with visitors: “pick their pockets” • You never know who will someday offer you a job, write a reference letter, review your paper, give you invaluable feedback or insight….

  33. 7. Choose a good research problem • This is the hardest, and most important, part of research! • The Goldilocks problem: • Not too hard, not too soft, not too hot, not too cold, not too big, not too small • Think, read, act, evaluate • And talk to everyone – not only your advisor • Passion or duty?

  34. 8. Understand the faculty • We are very busy. • That’s no excuse. We do have time for you. • We know more than you do. • At least for a little while. • But not as much more as you might think. • We are not superior beings. • Most of us have first names. • Give us feedback too! • We are part mentor, part colleague, part human.

  35. 9. Study successful people • Senior grad students, faculty, pioneers, leaders in your field, … • Read biographies • Who are your heroes, mentors? • Seek advice • But modify it to your particular situation

  36. 10. Have a Life • Work hard, schmooze, think, read, program, experiment, build, study, practice, …. • So little time and so much to do!! • Still, amidst the chaos of graduate school, it is very important that you do not lose sight of who you are and what makes you tick. • Have a social life • Don’t neglect your family and friends, your health, your sanity • Do make time for things that are important and meaningful to you

  37. Ron Azuma, HRL Labs: Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning, you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy.

  38. Further Research • Lots of links to good advice for graduate students: • http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~mturk • Click on “Info for Students”

More Related