The smart way to your PhD is a collection of experiences from 100 graduates. It is a useful guide to organizing your time, your project and your life.
In this book, Farkas covers every aspect of the PhD life, from laying the foundations for graduate school, to landing your dream job. It describes thoroughly the challenges that graduate students face, and present solutions for them.
These challenges come down to the research itself (an experiment not working) and further (life-work balance). Farkas teaches us how to become independent and assertive researchers, gives us tips on maximizing our efficiency, while nurturing our body and mind. An entire chapter is dedicated on writing the thesis, which many PhD candidates struggle with, while the last chapter is about what comes after the PhD (the dream job).
Although most of the advices in this book are subjective and based on personal experiences, I found them very insightful. Most of the time, the solutions presented to the problems were multiple depending on the situation each candidate was faced with. It helped me plan and organize when I begun my PhD and it got me through my pandemic lows, too. During this prolonged research, motivation fluctuates and most students want to quit at least once.
I believe Farkas has done a wonderful job with this book. Even if some might find the advice given apparent, a PhD is a very lonely process and listening to struggles other students have had is a comfort in and of itself. Perhaps you might rather join a discussion group than read 300 pages of 200 secrets from 100 graduates. To each their own.
This book got me through all the tough times I doubted my choices. And that's why I highly recommend this book to anyone starting a PhD now, or have started already but are doubting their decision. If you haven't read the book yet, you can find it here. By buying the book, you help support me and my blog.
I recently found this hilariously titled book called "Surviving your stupid stupid decision to go to grad school", I hope I graduate before I need to read this.
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