Points for good PhD student 1. Resilience 2. Consistency and Discipline( Jerry sciencefield- chain method)-Don't break the chain- Consistency and discipline beats talent and enthusiasm 3.Growth mindset- hunger to learn more and what you learn from failure .Learn from your failure and rejection
Another brilliant video. Thank you. Suggestion for a video: building collaborations. How early career researchers can build a strong collaborative network. If you could share you thoughts on for example, how to find good collaborators, how to maintain long-term collaborative relationships, any dos and don'ts of collaboration etc.
I don't like these lists of things you need to do to achieve "insert whatever achievement here". Such lists never consider contexts. In this case you're forgetting that to become a great researcher you also need to navigate a system where primarily people from a particular demographic review applications, grants, papers from everyone else. That this system is not forgiving to folks which despite their resilience, their growth mindset or their enthusiasm, can't dedicate hours and hours to research because they have to go to do other jobs to make ends meet or are the primary care givers in their households. These points ignore also the fact that science, or "fantastic research" takes money. Grant agencies don't line up to fund scientist from everywhere. Students from everywhere. Simply ask scientists how much it costs to publish research in a prestigious journal (CNS?), not everyone can afford that. And without these prestigious papers, chances for many grants decrease. We have all seen that paper where they tracked university of origin from professors of prestigious universities in the United States. They all come from mostly the same 8-7 universities. Tons of resilience and growth mindset may be nice but a degree from a top tier school doesn't hurt. I am not saying you don't need resilience or everything that is mentioned in this video, what I am saying is that this is complex and resilience and growth mindset alone is not enough. One needs a combination luck, pedigree, contacts, resilience, hard work, discipline, enthusiasm, support from family and nice mentors. And even then, you may not make it. It is a lot more complex, and I feel people starting out should be aware of this too.
Nobody told me about the "bad things" of academia when I got into it and, honestly, I'm glad. Imagine that somebody from a 'disadvantaged' demographic approaches you for advice because they want to become a scientist and you just start telling them "well too bad you are not x, y, and z, you will probably not make it and shouldn't even try". Many of the things you mentioned are not even academia's duty to fix. Luck helps? sure, but opportunities do not fall from the sky. The more you try, the more "luck" you are likely to have. Pedigree? yes, but whose fault is that? Contacts? yes, but is one's work to make contacts as well (and one of science's best parts). Support from family? of course, but again, I don't think is academia's job to account for that. Nice mentors? yes, but that's luck and any student from any background can end up with a bad mentor. Inequalities are the reality in this world, but to justify all of the obstacles we face with the realities we come from is harmful. If you really want to do research for a living you should know that the process is not going to be easy. However, if from the beginning your mindset is "I'm at a disadvantage" then you will be sabotaging yourself (and sadly that seems to be the mindset of many early career researchers). Do not focus on your disadvantages, but on the things you have to do to achieve whatever goals you have. Is better to earn respect through your work (for which you get all the credit) than through your "background" (which you happen to be born with). Finally, I think the video is ok. My main problem with these lists is that people are different and different (even unorthodox) strategies might be valid for different types of people. The points here are quite general though, so I think they will apply regardless of your personal strategies and/or background. pd: I'm not white, my native language is not english, I'm from a 3rd world country, no scientists in my family, and I'm not rich. I mention this not because it matters or because it adds any value to what I have achieved, but so you know that I don't write these things from a position of 'privilege'.
