Hi All,

I applied to a few REUs last semester and am applying to around 7 this semester, so I decided to put some of what I have learned and the link for the NSF site here for reference to other undergraduates.

You can find the list of REU topics here: https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp

Just click on your topic of choice and a list will show you all of the offered REUs

Requirements:

All REUs that I have found require you to do four things:

Fill out the online form

Obtain 2-3 reccomendation letters

Write a personal statement

Sumbmit an unofficial copy of your transcript (easily downloaded via buckeyelink)

You might also get to submit a resume

Expectations:

Acceptance to REUs are rare, especially as a sophomore. I would suggest searching for research that fit well with your skillset and/or interests and not focus as much on the university hosting it.

Also, apply to a good number of them, especially since you just need to make a few tweaks on your personal statement between universities.

Note that most application deadlines are in February, but some are occasionally during late January so plan ahead, especially with your rec letters!

Best of luck!

Suren Gourapura

Hello fellow undergrads,

Another thing to check out is internships with NASA. It's ridiculously easy to apply for an internship at JPL (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/intern/apply/summer-internship-program/), but for other sites the application looks more like what one would expect for an internship position (https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/main/)

Good luck to all!

I was in Antarctica for 2 months in year 2016 to launch and support the ANITA-4 mission. I was mostly at/near McMurdo (MCM) Station. 

What to pack (thanks to Steph Wissel, Brian Hill for heavily contributing to below list):

(You will be issued Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear at the USAP CDC in New Zealand.)

-- TISSUES. If you use tissues to blow your nose, bring 'em. There are none on that continent but you WILL make insane amounts of nasal mucus. 

-- Plenty of normal street clothes, like what you wear everyday here. In MCM you can do laundry once a week, but if you are traveling to field camps probably not as often. 

-- Several leggings for wearing under clothes as needed. There were days when I wore JUST warm leggings for pants and I usually regretted not layering up more. 

-- Couple pairs of thermal underwear (e.g. from Cabela's) for when staying out for longer periods of time. Definitely for hikes. Remember, if it is nice in MCM doesnt mean it will be nice everywhere and weather in a desert can CHANGE very quickly and drastically.

-- Long thick socks (Costco has good deals) 

-- At least one warm hat, preferably one that preserves body heat (e.g. from Cabela's) 

-- Earplugs, noise canceling headphones (to mitigate military plane LOUD noise, room-mate's snoring, loud talking, etc.)

-- Good Eye mask in case your roommate's schedule is different from yours, plus remember 24-hrs sunlight during Summer there 

-- Slippers for going to the bathroom.  Some dorms have community bathrooms. Others share bathrooms between two suites. 

-- Workout clothes and shoes. There are 2-3 gyms in MCM. 

-- Warm Slippers for wearing in dorm, common room. I also wore a warm fuzzy house-gown a lot in the dorm and everyone else wished they had one. 

-- Work gloves that you can grab screws with. Good to have these in addition to the gloves you will be issued. Throw in some hand-warmers if needed. You get hand-warmers in MCM. 

-- Decent-ish sunglasses, few pairs.  You don't want really cheap ones since you really rely on them. They might break so you might want a few. I bought one $100 Michael Kors pair that lasted me the whole season. 

— Spare prescription glasses, contact lenses 

— Washcloth and towel

— Sandals for the shower as they are dorm style

— Good Body Lotion, it is VERY dry there

— Power adapter for your time in New Zealand

— Lightweight boots or decent shoes for hiking and wearing around McMurdo. The hikes are over snow, gravel and rocks, you don't need anything extravagant but you probably want decent shoes.

— Some sort of music player, book, or something to keep you busy during the 45 min rides to and from LDB (for ANITA). NO internet on your phone there. 

-- Nice Clothes for holiday dinners (Christmas, Thanksgiving) 

-- Good camera 

— Backup harddrive (at least 1-2TB) 

— If you have space, backup laptop.

-- Medicines. Lots and lots of cold meds, pain-relief type meds, digestion/diarrhea meds, general first-aid kit stuff is nice to have. You can get some meds there too but bring your own supply. 

— Any arts and crafts supplies or games, etc. you really want to have. You can check out musical instruments and ski equipment from the station. There is an arts and crafts room. Games are available in the wine bar. There are two gyms, one with aerobic machines and another with weights. There are also yoga classes and a knitting community.

— For television, there are VHS and DVD players in the lounge. There is a TV in grantee's rooms that plays movies regularly. I brought a 256GB flashdrive full of movies and shows. 

— Party clothes. There are several dance parties throughout the summer season. There's also a costume party on Halloween, but people just usually go to Skua (a place where people get rid of stuff and others pick it up for free.

-- Wipes for cleaning hands, etc. on the plane or in a field camp. Military plane bathrooms are very interesting and may not have the stuff you are used to. 

— Some people buy whiskey in Christchurch at this whisky wholesaler and then they have a nice bottle for the entire season. You can bring liquor in your luggage if it meets the weight restrictions.

Tips about getting ready for the flight from Christchurch:

— Most importantly, when you check in for your flight, you should assume that your bag is going to be taken away from you and you won’t get it back for a few days. So pack a change of clothes, shoes, underwear, and grooming supplies in your carryon. 

— The CDC gives you orange bags to pack your ECW into. You can expand your carryon to accommodate your backpack and shoes that way.

— Make sure to use the restroom on the plane well before you land in Antarctica. You won’t be able to use the restroom for at least an hour or two after you land, because you have to ride from Pegasus to McMurdo on a slow moving people mover (say hello to Shuttle Bob for me, I miss him terribly).

Brian Hill's advice collected by Steph/Oindree:

You will be issued a lot of gear at the clothing distribution center (CDC) in Christchurch. My advice to you is to take everything. You will be given an opportunity to try things on, so try everything on.

I would recommend making the following changes:

-Swap the bunny boots to Baffin boots or if you can't get Baffin boots, switch to FDX boots.

-Make sure you get little red, it's like a windbreaker but with a lot of pockets. I normally wore pants or shorts, a t-shirt and maybe little red. If it was cold, I could wear another layer under little red.

-If you are going to spend any time in the field, ask for gauntlet gloves. I found it really nice to throw a bunch of handwarmers in the gauntlet gloves so I could do whatever fine work I needed to and then put  the gauntlets on to warm up my hands.

-I would swap the windpants they issue you for Carhartts. 

If they give you a hard time tell them you are a grantee and will be in the field. I will turn most of the stuff back in because I don't need it, but it's better to find that out through your own experience.

There is a library there with books, DVDs are available at no charge, there is a gym, they have an ATM, a limited selection of toiletries are available but they have everything soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant... Food is free, alcohol is available for purchase in at least the bars and probably the store. There is a gift shop in McMurdo and at the New Zealand base, Scott Base.

Here is a shot of the gear that can be issued. Not all of it is issued to you, some of it you have to ask for.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_th9f3B97Gno/TQcLMjUCHoI/AAAAAAAAAyo/-VfzNvCWrPY/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG

I'll point out a few things, the boots are on the right. It's hard to see, the top are Baffins, the middle are FDXs, the bottom are bunny boots which are the default. Most people don't like them, but some do. I think it's worth switching to something else and if you really don't like what you got, blame me.

The gauntlet gloves are green and just to the left of the FDX boots.

All the items I suggested swapping for are available or were available from the CDC.

You must get the boots, big red, carhartts or windpants, and goggles. They also issue you little red, a fleece jacket, fleece pants, thermal underwear, socks, multiple gloves, mittens, glove liners, a balaclava and maybe a neck gator. If you are familiar with cold weather, we shouldn't see much below about -30F,  and you have your own gear, I would say bring your own. I would plan on doing a one for one swap so for example if you have a fleece jacket, or a good midlayer, I would say forgo the one from the CDC and bring your own. However, Christian has a lot of his own gear, but I think he will be leaving it here because he doesn't want to lug it around with him.

Yes you can mail things from McMurdo, that includes postcards, letters, and packages. Because of the weight restrictions a lot of people mail gifts back. They have postcards and stamps available for purchase there.

To get the newest root on a mac: this is what Carl and I went through today 

Note that root was installed on my mac by IT earlier

First we tried:

brew update

That gave:

==> Migrating root6 to root

==> Unlinking root6

Error: Error occurred while migrating.

Permission denied @ unlink_internal - /usr/local/etc/root/HistFactorySchema.dtd

Backing up...

Error: Could not link:

/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_brew

Please delete these paths and run `brew update`.

Error: Could not link:

/usr/local/share/doc/homebrew

Please delete these paths and run `brew update`.

Then we tried:

brew upgrade

this actually did work to download some things so that was good but did not really solve the problem 

Then: 

brew install root6

Same problem: 

==> Migrating root6 to root

==> Unlinking root6

Error: Error occurred while migrating.

Permission denied @ unlink_internal - /usr/local/etc/root/HistFactorySchema.dtd

What is a symlink? 

symlink is a file pointer 

points to another location

So, if you had a root on your computer (installed by IT in my case) you might have stuff on there that is conflicting with the new stuff

for me, brew suggested I do this: 

brew link --overwrite root

this gave lots of errors as I did not have permissions to write to lots of directories (as set up by IT) 

so then did

sudo chmod 775 /usr/local/etc/root/*

sudo chmod 775 /usr/local/etc/root/*/*

sudo chmod 775 /usr/local/etc/root/*/*/*

sudo chmod 775 /usr/local/etc/root/*/*/*/*

And then: 

brew link --overwrite root

Hopefully then you get 

Linking /usr/local/Cellar/root/6.10.08... 9717 symlinks created

After this, I had the latest root and it worked

I am writing instructions specific for adding code to an exisiting repository such as this one: https://github.com/osu-particle-astrophysics/BinnedAnalysis

From your terminal, get the repo:

git clone https://oindree@github.com/osu-particle-astrophysics/BinnedAnalysis.git

To add a file to /anita3code/Diffuse/ type:

This is a list of things that should be expected when trying to make and run icemc.

1. The directory includes a Makefile.arch, but seems to have lost it’s
StandardDefinitions.mk, which was necessary in previous versions. Is it no
longer necessary?

2. When you try to execute “./icemc” it tries to make an
“outputs/coherent_sum_data_file.root” object. But “outputs” is not a default
directory, so it will fail: “SysError in <TFile::TFile>: file
outputs/coherent_sum_data_file.root can not be opened (No such
file or directory)”.

3. The default settings for inputs.conf have the “Apply impulse response to
digitizer path: 1” enabled. However, this can only be done if the Anita tools are
sourced: “Signal chain impulse response can only be applied when
the Anita tools are sourced”. So “icemc” will not run out of the box for a more
“casual” user without anitaBuildTool. See anitaBuildTools for installation. \

4. When we source the anita3 input file “./icemc -i inputs.anita3.conf” it has
both the apply impulse response digitizer and apply impulse response trigger enabled
by default. This is in direct contradiction to the GitHub documentation where its says
these are not enabled. Because of this it does not run (since these require the anitaBuildTools). The default should not be
enabled. 

5. If the user forgets to set the environment variables “ICEMC_SRC_DIR”,
“ICEMC_BUILD_DIR”, and to update the LD_LIBRARY_PATH as instructed on the
GitHub, the code will proceed as if everything is fine by printing the following message:
“Warning! Could not find environment variable ICEMC_SRC_DIR.
Will guess icemc source directory is present working directory”.
However, the code will segfault. When one sets up the
environment variables correctly first, icemc will execute and produce the correct
output files. If icemc cannot actually run without the environment variables set
correctly (which is fine if that's the intentional design decision), then the error
messages are misleading, and should be removed and icemc should return 0 for the
user and tell them to set the variables.

1. Don't use adverbs. Quantify!
2. Refer to a figure or table before discussing it -- not after. 
3. The first sentence of a paragraph should summarize the whole paragraph. 
4. Know the difference between "that" and "which".
5. Be careful. Are you using "I", "we", or no identifier? Be consistent. Is it personal or objective? 
6. Be careful with past and present tense. Be consistent!
7. Avoid extreme words such as optimal, best, always, never, perfect.  A sentence containing such an extreme word is almost "always" inaccurate, and only invites the reader to argue with exceptions.
8. Brevity.  If you can say the same thing with fewer words, do it.  It will be more powerful.
9. Don't forget acknowlegements!  Funding agencies, or sources of funding, people who provided valuable advice.
10. Learn when to use hyphens
11. Define an acronym the very first time you use it (in the main text, not in the abstract), and then only use the acronym from then on.
12. Use Fig., Tab. and Eq. with the same abbreviation and capitalization consistently throughout. 
13. Every paragraph should have more than one sentence, and see #3.

Different ways on which TProfile can estimate and plot errors.

When applying for jobs, all it takes is time!  Have faith in yourself.

~Jordan

Oindree

I am terrible at ROOT, so I have started to read the Users Guide on ROOT (attached). It's 700 pages.. so it's like a Harry Potter book, no big deal. 

Also I just learned about TChain::Draw (also in the Users Guide). Here is an example:

TChain c("adu5PatTree");   

for (int run_number = start_run; run_number <=end_run; run_number++) { c.Add(TString::Format("/Users/oindreebanerjee/OneDrive/flight1617/gps/gpsFile%d.root",run_number)); }   

c.Draw("latitude:realTime","attFlag==0", "");

This draws, for all my runs together, latitude vs realTime, cutting on attFlag. That is, only when attFlag==0 (0 is good, 1 is bad) 

f.Draw("threshold:realTime >> hthreshold","(threshold>0 && threshold<4096)","colz"); is another example. Here I have specified the draw option as colz for a 2d histogram

Sam

see attached .txt file

Brian

I wrote down some advice on how to actually get ROOT's time axis to work. It's in the attached "ROOT's Time Axis Feature.docx" file.

Oindree's contribution:

1. Have slide numbers on the slides! So you can say ".. in slide 9 you can see .." instead of "in the next slide". On phone calls, it is hard to know what is the "next" slide. 

Amy's advice

Remember that they are not always looking for the "best" person on some absolute scale, it's about "fitting into a slot"  (that's what my advisor told me once anyway)

Be able to say a few sentences on what you do, why it is interesting from a "bird's eye level."

What is your 5 year plan

What is your 30 year plan

Which grants will you apply for (one of them should be one of the prestigious awards like CAREER)

What will your grant proposal be about

Who will you work with here (distinguish yourself from others  -they never want two people doing exactly the same things - but find synergies too)

What lab space will you need (square footage)

What classses will you want to teach (don't say everything)

Have you taught before

Examples of projects for students -undergrads and grads, if applicable

Other jobs you are applying for

In your talk, give lots of general info.  One of the purposes of it is to see what your teaching would be like.  If you can introduce your research in a little different way that motivates it better, that's good.

Highlight what you did without going into so much detail that you lose people.

If you have a two-body situation, go in with a strategy for how you are going to bring it up, with who, and when.

What are you going to do if your experiments fail or are not funded

Jordan's Advice and Whittier colloquium 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uiobzv2d3o16s2r/Colloquium.pdf?dl=0

That is a link to the colloquium I gave recently at a successful job interview at Whittier College in Los Angeles.  Here is a link to a teaching example on electronic filters that they asked me to prepare:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnkl9p4k5ebouxb/simple.pdf?dl=0

I spoke with Amy, Steve Barwick, and Scott Gaudi to prepare for this interview.  Scott Gaudi is an astronomy professor at OSU, and I was required to meet with him as part of my CCAPP fellowship.  All three individuals provided great advice.  Main takeaways, the stuff that stuck out for me:

1) Why here? Why this place? Why us? Be able to explain why you want this job, not just a job.

2) Do not for any reason reveal that you don't have a plan.  Be deliberate, be a professional.  For example, if they ask you to give a lecture, do not go over time.  Do make it as interesting as possible, for as many as possible.  Be able to explain every detail, but don't expect to be required to do it.

3) Absolutely be yourself, and put yourself in the right state of mind.  Have faith in yourself.  If you can't add the type of value for which they are searching, then it won't be a good fit anyways.  Make sure you ask questions about how life is like there, and how you can fit into their community.  A university is more than an office building, it's a scholarly community.  Good luck!

Carl's Advice (other than that already listed above)

1. For a colloquium presentation, try to make your slides general. You are an expert in your field but in all likelihood, no one else in the audience will be. Don't concentrate too much on details unless they are asked for.

2. It also helps to make a colloquium a little fun/inspiring. Don't make the presentation too goofy or else it might not be taken seriously enough but it helps to include elements that are relatable to a larger audience.

3. Questions to have an answer for:

        How many people will you look to have in your lab? How many undergraduate students and how many graduate students? How many post-docs?

        If the department you are applying to is mixed (physics and astronomy, natural sciences, etc.), how will you try to connect your work with the broader department atmosphere?

        Do you have experience in and plans for outreach? (not a critical component but it helps to indicate that you are interested in the broader community)

John Beacom: http://degreeofsatisfaction.blogspot.com/ A good site from a the view of a data scientist with a Ph.D. in physics about how industry is different than academia.

Ryan Hype: "While I was looking for an industry position I was able to get some pretty good advice from the OSU Career Counseling and Support Services office. They have an entire section dedicated to graduate students looking to go into industry. Here is the link to the relevant section of their website. http://ccss.osu.edu/graduate-professional-students/job-internship-search-strategies/jobs-outside-of-academia/ They also occasionally run workshops on how to convert CVs into resumes, how to search for jobs, etc. "

Carl: A link about transitioning into Data Science from Academic Physics. https://philadelphiaphysicist.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/transitioning-from-physics-in-academia-to-data-science-lessons-learned/

Brian D.:  A few things if you are looking into industry. 

               1) Learn SQL- Every interview I have had asked about SQL. There are various tutorials online to learn syntax. It is not complicated, but seems necessary to use

               2) Start looking into statistical programs/languages to familarize yourself-Companies use different packages than academics do. One common package I have seen is called 'R'.

            Apply for lots of jobs. There are many different website you can use to find listings (indeed.com, monster.com, linkdin). Even if you do not think you are qualified, apply anyway. The worst they can say is no. Your education (masters/Ph.D) carries weight and companies may be interested even if you don't meet all the criteria they ask for. 

           Networking is, unfortunately, a large part of getting a job. Knowing a person can get your foot in the door. Past group members, current group members significant others, your relatives. You need to use them all!

            Interviews: Before phone interviews and in person interviews, research the position and company. Be prepared for the general questions all interviews ask (https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-answer-the-31-most-common-interview-questions is a decent starting point). Find out if the company is pursuing a goal (machine learning, energy efficiency, etc). Bringing that up in an interview shows you did your homework and shows your interest in the company.

      Bring your resume to your interview. They may ask you to go through it and discuss key points.

      Common question: "what do you bring to this job that others dont? / What do you think makes you stand out from other candidates". A list of common questions and how to approach the answers can be viewed here: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/27-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-answers.html

      Elevator pitch: Can you give the basics of your thesis in 30-60secs? As if you were explaining to someone with no technical background? This shows you can communicate ideas to others effectively.

      Have a list of questions ready for when the interviewer asks if you have any. Examples: What do you like about this company? What is a typical day like? What's one thing you would change if you could? The more specific the better.

      Ask questions that are important to you. Work life balance? Hours? Schedule? This shows you are interested in the position. Don't take a job that you feel won't work for you! Being miserable doesn't help anyone.

      Ask for a tour of the building/work space. Again, shows enthusiasm. (maybe after 2nd interview?)

Oindree's contribution:

1. mentally prepare to spend 60 hours a week doing homework, 20 hours for each core class

2. know that everyone else is struggling too, in some way or the other

3. for homework -- do the problems you can do by yourself first, get them out of the way, the ones you are not sure about, work as a group

4. go to office hours of the professors - even the really strict ones might actually be quite nice and helpful during office hours 

5. remember to eat, sleep and bathe

6. having a personal life also helps, as it can remind you that life has meaning outside of grad school (importance of supportive family / partner / cat / dog / non-school activity cannot be over-emphasized ) 

7. if you are a TA, it will help you do better, not worse, in your classes as teaching is a great way to learn. Also TA-ing forces you to have a more structured/constrained schedule for doing homework. 

Oindree's contribution:

I am attaching one of my undergrad research proposals as an example. I got this research award for the year 2012-2013. --Oindree

Kaeli's Advice:

If grad school is something you want to do, make sure your activities throughout college reflects that! Get involved in research, SPS/ Sigma Pi Sigma, apply for REUs, and spend the summers learning as much as you can about research in your chosen area. Take on leadership positions in clubs if you can, and try to do some sort of outreach too (ASPIRE is great for that by the way).

By the summer before your senior year, you should know whether or not you're planning on applying to schools. Here's what I did:

June-August: Study for the physics GRE. It sucks, and it's not fun, but doing a little bit each week really helped me. I recommend the book "Conquering the Physics GRE" by Yoni Kahn and Adam Anderson. Do all of the problems, then do all of the problems again. You probably forgot more than you realize. Also sign up for the GRE early (in July or so) so you get to take it on campus at OSU.

September: Take one practice GRE test a week leading up to the September test. Get lots of sleep and make flashcards for the equations you really need! 

October: Take the Physics GRE again. Generally people do about 50-100 points better on the second one they take (including me). Also, apply for the NSF Fellowship! This is due at the end of October, and the personal statement you use for the NSF can be easily reworded into your personal statement for grad schools. I also took the regular GRE at the beginning of October. I studied vocab for about a week beforehand and did fine, so don't stress about this one.

November: make a list of schools you want to apply to. By this time you'll have at least one of your GRE scores back, and based on that and your GPA you should have an idea of what grad schools you'll be competitive for. But, don't let these things limit you if there's a program you're really interested in! Grad schools care a lot about research experience and rec letters as well as grades and GRE. Make sure you have at least one school that you are very sure you will get accepted to. I applied to 13 schools which was probably too many, but it also increased my chances of getting in to a good program. Also, make sure you have your letter writers lined up by the beginning of November so they have time to write good letters. If you can, send them your resume or a personal statement so they can talk about specifics in their letters.

December: Write your personal statement for your favorite school and make sure you mention specific people that you want to work with. I put that information in the second paragraph so they knew I was serious about getting in. Have at least 3 people read your personal statement, especially your research advisor. Be prepared that applications are generally due around the same time as finals week (December 15th for many places) so manage your time as best you can! I submitted my applications for every school by December 15 even if their applications weren't due until January. This way winter break wasn't stressful.

Some people recommend reaching out to faculty before your application is submitted, but I didn't have time for that. I got in to 9 schools out of the 13 that I applied to, so I must have done something right! However, lots of people do this differently and also get in to really good universities, so I don't think there's one "right way" to get admitted. I started hearing back from places in late January. Also, don't check grad cafe! It will stress you out and it's not worth it.

Good luck!

Oindree's advice:

My experience is with taking the Physics PhD Candidacy Exam at The Ohio State University in the Connolly Group. Here, I will be sharing my personal experience and guideline, starting with covering what is candidacy and what a first-year grad student should focus on and ending with what to do on the day of your oral exam. Here goes: 

WHAT IS CANDIDACY?

• 6 week formal exam required by graduate school
• Advisor / committee chooses a topic
• Typically not something you have worked on
• But good for you to know
• You do a literature review, some calculations and become a mini-expert on the assigned topic
• Deliverables: 20 page paper (at the end of 4 weeks) + Talk (at the end of 6 weeks) 
• The talk / oral exam makes students nervous because they can be asked any question from the assigned topic and in-context Physics during the talk. In my program, this talk is given only to the candidacy committee. In other programs, the talk may even be open to the public. 

IF YOU ARE A FIRST-YEAR GRAD STUDENT

Focus on finding a good PhD advisor: 

• Professor with whom you feel relatively comfortable
• To interact with regularly and ask questions
• Has research money OR ability to get TA support
• Has project ideas that interest you

Yes, in that order

IF YOU ARE A SECOND-YEAR GRAD..

Hopefully, you have found a good PhD advisor. If not, keep looking or get out of the program. There are plenty other things you can be doing. 

A PhD is not worth doing unless you have found a good match for a PhD advisor.

And, usually you take the candidacy exam with the professor you hope to get your PhD from so.. don't worry about candidacy until you have found your match. Personally, I found my match for a PhD advisor in the fourth group I tried out in grad school. This delayed my candidacy by a few months, but in the big picture that is not a big deal. 

YOUR CANDIDACY COMMITTEE

Usually comprises 4 professors as follows: 

• 1. Advisor: you choose this person (say experimentalist)
• 2. In-field experimentalist, advisor recommends this person
• 3. In-field theorist, advisor recommends this person
• 4. Out-of-field professor, you choose this person

For your out-of-field, choose someone you are relatively comfortable with. Ideally, a professor who would have loved to be your advisor - the next best thing is to be on your committee.

It is important to foster good professional relationships with multiple professors in your department, not just your advisor.

Since I worked with multiple professors in the department and maintained great professional relationships with all of them, most of my committee ended up being professors I had directly worked with at some point. Candidacy is hard work either way but familiarity with your committee members can definitely make the process seem less scary. 

TIME IT RIGHT 

• Professors are BUSY
• Ask them to be on your committee >= 4 months in advance
• Schedule your exam on a day and time that works well for you – this is your candidacy
• Make sure your oral exam is on your committee members’ schedules 
• If a committee member is a hard-to-get professor such as Chair of the department, talk to their assistant for scheduling and don't rest until he/she has your exam on the professor's schedule!

ONCE YOU GET THE TOPIC REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALONE

• Candidacy is not a lone journey, so don't make it one
• You will need help and so get ready to ASK FOR HELP
• Ask clarification from advisor / committee on the topic – What are their expectations? Broadly, what outline should your paper follow? 
• Communicate profusely with your advisor / committee

They picked the topic, they want to see you are interested in it – Ask away, they will tell you when they cannot tell you something

FIND THE LOCAL EXPERT!

• Your candidacy topic is not something you have worked on directly – but someone else in the department probably has. 
• Find that person!
• Ask around if needed
• There has to be a professor, or a postdoc, or a senior grad
• Who will know the literature on this topic way better than you

Meet with the local expert, take their suggestions

START WORKING ON YOUR PAPER ON WEEK 1

Don’t wait till week 3, start writing or at least making notes as you are reading. You will read a LOT during candidacy but everything you read will be NEW. Something you read during week 1, you might forget during week 2. So, write it down! Make notes, flash cards, whatever works for you, but find a way to easily revisit the things you have read and noted to be important or have questions about or want to include in your paper.

It is when you revisit a point and think about it again or differently that you really learn it

Personally, I had a go at the literature and made a list of all the things I did not understand or had questions about. Then, I attacked this list and slowly went through and looked up or worked out everything I did not know. When I went to meet with my local expert I already had topics I wanted to go over with him. I met with him the first day for about 2 hours and over the course of my candidacy maybe total 3 hours, but you will be surprised how much you can learn from an expert even in a few hours! So, don't forget to track down the expert of your topic!

GET EARLY AND REGULAR FEEDBACK ON THE PAPER

• If your advisor / committee members like to give a lot of feedback, then that feedback flow needs to start on week 1, not week 3. Or, it will be very overwhelming. 
• Most students are worse scientific writers than they think
• So it is essential to incorporate your advisor + group's feedback into your paper to make it better
• You can also catch mistakes in your conceptual understanding by asking for feedback. 

You might think you know something well but you will be surprised by how many misconceptions you might have about the work that your research group does. Candidacy is when you clarify these things and learn them for good!

GIVE A PRACTICE TALK

• Schedule it a week before your real talk
• Invite everyone in the department (at least some will come)
• It’s going to be brutal
• Have someone else take notes
• Make note of all weaknesses and gaps in your knowledge

AFTER THE PRACTICE TALK, STUDY STUDY STUDY

• It’s OK, no one does well on their practice talk – Go home and cry if you need to
• But then, STUDY
• Study topics you were shaky on / didn’t know – This last week you learn the MOST

ON D-DAY

• Now that you know more, you will know how little you know

• If you are feeling beyond nervous, tell yourself to fake it till you make it

• Remember the idea is to make your committee feel confident that you are ready to be a PhD candidate

• Get to the exam early
  – get familiar with room, whiteboards, set up your talk

• During the exam – station yourself near a whiteboard, do NOT try to hide behind your talk. No crutches allowed! You won't always have an immediate answer to their questions. You will have to work it out on the board. So, show that you are a professional and willing to work it out!

• Remember, having the right attitude goes a long way. 

• Be very respectful, alert and attentive

• Your committee wants you to succeed. Failing you will inconvenience them!

  If you get stuck / flustered under questioning they might throw you a lifeline – recognize, utilize and move on!

• Carry a water bottle. My candidacy oral exam was exactly 2 hours. Good to stay hydrated. Good to breathe. You can do this!
• Good luck and let me know if there are any questions! 

Each person can list one favorite restaurant per category, or add their name to someone else's entry if you share a favorite.  Feel free to add any comments on your favorite thing to order, etc.  Also go ahead and add categories.

Breakfast

Brian - Grand Day Cafe 1284 W 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43212  http://www.granddaycafe.com

Oindree - Bob Evans :), First Watch 

Amy - Starline Diner, 4121 Main St, Hilliard, OH  http://www.starlinerdiner.com  Who knew that Cuban french toast is also cubic.

Chinese

Indian

Amy - Amul India 5871 Sawmill Rd. http://www.amulindia.net

Oindree - Dosa Corner at Kenny & Old Henderson Center, 1077 Old Henderson Rd, Columbus, OH 43220

Italian

Amy - Leone's Pizza 5413 Sinclair Road http://www.leonespizza.com I am listing this in the Italian category because I like to order their pasta dishes.

Japanese

Amy - Meshikou 1506 Bethel Rd Japanese noodles.

Suren - Fusian 14 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201. The chipotle of sushi, cheap and good.

Korean

Suren - Diaspora 2118 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201. Large quantity of fresh and fairly traditional korean food.

Mexican

Amy - Los Guachos 5221 Godown Rd. http://los-guachos.com

Pizza

Amy - Natalie's Pizza 5601 N. High St. http://nataliescoalfiredpizza.com

Suren - Blaze Pizza 1708 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201

Brian - Houndog's Pizza 2657 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202 www.hounddogspizza.com/