Tips for second-year PhD students (or don't forget the bar gets higher!).
Phd Students often make a crucial mistake as they enter their second year. They forget that expectations go up.
In the first year, faculty will excuse a lot - we know that the transition from #undergraduate or professional life to PhD student life is rough.
In the second year, #faculty tolerance for excuses runs thin - the transition to #PhDstudent life should be complete & it is time to show progress.
So how can a second-year PhD students demonstrate progress?
First, narrow your interests to a set of #topics.
In your first year, read widely & identify possible topics.
In your second year, start to focus on two or three topics.
If you do not, the faculty will wonder what you have been doing with your time ...
Second, advance your understanding of #researchdesign.
In your first year, you read about research design.
In your second year, you need to master research design.
How? Be attentive in your method courses. Be attentive when reading papers. Take some time to read "off-the-syllabus" papers on design.
Pro tip. Design an actual study & solicit feedback from faculty. Usually, faculty will give short shrift to poorly designed studies.
The better you become at research design, the more likely you are to complete a dissertation.
Third, learn at least one #analyticmethod well.
Almost anyone can crunch data. That does not mean that anyone can crunch data well.
In your first year, you likely were given datasets that always work in your courses.
In your second year, find opportunities to work with "data from the wild".
You will find it is a lot harder than you think.
What method? I'm agnostic. What is important is that you understand design & how to apply the appropriate method.
Fourth, become a more competent author.
By now, you likely have been beaten up for your writing.
If you do not improve, the beatings grow worse in the second year.
However, the faculty often won't show you how to improve your writing.
So what to do?
Attend writing workshops, form the habit of daily writing, read a lot, pay attention to comments or edits by faculty in your work, & thicken up your skin.
If you do not become a strong writer, you will struggle to graduate.
So invest now.
Fifth, start thinking about your dissertation committee.
In your first year, you likely shied away from faculty - perhaps due to a lack of confidence.
In the second year, test-drive faculty advisors.
Take some time to get to know the faculty, their competencies, and how well they get along.
At the end of your second year, you should have a pretty good idea of whom you want to chair your dissertation & whom they get along with.
As you do these things, remember that the second year is about progress. No one expects you to be perfect. They do expect you to demonstrably improve over your first year.
Best of luck!
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