hi everyone !
what do you suggest for a first year rookie phd ; I mean how much should a rookie PhD allocate for reading journals/books per day and how often should he meet with the supervisor ?
Or do you have other specific suggestions for the first year ?

Get all the drinking and going to the pub out of your system in the first year... 'cos it gets harder in the 2nd and 3rd year

1) Make sure you save all the URLS or have written where all your papers come from - it saves a lot of time when, 6 months afer you read something you think.. 'Oh, that reminds me of that paper I read.. now where is it?'

2) It's never too early to write stuff - I copied and pasted a lot of what I had written in the first and second year into my thesis .. yes, I had to re-write as I sounded like an idiot and had matured my writing, but it gave me a good basis for starting certain sections

3) Don't think you have to be mega smart to finish.. you just need determination... loads and loads of determintion and DON'T get dishearteened when you have to re-write for the 5th time... it's normal (well, it was for me, anyway)

tools like oneNote and Endnotes are v important to use...help in organizing stuff

that's really nice advice there PC

"Don't think you have to be mega smart to finish.. you just need determination... loads and loads of determintion and DON'T get dishearteened when you have to re-write for the 5th time... it's normal"

i am gonna copy that verbatim on a post it note, and stick it to my monitor screen! cause right now i am seriously doubting my level of intellect in being able to produce a thesis worth of a phd level.

and that quote you just wrote, is really reassuring

Lara... as I said before on this board, when I first came across this forum I was really, really gobsmacked as to how some people viewed a PhD and how evil some supervisors were... My Supervisor was cool and my PhD was very easy in terms of...

1) First year transfer report - just wrote 20 pages, had 10 min interview... that was that
2) Conferences - never went to any, didn't like speaking so used to write joint papers with a mate and he'd present
3) Office mates - all cool, nice people, no jealousy or nastiness.

I came straight from a BSc - never did an MSc and the biggest shock was going from lectures to having to manage myself in terms of time and research direction. However, although my research made a number of big turns within the 3 years, I'd say all of the things I had researched helped 'shape' my thesis so none of it was wasted...

Also..

I got an 'E' at A level maths and 2 'Bs' at Business Studies and Computing ... and I only just got that E! ... my 'intelligence' isn't great and therefore I find it very sad when people think 'only clever people can do PhD's....

Yes, you need a good level of writing... and communication - but I seriously think that as long as you knuckle down (I spent the first year drinking.. hence why I overran my 3 years...) don't take the mick and just *keep going* ...

I felt like crying after working a 9-10 hour day and sitting down to pages of red pen and writing up my thesis... it was CRAP... but I just got on with it...

... Just 'keep on trucking'

Like your advice PCGeek!! keep on trucking indeed.

Contrary to erlier advice though I would advise you to work very hard in your first year... I did and it has helped me this year soooo much, I feel like I have so much worked out tht others are still worried about and so have been able to relax my grip a little and ease into a more durable and rewarding work habit. My sups are very pleased with me too because of it and generally leave me to my own devices this year... And I still go to the pub!

Up to you though really. Just be aware that doing this is such a rollercoaster! One day you can get everything... and the next day you can be so miserable thinking you know nothing... But it's great!

I have the same question about READING per day?

How many to read rapidly and how many to read deeeeply? and what is the average everyday in order to be in track?