博文
【转载】关于如何成为一名成功的博士生的一些思考
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关于如何成为一名成功的博士生的一些思考
Bruce E. Rittmann，翻译：盛杰
在亚利桑那州立大学环境工程专业攻读博士学位的研究生有着不同的经历、职业规划、工作习
惯和能力。作为曾经的博士生、其他博士生的朋友和同事，以及博士生导师，我观察到了一些
有助于博士生在该领域获得成功的品质和技巧。我认为分享我的观察能够对你们有所帮助，不
管你将要完成你的学业，刚刚入学还是正在考虑攻读博士学位。（我注意到这篇文章的大部分内
容同样适用于博士后研究员）。
1. 你攻读环境科学与工程专业博士学位的主要原因是获得从事该领域最高级别的科研和教学
所必须的知识、技能、经验、信心和学历。
2. 当你即将结束你的研究生学习时（通常是进行论文答辩的时候），你应当成为你的研究领域
的世界级专家。没有人（包括你周围的教授）会比你更了解你的论题。你还应该跻身于其他相
关领域的世界级学术带头人，如微生物生态学和微生物建模。
3. 为了实现第一第二点所述的要求，你必须广泛地、积极地、批判性地阅读。广泛的阅读意味
着阅读的书籍和期刊文献不仅仅局限于传统的环境工程学领域，比如微生物学、微生物生态学
和化学工程。积极的阅读是指阅读大量的文献和书籍并且使这种阅读成为一种习惯。一个有效
的经验法则是每天平均读一篇文献。批判性的阅读强调花一定时间进行思考来完整地理解文献，
掌握它对你的研究和职业的影响，并发现它的优点和不足之处。一个好的方法是用自己的语言
来总结每一篇高质量的相关文献中关键的创新点和概念。而在我看来，一个坏的习惯是用大量
的照搬照抄来替代批判性的阅读。把文献放在抽屉里并不等于对作者的前提假设提出异议，跟
随作者的思路，质疑实验数据的解释以及思考文献结果对你的研究的潜在帮助。
阅读是你的研究和将来的职业的基础。它使得你能够跟踪近几年或近几十年的最新成果，并拓
展你对科研的认识。虽然课程学习能够给你某个学术领域粗略的概述，但阅读能够帮助你成为
与时俱进的专家。阅读还能让你了解撰写学术论文方法和标准。最后，阅读还能够产生新的想
法，这有可能发展成为新的研究课题、计划和实践，如果你想在高层次科研中做出贡献。一旦
你离开学校，你进行大量阅读的时间和权限将大大减少。现在就该多读、多读、多读！
4. 为了从你的研究中获得最大的收益，你应该经常以书面或口头的方式展示你的研究成果。这
种展示迫使你组织好你的思路，并将关键性的结论从不太重要的材料中提取出来。不管你是否
需要为资助机构准备阶段性汇报，你都应该对每个阶段的研究工作进行诸如几个月一次的定期
总结。如果你确实有新颖的、确凿的实验结果，你可以考虑撰写期刊论文或会议论文。当遇到
口头报告会时（比如课题组组会和系里的研讨会），主动发表你的观点。要让组织者终止你的讲
话，而不是让他们提请你发言。记住，你将来的成功和学术影响力直接决定于你能否有效地展
示你和你的研究成果。
5. 为你和你的工作提出最高的要求。换句话说，做你自己最严厉的批判家。主动进行更为深入
的思考、更为广泛的沟通和更加精确分析，而不是仅仅完成你的导师所要求的标准或一般标准。
时刻寻找你的错误，而不要等到别人指出你的错误（通常在令人难堪的场合）。当你发现错误时，
不要害怕承认错误，因为只有这样你才能从错误中吸取教训。
6. 观察你周围的人，尤其是那些公认的成功人士。学习他们的长处并为己所用。但是记住，你
是独一无二，与众不同的。
7. 分享你的想法、观点和知识。你身边的学生和同事会给予你最宝贵的经验、支持和鼓励，不
管是现在还是将来。
8. 享受一个研究生所拥有的相对的自由。利用这段宝贵的时间去探求新的研究领域，结识各方
豪杰。不要局限于你的研究，同时也要有社交和思考上的乐趣。
9. 别忘了，一个研究生的最终目标是不再成为一名研究生：简单的说，就是毕业。实现这个终
极目标的最佳手段是采用专业化和业务化的方法。研究生学习是一份需要自律的工作。
Some Thoughts on Being a (Successful) Ph.D. Student
Bruce E. Rittmann
Graduate students beginning a Ph.D. program in Environmental Engineering at Arizona State
University come with a wide range of experiences, expectations, work habits, and strengths. Having
been a Ph.D. student, a friend and colleague to many other Ph.D. students, and a teacher and advisor
to Ph.D. students, I have observed some of the traits and techniques that seem to foster the highest
achievement and success by Ph.D. students in our field. I think that sharing my observations can be
useful to you, whether you are nearing the end of your study, beginning in the program, or
contemplating advanced graduate study. (I note that most of this applies to post-doctoral associates,
too.)
1. Your main reason for earning a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science here is to gain the
necessary knowledge, skill, experience, confidence, and credentials to work in research and/or
teaching (broadly defined) at the highest level in our field.
2. With respect to your research, by the end of your time as a Ph.D. student (normally when you
defend your dissertation), you should be the world’s foremost expert on your specialized topic. No
one else (including the professors here) will know as much as you do about your topic. You also will
be among the world’s leaders in a broader subject area, such as microbial ecology or modeling.
3. To attain points 1 and 2, you must read widely, voraciously, and critically. Reading widely means
reading books and journals in fields other than those typical of Environmental Engineering: examples
are microbiology, microbial ecology, and chemical engineering. Reading voraciously means reading
many papers and books and doing so regularly. A good rule of thumb is an average of one paper per
day. Reading critically means spending the time and intellectual energy to fully understand the
paper, to appreciate how it can have impact on your work and career, and to discover its weaknesses,
as well as its strengths. A good approach is to summarize, in your own words and symbols, the key
findings and concepts of each paper that is of suitable quality and interest. A bad practice, in my
opinion, is excessive photocopying, which tends to be a substitute for critical reading. Having a
paper in your drawer is not the same as having challenged the author’s premises, followed his/her
path of discovery, questioned the interpretation of the data, or seen how the result fits into your
work.
Reading is the foundation upon which your work and career are built. It allows you to catch up on
the years or decades of previous work and broadens your understanding of research. While
classroom learning can give you the broad outlines of the field, reading helps you become an
up-to-date expert. Reading also lets you learn the means and standards for professional publication.
Finally, reading provides the seeds that will yield the new research concepts, plans, and
interpretations required if you are to make contributions at a high level. Once you are out of school,
you will have less time and/or access for voracious reading. Now is the time to read, read, read!
4. To obtain the maximum benefits from your work, frequently present your work in written and oral
form. Such presentations force you to organize your thoughts and to separate the peripheral
material from the critical material. It forces you to connect ideas and to discover inconsistencies in
your thinking. Whether or not you need to prepare progress reports for funding agencies,
summarize segments of work on a regular basis, e.g., every few months. If you have some really
interesting and substantial results, consider preparing a paper for a journal or a conference. When
times arise for making oral presentations (such as EB research meetings and EES seminars), volunteer
to give a talk. Make the organizer turn your down before he/she ever has to “volunteer” you.
Remember that your long-term success and professional impact are determined by your ability to
present yourself and your work effectively.
5. Have only the highest standards for yourself and your work. In other words, be your own
toughest critic. Demand deeper understanding, better communication, and more accuracy of
yourself than will be demanded by your professors or the profession in general. Try to find your
errors before they are pointed out by others (and often in embarrassing circumstances). When you
detect errors, be free to admit them, because then you can learn from them.
6. Observe those around you, especially those who are recognized as being successful. Try to take
on the best qualities and fit them into your personality. However, remember that you are unique
and cannot be a copy of anyone else.
7. Share your thoughts, ideas, and knowledge. Your student and faculty colleagues here are your
greatest resource of experience, support, and encouragement—now and far into the future.
8. Enjoy the relative freedom of being a graduate student. Use this valuable time to explore new
directions and to get to know new and different people. Do not just “grind” through your work, but
have social and intellectual fun.
9. Remember that the ultimate goal of a graduate student is to stop being a graduate student: namely,
to finish. The best way to go directly toward this ultimate goal is to approach all your work in a
professional and business-like manner. Graduate study is a job that requires self-discipline.
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