Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD
Lucy A Taylor
Lucy Taylor, a PhD graduate in University of Oxford, UK, published her opinion on Nature in 2018 to share the advice she and her colleagues wish they had received.
Starting a PhD can be tough. Looking back, there are many things I wish I’d known at the beginning. Here, I have curated a list of advice from current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from the Department of Zoology at my institution, the University of Oxford, UK, to aid new graduate students.
1. Maintain a healthy work–life balance by finding a routine that works for you. It’s better to develop a good balance and work steadily throughout your programme than to work intensively and burn out. Looking after yourself is key to success.
1. 合理安排时间，保持工作与生活平衡。最好是在整个计划中保持良好的平衡并稳定地工作，不要一直地工作到精疲力竭。照顾自己是成功的关键。
2. Discuss expectations with your supervisor. Everyone works differently. Make sure you know your needs and communicate them to your supervisor early on, so you can work productively together.
2. 和自己的导师讨论研究目标。每个人的工作方式不同，你需要了解自己的需求并尽早将其传达给导师，这样你们就可以高效地共同工作。
3. Invest time in literature reviews. These reviews, both before and after data collection, help you to develop your research aims and conclusions.
3. 花一些时间来写文献综述。在数据收集之前和之后做这件事情，可以帮助你制定研究目标和得出结论。
4. Decide on your goals early. Look at your departmental guidelines and then establish clear PhD aims or questions on the basis of your thesis requirements. Goals can change later, but a clear plan will help you to maintain focus.
4. 尽早确定你的目标。查看你所在的学院指南，然后根据你的论文要求建立明确的博士目标。目标以后还可以更改，但是明确的计划将帮助你一直保持专注。
5. “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it” is the biggest lie you can tell yourself! Write down everything you do — even if it doesn’t work. This includes meeting notes, method details, code annotations, among other things.
5. 千万不要告诉自己——“我不需要写下来，我会记住的！”好记性不如烂笔头。会议记录，方法详细信息，代码注释等都是可以做记录、整理的。
6. Organize your work and workspace. In particular, make sure to use meaningful labels, so you know what and where things are. Organizing early will save you time later on.
6. 把工作以及工作空间整理的整整齐齐。特别需要注意的是，最好使用显著的标签，这样就很容易了解事情的内容和位置。整洁的空间可以大大提高工作效率。
7. It’s never too early to start writing your thesis. Write and show your work to your supervisor as you go — even if you don’t end up using your early work, it’s good practice and a way to get ideas organized in your head.
7. 现在开始撰写论文也不算太晚。写下并向你的导师展示你的工作——即使你最后没有用最初的论文，但这样可以让你多多锻炼，也是可以让你的想法井然有序。
8. Break your thesis down into SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely) goals. You will be more productive if your to-do list reads “draft first paragraph of the results” rather than “write chapter 1”. Many small actions lead to one complete thesis.
8. 将你的论文分解为SMART（具体的specific，可衡量的measurable，可实现的attainable，相关的relevant和及时的timely）目标。如果你的待办事项列表是“结束第一段草稿”而不是“写第一章”，那么你的工作效率会更高。许多小动作可以引出一篇完整的论文。
9. The best thesis is a finished thesis. No matter how much time you spend perfecting your first draft, your work will come back covered in corrections, and you will go through more drafts before you submit your final version. Send your drafts to your supervisor sooner rather than later.
9. 最好的论文是完成的论文。无论你花多少时间完善你的初稿，你的工作都会在修改中得到回报，在你提交最终版本之前，你会有很多的草稿。写完之后，记得尽快将草稿发送给你的导师哦。
10. Be honest with your supervisor. Let them know if you don’t understand something, if you’ve messed up an experiment or if they forgot to give you feedback. The more honest you are, the better your relationship will be. Helping your supervisor to help you is key.
10. 和你的导师坦诚相待。如果你不理解某些事情，或者你实验没做好，或者他们忘记给你反馈，直截了当地告诉导师就好。诚实可以让你和你的导师的关系更上一层楼。让你的导师帮助你是最方便的方法。
11. Back up your work! You can avoid many tears by doing this at least weekly.
11. 至少每周备份一次你的工作！
12. Socialize with your lab group and other students. It’s a great way to discuss PhD experiences, get advice and help, improve your research and make friends.
12. 与实验室组员和其他学生搞好关系。这样可以讨论博士体验，获得建议和帮助，改善研究和结交许多好友。
13. Attend departmental seminars and lab-group meetings, even (or especially) when the topic is not your area of expertise. What you learn could change the direction of your research and career. Regular attendance will also be noticed.
13. 参加部门研讨会和实验室小组会议的时候，你发现主题不是你的专业领域的时候，不要逃避。你在未知领域学到的东西也许可以改变你的研究和职业方向。定期出勤也会让你增加曝光率。
14. Present your research. This can be at lab-group meetings, conferences and so on. Presenting can be scary, but it gets easier as you practise, and it’s a fantastic way to network and get feedback at the same time.
14. 向别人介绍你的研究。演示可能很吓人，但随着练习变得越来越容易，这是获得反馈很棒的一种方式。
15. Aim to publish your research. It might not work out, but drafting articles and submitting them to journals is a great way to learn new skills and enhance your CV.
15. 一定要以发表你的研究项目为目标。最终就算无法达成，但起草文章并将其提交给期刊是学习新技能和提高简历的好方法。
16. Have a life outside work. Although your lab group is like your work family, it’s great for your mental health to be able to escape work. This could be through sport, clubs, hobbies, holidays or spending time with friends.
16. 在工作之余，也有属于自己的生活。虽然你的实验室小组就像你的工作家庭一样，但是逃脱工作可以获得心理健康。你可以自己健身，参加俱乐部，发展一项属于自己的爱好，度假或与朋友共度时光。
17. Don’t compare yourself with others. Your PhD is an opportunity to conduct original research that reveals new information. As such, all PhD programmes are different. You just need to do what works for you and your project.
17. 不要将自己与他人比较。博士学位的意义是带给你不断学习的机会。因此，所有博士课程都不同。你只需要做对你和你的项目有用的东西。
18. The nature of research means that things will not always go according to plan. This does not mean you are a bad student. Keep calm, take a break and then carry on. Experiments that fail can still be written up as part of a successful PhD.
18. 研究的本质意味着事情并不总是按计划进行。这并不意味着你是一个坏学生。保持冷静，休息一下然后再继续做。失败的实验仍然可以作为成功的博士学位的奠基石。
19. Never struggle on your own. Talk to other students and have frank discussions with your supervisor. There’s no shame in asking for help. You are not alone.
19. 永远不要自己纠结。与其他学生交谈，并与你的导师进行坦诚的讨论。寻求帮助并不羞耻。你不是一个人在战斗！
20. Enjoy your PhD! It can be tough, and there will be days when you wish you had a ‘normal’ job, but PhDs are full of wonderful experiences and give you the opportunity to work on something that fascinates you. Celebrate your successes and enjoy yourself.
20. 享受你的博士学位！这可能很艰难，而且有几天你希望你有一份“正常”的工作，但是博士学位课程充满了美好的经历，让你有机会从事你喜欢的事情。庆祝你的成功，享受自己。
doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-07332-x
中文译文转自研海拾珠。
