Resources for PhD Students
A list of Resources for PhD Students.
General References
Surviving your PhD
- [A Survival Guide to a PhD (Andrej Karpathy)]
- [Dave Evans Advice (compilation)] [html]
- [Tuomas Sandholm]
- [You and your Research (Richard Hamming)]
- [The PhD Grind (Philip Guo)] [dropbox link]
- [Shomir Wilson (compilation)] [html]
- [On Procrastination (Paul Graham)]
- [So long, and thanks for the PhD! (Ronald T. Azuma)] [Original link]
- [The N=1 guide to grad school (and hopefully, knowledge work)]
- [How to Be a Successful PhD Student (Adam Marcus)]
- [Advice on Research (Srinivas Akella) (compilation)] [html]
- [Advice on Research and Writing (for computer scientists) (compilation)] [html]
- [How to Build an Economic Model in your Spare Time (Hal R. Varian)]
- [Surviving your stupid, stupid decision to go to grad school)]
- [Graduate Study in the Computer and Mathematical Sciences: A Survival Manual (Dianne Prost O’Leary)]
- [How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors (Marie desJardins)]
- [The Graduate Student Survival Guide (Wanda Pratt)]
- [Matt Might’s article index] [html]
- Epistemology of a PhD
- An example research program philosophy by Angela Zhou (USC) [pdf]
Doing Research
- [Directed Studies (for Undergrads)]
- [Research Resources]
- [How to do research at an MIT AI lab]
- [Reading Group Organizer Guide]
Presentations and Talks
- [How to Speak (YouTube)]
- [Giving a Talk]
- [Orwell Politics and the English Language]
- [How to create a paper presentation and lead discussion]
- [How to make Stats Lecture Video]
- [Presentation Reviews (Kate Larson)]
Asking for Letters of Recommendations
- [Recommendation Letter Etiquette]
- [Seattle Pacific]
- [St. Olaf College]
- [Her Campus]
- [WikiHow]
- [The Balance]
Job Market
- [Computer Science Grad Student Job Application & Interview Guide]
- [Guide for the Tenure-Track Job Market in Computer/Information Sciences (Shomir Wilson)]
- For academia: [The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job]
- [Motherhood, Not Discrimination, May Account for the Gender Gap in Tenure-Track Science Jobs (Melinda Moyer)]
- [What I Wish I Had Known Early in Graduate School but Didn’t (and how to prepare for a good job afterward)]
Reading and Writing
Writing tips
- [An Economist’s Guide to Visualizing Data]
- [Economical Writing]
- [Writing Tips for Ph. D. Students]
- [An Algorithm for a Good Research Paper]
- [Writing Papers with Karon]
- [Sample Abstracts]
- [Sample Posters]
- [Writing a Math Phase Two Paper]
- [General Instructions for Final Draft of Short Paper]
- [David Poole How to write a research paper]
- [Guiding Principles for Creating Your Public Image]
- [Some Advice on Writing a Technical Report]
- [Three Sins of Authors in Computer Science and Math (Jonathan Shewchuk)]
- [Guide for Scholarly Writing (Shomir Wilson))]
Reading tips
- Bret Victor (how to be an active reader). Exploreable Explanations
- [How to Read a Paper]
- [How to Read a Technical Paper]
- [How to read a research paper.]
- [How NOT to review a paper]
- [Paper Reviews (Kate Larson)]
Grants, theses, and fellowships
- [How to get that first grant: A young scientist’s guide to (AI) funding in America]
- [What is a thesis defense]
- [Alex Lang NSF]
- [Writing a Research Proposal]
- [Making a CV (Shomir Wilson)]
Reviewing Tips
Technical Tools
Links to Math Reference Websites
- The Book of Statistics Proofs. [Link]
- Better Explained [Link]
- Emory College Math 117 [Link]
- Computer Science Student Resources [Link]
Software Style Guides
- Google Style Guide [Link] [Technical communication guide]
- JS Style Guides [Link]
Technical Blogs
- Alex Lang
- Programmathically
- Optimization Online
- Decentralized Thoughts (crypto)
Getting into grad school
Questions to Ask
- [70 Questions To Ask About Grad School]
- [Some Important Things Most Students Never Ask About Graduate School ]
- [Applying to Graduate School Tips, Timeline, and Tools of the Trade]
- [Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science]
- [Gradate Studies at UC]
- [Choosing a Dissertation Advisor]
- [Choosing a Ph.D. program in Computer Science]
- [How to Write a Letter of Interest for Grad School]
Networking with professors
- [Networking with professors]
- [How to Email a Professor: Research or Grad School Opportunity]
- [The Do’s and Don’ts of Contacting Professors about Research]
- [(Shomir Wilson) Guide for Interacting With Faculty]
- [(Shomir Wilson) Guide for Joining My Lab]
Asking for Letters of Recommendations
Written on November 27, 2025
