There’s a lot of great advice out there for PhD students. Here I try to compile some of the best advice I’ve come across, along with my own thoughts on the matter. This is a living document, and I will update it as I find more advice or as my own views evolve.

Of course, I don’t fully agree with all of this (and I couldn’t if I wanted to – some of the points in these resources are slightly contradictory). However, I mostly agree with the spirit of these points, and I think that it is worth understanding the perspective they come from.

Take things with grains of salt, and think critically about what matches your system. Most of all, remember that a PhD is supposed to be fun (albeit often type two fun – not always “fun” in the moment, but deeply rewarding in hindsight). If you find yourself not enjoying it, take a step back and think about why that is.

Last updated: July 8, 2025

Most Recommended Reads

Here are the articles that I would most strongly recommend to current/aspiring PhD students (of course biased by my own beliefs):

Of course, everything on this page is worth reading. If you’re time-constrained, I would recommend starting with the above.

Stories of a PhD

People who have written about their PhD experiences (benefit of hindsight):

Meta-PhD and Broad-PhD Advice

Persistence and Motivation

This shows up a lot in the advice above, but these are more specific discussions of the topic.

Writing and Communication

Reading and Reviewing

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