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*A thread for upcoming first-year Econ PhD students*
As the academic year is approaching, I would like to give brief advice based on my experience as a first-year PhD student who performed poorly in math camp and the first set of midterms but did better as the year progressed.
As the academic year is approaching, I would like to give brief advice based on my experience as a first-year PhD student who performed poorly in math camp and the first set of midterms but did better as the year progressed.
By performing poorly, I mean receiving grades and feedback I was not accustomed to. I made fairly below-average grades in math camp and the lowest grade on my first Econometrics test (Bayesian inference destroyed me) along with below-average grades on the other exams.
I want to stress that grades are not everything and do not define you as a student, but for me personally, they did indicate a lack of comprehension and confidence. It took receiving poor grades to reflect on my studying habits and perspective on the program.
After a lot of reflection, I began to understand concepts more clearly and perform better. Being a first-year Econ PhD student is difficult, so I hope the following advice is helpful.
1. Mentality
Many first-year students suffer from imposter syndrome. For the first few months, I constantly felt as if I did not belong, simply due to the other brilliant students in my cohort. I constantly compared my shortcomings to others.
Many first-year students suffer from imposter syndrome. For the first few months, I constantly felt as if I did not belong, simply due to the other brilliant students in my cohort. I constantly compared my shortcomings to others.
I didn't realize how much this mentality was affecting my performance. It depressed me daily because I always felt as if I couldn't keep up. I would always feel frustrated with myself.
A few points on this: You belong to your PhD program no matter what grades you receive. You were accepted to the program for your hard work and accomplishments. You are there to learn about the subject you love and eventually research and teach others about it.
Just because you see other students thriving doesn't mean you are failing. I had to learn to stop comparing the way I learn to the ways others learn. In fact, everyone is struggling to learn the material in the first year. Everyone. You are not alone, even if you feel like it.
Not only did I compare myself to others, but I treated learning as a means of passing tests rather than self-benefit. Understandably, prelim stress can cause this. I had no joy in learning the material.
I began to relate any seemingly unrelated material to my interests. It's important to be interested in anything you're learning, even if you're primarily focused on macro but learning game theory.
Changing your mentality takes time, but I believe confidence and enthusiasm are important traits in graduate school. Work on it every day. The benefits are worth it.
2. Discipline
PUT THE PHONE DOWN. We spend more time on our phones than we realize. Scrolling through social media can result from anxiety, which is prevalent in grad school.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN. We spend more time on our phones than we realize. Scrolling through social media can result from anxiety, which is prevalent in grad school.
I would delete my social media apps on weekdays and install them on weekends. I would only take 5-10 minute breaks on my phone for every 50 minutes of studying, just to watch a video or look through memes.
Schedule study time for each week, and follow through with it. If you schedule it from 1pm - 5pm, do it with appropriate breaks. Don't get distracted. Studying with other students prevents distractions (and also helps in other ways).
I studied for 50 hours a week. Some students require less. Some require more, although I would advocate against studying much more than 50 hours. If you schedule a certain amount of studying throughout the week, follow through with it. Also, create a schedule that works for you.
3. Efficiency.
Working hard is necessary, but it will not help if you aren't efficient in your work. Reading over the material and doing problem sets is not enough.
Working hard is necessary, but it will not help if you aren't efficient in your work. Reading over the material and doing problem sets is not enough.
I found that studying with other students provided alternative perspectives that helped me understand the material. I also did 30 minutes of prelim practice questions every night. Reading notes will only get you so far, as demonstrated by my initial performance.
4. Breaks
Especially in a virtual setting, take breaks. Walk outside. Do something fulfilling in the afternoons like drawing or even taking a nap (these are underrated). Take certain days off. I refused to work on Saturdays for college football. Your brain needs a break.
Especially in a virtual setting, take breaks. Walk outside. Do something fulfilling in the afternoons like drawing or even taking a nap (these are underrated). Take certain days off. I refused to work on Saturdays for college football. Your brain needs a break.
I hope this advice was helpful. I still work on all of these points to this day, and I am still growing. I performed better throughout the first year, but I still occasionally made mistakes and bad grades. Remember that it's okay to make mistakes; they're part of learning.
