A dozen or so tips that may help you achieve a more successful academic career

OK actually over 50, feel free to stop reading after the 12th tip, or any other number for that matter…
  • Become an independent researcher – that’s what it is all about!
  • The academic system and the people around you are here to help you achieve this goal (at least in theory) but if they do the work for you it ultimately defeats the purpose of you being here.
  • As part of this goal you should learn the fine line of when to ask for help and when to struggle with problems by yourself (Googling effectively is an acquired skill…).
  • Be proactive.
  • Remember that science is about shedding light on new realms of human knowledge – it is supposed to be hard! There are supposed to be open questions along the way (and most-likely at the end as well). You have to reach a point where no-one will be able to help you. You are supposed to make mistakes and err along the way. You will never know the correct path until you’ve tried a few wrong ones.
  • It is OK if you don’t have it all figured out to begin with – that is part of the deal. However make sure you do get more and more stuff figured out as you go along with your studies. But remember what Socrates taught us...
  • Use the people in the lab – there is a wealth of knowledge here that has great potential to help you in your work – sometimes in ways you never thought of to begin with. But remember that at the end of the day your degree is your cross to bear!
  • Manage your supervisor. Learn together how you work well with each other.
  • Get many advice but ultimately do what’s best for you. Pay special attention to your supervisor’s advice – s/he is supposed to have your best interests in mind (if you feel this is not the case – get external help and advice, and consider a new supervisor).
  • Science is a balance between creativity and being critical. Make sure you don’t sacrifice one in expense of the other.
  • Science is conducted at full transparency and honesty – follow this practice through and through - throughout your scientific endeavors.
  • Read a lot in your field - become an expert in it. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
  • Don’t forget nature while running all your experiments, models, and analyses – love nature, respect nature, use nature as a source of inspiration – there is nothing quite like it! To this end make sure you spend a decent amount of time in nature proper not just for your work.
  • Learn about animals and plants as much as you can. It is paramount you do this for your study organism/s, but don’t limit yourself just to them.
  • Make sure you take the time to gain expertise in the important tools you’ll use – not just a fleeting knowledge of the particular needs of your current research.
  • In any case - Make R your friend as soon as possible. It has a steep learning curve (especially for those who never coded before) but it has become the #1 tool for ecologists.
  • Don’t be afraid of math. Equations are our friends – learn the lingo…
  • Polish your English – especially your writing skills – it is arguably the most important skill for scientists.
  • Learn the inner-workings of Academia – like any other institution it is governed mostly by a set of common practices that are not written anywhere and that you’ll just have to pick up as you go along.
  • Present your work at conferences as soon as possible – start early at being an active researcher not just a passive one, and get feedback on your work.
  • Try to go abroad and engage with people outside Israel. We are a small country (small but proud! – the country…)
  • If you want to leave the door open for an academic career – publish lots of papers – that is the single most important achievement you will be judged by (at least until you actually get an academic position). You’ll need both quantity and quality.
  • Even if you really want to be an academic – have a plan B – get to know options and people in the non-academic world. This may prove invaluable one day.
  • In any case make sure you find outlet/outlets to publicize your science to the general public – not just the scientific crowd. At the end of the day we are all funded mostly by public funds and we have an obligation to disseminate our knowledge.
  • Be very organized in your notes, bookkeeping, protocols, data storage, codes, computer files, etc. Do not become a messy professor!
  • Backup all your work EVERYDAY!
  • Be efficient.
  • Learn how to manage your time effectively – this is an art!
  • Try to limit your procrastination to the bare minimum – i.e. stop reading this stupid list!
  • Set medium and long term goals – not just short term ones, and try hard to achieve them. They are most-likely much more important than the short-term urgent stuff we fill our days with.
  • Common sense is not a common attribute. It is also an acquired skill – learn and master it – this will help you wherever you go.
  • Challenge yourself – push yourself outside your comfort zone. Always be open to learn new things – that is one of the greatest joys and benefits of pursuing science!
  • Broaden your field of interest. Go to lectures completely outside your field of work. Think outside the box.
  • Read books!
  • Be flexible.
  • The norm in field work (and not just) is that things don’t work out according to plan. Expect the unexpected.
  • Be kind to people around you even if you think you know more than them and even if you’re super busy.
  • Be a decent human being! Help others.
  • Cherish the diversity in yourself and in others, try as much as you can not to pre-judge or discriminate. Academia in general and conservation in particular is a celebration of diversity, it is also a good practice in our day-to-day lives…
  • Work hard! Perusing science is not just about being smart, but to a large degree it is about putting in the long hours of, at times, dreary work – we all do this. Sometimes you just have to grind your teeth and pull through the difficult bits. But make sure you are not suffering!
  • Cultivate and embrace the passion in your work – without it, it is very difficult to do what we do (well), and it is simply unrewarding.
  • If you are not enjoying what you do, if you usually do not want to go and pursue your research when you get up in the morning– you are in the wrong place. Research and the study of nature should be FUN, if you feel this is not the case, than it is not for you.
  • Be patient – things usually take longer than you think they will, but opportunities, breakthroughs and accolades will come by your way with time.
  • Be ready to face rejection. Your supervisor, advisors, examiners and peers will at times tell you they don’t like your ideas or work. Your research proposals are likely to sometimes be sent-back heavily criticized or flat-out rejected, your lectures and presentations will be deemed sub-par, your academic papers will be rejected – everybody’s are! You must learn to cope with it, not give up, improve and try again. It is part of the game, it does not mean you are not good at it.
  • Try not to cling to difficulties, mishaps, and burdens – put things in their proper perspective. Remember that we all struggle and fail at times.
  • Learn from your mistakes and also from others’…
  • Don’t berate yourself – if you’re here it means that you must have done some pretty amazing things in your life so far! Don’t be put off by failure. Learn from it.
  • But don’t congratulate yourself too much either – the people around you also probably deserve to be here based on some pretty amazing things – remember that modesty is a virtue.
  • Don’t let unkind or plainly evil people bring you down – they are not worth your emotional turmoil.
  • Learn to forgive and let go – both others and yourself.
  • If you have problems and difficulties share them with the people around you. Even if they can’t help you specifically in your particular hardship (and you never know they may just surprise you), the act of sharing your distress is extremely important in itself.
  • Remember to enjoy the moment! Stop and smell the roses…
  • Don’t forget to have fun outside academia as well!
  • Try to smile and laugh each and every day – preferably many times a day!
  • Eat well! Sleep well! Exercise! Enjoy family and friends!
  • Before going to bed each evening ask yourself – what have I learned today? And make sure you have a good answer… (something like –the recipe for the most amazing pasta sauce ever would be a good answer, your favorite celebrity’s new hair style – no so much*)
*unless that celebrity is E.O.Wilson…