Possible Lecture Topics W 2008
What it means to be a PhD student
Picking Classes
What makes a good research area/topic
Picking a research area (may include talks by faculty in different research areas)
Do you want to be a PhD student?
Choosing an advisor
Interacting with your advisor
How to do research
how to find prior work
how to read a research paper
how to write a research paper
Writing a good technical paper
Giving a good technical talk
Ethics and professional conduct
Preparing for the qualifying exam
How to be a good teacher
How to write a resarch/fellowship proposal
I also plan two student panels: one from 2nd year students and one from more advanced students.