Automated Software Engineering Research Group @NCSU

A mechanism to help students in indepenent thinking

As a graduate student, you are supposed to grow to be independent along the way. To help you to do that, I ask you to allocate the last 10 mins of the one-on-one 30 mins meeting time slot to train your independent thinking. 

  Basically in these 10 mins, you should tell me your thoughts on answering one or more of the following questions:

--- ?What to do in more details for the current project idea if it is not that detailed or clear enough??

--- ?What is the next good idea (beyond the current one) that you should work on??

--- ?What would you do in the next big phase (either in 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years)?

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What does this mechanism mean? You should think about future research ideas ALL the time!! I have been always thinking about new research ideas all the time. You should do the same rather than relying on me to tell you what to do next. In addition, you should actively read more and think more with the explicit goal of generating ideas for your future research. It is not acceptable that you tell me that you haven?t thought about IT when we reach this 10 min slot, because you are supposed to think along the way (jogging, walking, taking bus, taking shower, sometimes driving but be careful, ?)

 Indeed, during this 10 mins, I would help you brainstorm ideas together (I found I myself generate some very good ideas when brainstorming with students together). But you should bring something on the table rather than relying on me to bring something on the table for you.

Posted at 11:55PM Sep 17, 2007 by XIE, TAO in Idea Generation  |  Comments[1]

Think more and write more

Several days ago, I share my Ph.D. writing trails (my writings in my first several years in my Ph.D. program) with my students.

Most of the docs/ideas there didn't lead to a publication (when I look back now, I even wouldn't encourage my own students to pursue those ideas). Students can sense my struggling along the way in my Ph.D. research. At the same time, they can also see the following characteristics that are good for them to learn and have:

(1). actively thinking of new ideas even when these new ideas may not be good ones
(2). actively writing things down even when these writings may not turn into a publication

In addition, they can have a chance to laugh at my writing in my early phases of my Ph.D. research and put red marks on my writings (see how many red marks they can put there) as a "revenge" to my red marks on their paper.:)

Posted at 10:03PM Apr 23, 2007 by XIE, TAO in Idea Generation  |  Comments[0]