Advice

Some advice that I like to give to students and others who listen.

Undergrad Research, Projects and Directed Studies

If you are currently an undergraduate and interested in getting involved in a project, please read this. A lot of students seem to be interested in doing “research” these days, and I’d like to set the expectations correctly.

Short version: (1) understand research vs. projects; (2) don’t do research / directed study until you’ve done the requisite coursework; (3) I will say no if you are not a Wisconsin student; (4) consider things to build your portfolio on your own.

There’s also the general question of “I am interested in the topics you are interested in, how do I learn more about them”. If you’re interested in graphics, robotics, or data vis there is some on that here too.

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Advice on Talks

I have written some advice on how to give a talk - that is the basis for a lecture in my grad classes.

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The Graduate School FAQ

This is advice for undergraduates who are thinking about going to graduate school. There is specific advice for students who are applying to Wisconsin, and even more specifically, might like to work with me.

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Status Reports

If you work for me (for example, as an RA or an undergrad directed study) you must send me a status report every week.

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Advice on Prelims and Dissertations (Theses)

I have pretty strong opinions on what a thesis should be. My opinion might matter to you (if you want me to sign off), but they might be a generally good way to think about writing anything. Read more…

Write-Ups for Directed Study Projects (699s)

Making a final writeup for your directed study project (or summer intern project, or honors thesis project, or …) is important. Reflecting on what you’ve done is an important part of the learning process.

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