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1500 questions
56
votes
13 answers
Encouraging questions during lectures yet handling particular student asking too many questions
I teach an advanced engineering undergrad class online and typically I love and encourage students to ask questions both by unmuting as well as over chat.
I have never had this problem in earlier years, but this time around I have a student who asks…
curious_cat
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56
votes
6 answers
How do I email other students in my online classes, to make friends, without appearing creepy?
I have been studying remotely at my university since September 2021. Each of my weekly classes on Zoom has around ten people. I always turn on my camera. But I still do not know any my classmates. Some turn on their camera, some do not. I have…
user149498
56
votes
8 answers
Math Ph.D. does not know what to do with life?
Background: I am a Math Ph.D. student in the U.S. (originally from a developing nation) in partial differential equations (PDEs) but on the theoretical side of PDEs (no simulation, no numerical). I am starting my 7th year, and my advisor is…
Noname
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56
votes
7 answers
If you get stuck in research, at what point in time should you ask for help?
It's always worthwhile to take some time to try to figure it out by yourself. But eventually there's a point where you're unsure how much more time it would take to figure it out by yourself (which could take far longer than you originally think),…
InquilineKea
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56
votes
16 answers
Is it possible to save a (science) PhD in 10 months?
In short: I am starting my fourth year of PhD, and my funding is running out in roughly ten months. I could use some advice about how to make the most of the time I have left, in particular to make sure I deliver something coherent and I am…
AtLoss
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56
votes
10 answers
Professor refuses to write a recommendation letter to students who haven't written a research paper with him
I am currently a fourth-year Electrical Engineering student. I have been a top-ranked student in our department. I have passed 3 courses with a professor in our department and have received a full mark in all three. I did participate a lot in all…
BBBB
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56
votes
8 answers
Should I use my university's letterhead for a cover letter for a job application?
I currently teach at University X and am applying for a job at University Y. Should I write my cover letter on University X's letterhead, or use a blank page?
Bennie N. Short
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56
votes
7 answers
How can I oppose my advisor granting gift authorship to a collaborator?
I am a masters' student. I have written an article, which was part of my thesis. This was my first article. After I handed it over to my professor, it was highly commended. My professor was not the least involved in writing the paper. He just gave…
Roja
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56
votes
1 answer
Is it OK to update code on repository after publication?
Journals consider that is good practice to release script and codes to repeat the published results, and many of us I think agree with this practice. Code are typically deposited in software version control repositories (e.g., GitHub or BitBucket).…
altroware
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56
votes
10 answers
Asking a professor to teach better
In my mathematics program, one of the qual prep courses is being taught by a professor who, put bluntly, is not putting in the effort.
He is essentially reading from the book (which I don’t particularly like but it’s a standard text so fine), but…
Ryan
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56
votes
8 answers
Why do most scientists think Brexit is bad for British science?
From what I've seen in the media, almost all British scientists think Brexit is bad for British science. However I don't understand why. Some of the most common reasons I've seen are:
Loss of funding - UK researchers receive lots of funds from EU…
Allure
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56
votes
10 answers
Got accused of plagiarism due to a reference lost during copying my own writing
Summary
I was assigned to write an autobiography for a course and copied some sentences from a personal statement for an application.
Those sentences in turn included material by somebody else, which I referenced in the application, but I failed to…
Dragonite
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56
votes
6 answers
How does the college course 101 numbering system work?
I'm not an American, but I know that the number 101, often used postpositively, is used to mean fundamentals/rudiments of a particular scholarly subject. I know (partially as a hunch but I also looked it up) this is because introductory courses in…
Zebrafish
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56
votes
4 answers
Hugely important database replete with errors
I am about to finish my PhD in bioinformatics. I am trying not to give out too many details, so I won't be very specific.
In the field I am working in, there are two extremely important databases being used. During my MSc internship, I chose one of…
user3638629
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56
votes
7 answers
Does "corresponding author" carry an implied meaning?
After reading the question Mentor trying to be first author?, I got the impression that (at least in the writers' field) the "corresponding author" flag could carry an implied meaning, such as "did more work than the other authors", or "is a more…
Federico Poloni
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