Neil Lewis, Cohort 2014, Social Area
One important thing to keep in mind throughout grad school is the law of diminishing returns – the economic principle stating “that if one input in the production of a commodity is increased…a point will eventually be reached at which additions of the input yield progressively smaller, or diminishing, increases in output.” Another way of thinking about this is that the 6th hour of staring at the 4-way interaction in your SPSS output trying to figure out what it all means (hint: it likely means you should run a simpler study), probably isn’t the best use of your time.
When you reach this point, it’s time to stop working and take a break – the output will still be there tomorrow, and often taking some time away from it is just what you need gain the clarity needed to move forward. I mention all of this to bring attention to what I think is one of the most important keys to success in graduate school, which is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Part of being successful is knowing when you need to take a break…and actually taking it. You do not need to spend every waking moment thinking about and working on your research. You can (and should) have a life as well. Hang out with your friends, maintain your hobbies or find new ones, exercise, SLEEP, keep up with your TV shows (your students will appreciate the references when you teach); whatever it is that you enjoy doing, keep doing those things. You’ll be happier, healthier, and more productive if you do. Maintaining a balance will also benefit you in the long run – the best research ideas come from your interactions and observations in the real world, not from [Insert your field’s top journal here]; you can’t have those interactions and observations if you spend all of your time in the lab.
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