when-where-working.md

The Where and When of Working

One of the biggest challenges for student researchers is time management. I will help you set long-term and short-term goals but never directly manage your time or tasks. As a result, you will be the prime owner of your time and schedule.

I recommend you structure your time in a way that works for you. For example, it is helpful to work on research daily: structures and routines can help you accomplish that rather than frenzied efforts right before deadlines.

At a high level, you should have a set of daily tasks, but also some higher level (weeks, month, semester, year) goals. I will help you set those, typically going to larger and larger time frames as your research advances. For time and task management, use whatever tool works for you: notebooks, task manager apps, text files, etc., but make sure to use something.

Are you working enough? Or too much?

Some parts of this section are particularly applicable to undergraduate student researchers. How much time are you expected to work? There is no one answer to this, but I can put some upper and lower bounds that apply to nearly everyone:

• (Particularly pertinent for UG researchers) You are not working enough if you do much of your work a few hours before meetings

  • If this is you, you should take fewer courses or dedicate more time to research.
  • At the very least, as an undergraduate, you should be working on research at least 10 solid, uninterrupted hours per week (on average). However, the more you put in, the more you get out, with some exceptions (see below).
  • No matter how clever and smart you are (which you probably are), if you do not spend enough time on your work, you are (in my experience) highly unlikely to produce a polished piece of fundamental research. These things take time (unfortunately). It likely takes much more time than you first realize.

• You are working too much or should see a doctor if you

  • Think you might be newly depressed or anxious (consider seeing a mental health expert)
    • The usual definition of the above is that your emotional state is negatively affecting your functionality (you can do fewer things than before), but don't take my word for it. Please see a specialist if you think this might be you.
  • Miss important life events because of work: visiting close family, weddings, etc.
  • Are sleeping less than ~7 hours per night. A consistent schedule of deep sleep is one of the most powerful predictors of health outcomes and several other important things. If you do not have time to sleep this much, I strongly suggest rearranging your work, class, and/or personal schedule so that you do. If you cannot sleep this much, even when you try (e.g., insomnia), consider seeing a physician.
    • If your reaction to this is, "That's impossible!", please chat with me. I can try to help make sense of this in ways that may not be immediately obvious to you.

• Things that are not necessarily meaningful

  • You didn't get much research done this week
    • Our schedules vary wildly. Getting little done in one week is not much of a signal. Getting little done many weeks in a row, or on average, is more concerning.
  • You got less "visible stuff" done than your colleague
    • Every project is different. Some projects take significant time and effort before one can see fancy videos or nice results (and others are the opposite).

Can I take a vacation?

You can and should take time off whenever you need it. Unhappy or overworked people are unproductive (at least eventually). So, from a purely pragmatic point of view, it is also in my best interest that you take time off as you need it, to whatever degree of disconnect is suited to you (desert island vs. working from the beach for a few days). Do what you need to do to stay happy and healthy.

Two caveats:

• Avoid taking extra time off near important deadlines when possible (we can discuss and resolve if there is a potential conflict).
• Communicate with me. If you are not going to be around, let me know in case I need to arrange around this. Also, put a slide in your "updates" slides that says you are out of town in case I forget.

Work location

We work in CODA, which has an open space layout, and the group's students sit near each other. You will have an assigned desk in or near room S1347. Our CODA space also has many open rooms, couches, desks, food and coffee options, etc. Hopefully, this makes it a desirable place to work! (if not, or if something could be improved, please let me know!) If you are an undergraduate student without a permanent desk in CODA, I may request one if you spend significant time working on group research. As available space grows and wanes, the possibility of permanent desks for undergraduate student researchers may also change. Still, please do ask if you would like to spend significant time researching from our group area! Even if you don't have a desk there, feel free to use the CODA 13th-floor space regularly -- I find it quite nice, personally!

I spend most of my time in my office, S1313, near the group desks. I expect most students to work from their desks regularly, which is not to say "most of the time," but perhaps a substantial portion of their working hours each week. Most student researchers come in at least 3 days a week.

I find that progress and problem-solving are more likely when surrounded by others (including me) who can help solve problems, answer questions, and point you in a helpful direction. This also provides an environment that helps you focus on work. It's often the case that students will vary their physical presence, e.g., when they have a writing task that requires a focus not offered in a more busy environment. This is normal/acceptable/expected.