PhD Graduate, First-Year Professor…

It has been three months since I started my faculty job, and I’m slowly getting used to this new role. I initially wanted to stay low-key, like my advisor, but I realized that writing things down actually gives me energy. And if any of this helps even one person, that’s already enough.

These are some thoughts about research and about getting a PhD. I’m also writing them as reminders for my future self — so that even if I eventually become a “professor,” I won’t forget where I started, or the heart that carried me here.

1. Focus, Focus, Focus

At the end of my defense, I quoted an old Chinese poem:

莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行
“Do not listen to the sound of leaves beaten through the forest; why not sing and stroll slowly?”

This is truly the most important thing I learned during my PhD.

Stay focused — on yourself, on the work you’re doing. Everything else is noise.

Don’t listen to “who just got another top-tier paper.”
Don’t listen to “who received a huge offer.”
Just don’t.

Finishing one thing well — even if imperfect — already puts you ahead of most people. And when life hits its low points, double down. Play your own cards. There will be a day when the hand you’re holding turns out to be the winning one.

2. Protect Your Health

Research is, honestly, a job where you can’t be happy all the time. This is built into the work itself — especially in academia.

You need multiple anchors in your life: eat well, sleep well, find hobbies, build a support system, and talk to someone you trust when you need to.

3. Be Serious About Science

Remember, we are doing research — hopefully generating new knowledge.

I’ve always believed that every symbol, every sentence, and every notation deserves to be taken seriously. Our work may shape how people after us understand the world.

Ultimately, this is about responsibility — to knowledge, to future readers, and to yourself.

4. Perfectionism Is a Trap — Be Brave

Perfectionism makes us afraid to start, afraid to be wrong, afraid of not being good enough. In the end, we finish nothing.

So just do it. Be brave.

5. Talk to People

I used to think my work was too hard to explain, and that talking to people was a waste of time.

Later I realized that almost all of my ideas — except the ones from the shower — were born from conversations.

6. But You Must Also Be a One-Person Team

Everyone must become an independent researcher — finding questions, solving them, proving them, and testing them in the real world.

7. Diligence and Perseverance

For most people, climbing to the top of knowledge won’t be easy. But your resilience and courage are always bigger than you think.

8. Kindness Is the Most Important Thing

What really determines how far you can go is not cleverness or ambition, but whether you can keep a clear and warm heart through complexity and pressure.

cc chen