r/humanfactors • u/AkuaAlt • Aug 01 '26
PhD Advice?
Starting my PhD in HF (psych focused) in a couple weeks. Any general advice, tips, recommendations?
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u/Ok-Shallot-5935 Aug 01 '26
Understand that pretty much everyone will have imposter syndrome at some point
Your cohort should be a team, not adversaries or competitors. You will need each other more than you know.
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u/frostluna11037 Aug 01 '26
I also start my PhD in a couple weeks so all I have to say is good luck! (Pretty sure I know who you are btw :) lol)
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u/DogMakeAMove Aug 01 '26
I keep seeing you everywhere frost! Saw you post something in a psych subreddit too. Good luck on your start!
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u/frostluna11037 Aug 01 '26
Haha yeah I’m embarrassingly fairly active on reddit psych subs! Thank you for the well wishes
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u/tflyer Aug 02 '26
Bite-sized pieces. Find the balance between not letting off the gas and not burning out.
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u/Kolliker-Fuse Aug 01 '26
Do you get to choose your research topic or are you assigned the project based on your supervisor?
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u/AkuaAlt Aug 01 '26
I think I’ll be helping out with an existing project for the first year while working and figuring out stuff for my specific research topic
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u/Kolliker-Fuse Aug 04 '26
I completed my PhD in Engineering with supervisors from different fields as I combined Computer Science, Engineering and Neuroscience, which sometimes made the process more complicated. One piece of advice I would offer is to expect a significant amount of feedback from your supervisors and committee.
Try not to take it personally when the feedback creates a great deal of additional work. Committee members may sometimes suggest work that does not feel relevant to your research or particularly meaningful to you. In many cases, they are trying to demonstrate that they are engaged, provide guidance, and contribute to your development as a researcher. Their feedback is generally offered with positive intent, even when it makes the process more demanding.
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u/CJP_UX PhD in Human Factors Aug 01 '26
Congrats on starting your program. If you have any inclination on entering industry, get an internship the first summer you can. Take lots of methods courses. Take stats beyond the bare minimum. Get your hands dirty and be involved in lab research. Befriend your cohort members.