You're planning to pursue graduate education or perhaps are in an early stage of graduate study in science or engineering, or perhaps the humanities. You might therefore be thinking that the future course of your graduate studies and career thereafter are well set in place: you can now proceed with your course work and research largely on automatic pilot. The experience of most graduate students, however, is unfortunately to the contrary. While you know not to expect smooth sailing in your studies and research, you might be unaware that many roadblocks, sources of frustration and angst, and much wasted time during and after graduate study can be avoided or at least substantially minimized, perhaps making the entire experience largely satisfying, indeed joyful – one in which you thrive.

This book is a practical guide with two primary goals. The first is to help make the experience of graduate study for students early in their graduate program in science, and for senior-level undergraduates intent on entering such a program, be an efficient, effective, and generally positive one. The second goal, consistent with the first, is to help those students and other junior researchers develop effective research habits.

While some will choose to read this book from cover to cover, many will find benefit from reading selected chapters in depth at different stages of their university or professional careers, perhaps returning to specific chapters as needed.