|
I wrote this up through my personal experience. This
document does not endorse the views of Drexel University or it's departments.
When
This is a university specific question. Some require you to take them
in the first year of your PhD program. Check with your department if you
are not from ECE Dept. at Drexel. In the ECE Dept., one has to take them
within the first two years of your PhD program. Depending on the incentives
given to PhD candidates, you may have to take them earlier. At Drexel,
PhD candidates now have to pay for 1 credit for tuition irrespective of
how many courses you take. This means that you are financially suitable
for your advisor if you are a candidate. So, earlier the merrier for the
advisor.
What are they?
PhD qualifiers/candidacy are a test of whether you are
capable for the degree. PhD is a long-term goal and as a student you need
to have a wide range of skills, mainly technical. You don’t need
to be a genius to pass them. What your committee is looking for is to
check whether you can think on your feet in a wide range of situations.
So, even if you don’t get the final answer correct, it’s the
method/approach, which the committee looks for. This holds true in a problem
that may seem numerical I goofed up real bad on a problem but in the end
it was a minor mistake compared to the bigger picture the committee received.
Format
If you are not from the ECE Dept at Drexel University,
please check with your department. In the ECE dept, the student is required
to select a committee of five professors and choose a “major”.
Click here
for the formal page.
You have one for a written exam comprised of 5 questions. Here you have
3 options.
- Either a 4-hour closed book (God help you!)
- 4-hour open book (my choice)
- 24-hour with all resources except fellow human beings (God help
you here also!)
The written exam is followed by an Oral questioning
session, which is typically after a day’s break. What I would say
is that, unless you screwed up thoroughly (I mean thoroughly) on the written
exam, the oral is the decider. The committee will go over your mistakes/parts
you skipped in round 1 to be followed by more questioning on your fundamentals
till they are satisfied.
What should you do now?
1. Choose your research area
2. Choose 5 professors (goes without saying, they have to be approved
by your advisor)
3. Select a date
4. Take the exam
5. Selecting the committee
This is the most critical part, the intangible of your
performance. You want the committee to pass you. If you have the liberty
to choose, go for the professors you like. More importantly, they should
think of you as a good student.How do you know? From past courses and
interactions. In most cases, you don’t have to kiss their ass while
taking their course. To sum up, its OK to not be in their good books but
never in their bad books.
If your advisor is friendly and open, ask for insider reports. Your advisor
wants you to pass, so his/her suggestion will benefit you. Another intangible
is conflicts between the members. You don’t want best enemies on
your board. Some professors are known to be “hard to impress”.
Try not to have them.
If you have time for your exam, it doesn’t hurt
to plan for it. In terms of the committee, take the courses of professors
in your core research area. You will need a person from some other department.
So, take a course or two in other departments. Make sure they assist your
research.
- Courses
You don’t want too many courses for the exam. This means opening
your derriere wide for the committee. You are required to have three
subjects, so aim for that. In your case, the lesser the merrier.
- Preparing
- Rule 1: check with your advisor on when you would have to take
it.
- Rule 2: If in confusion, refer Rule 1.
My estimate is that you need around three months to prepare. Too
less could be harmful and too much could leave you over-prepared.
Here is how I went about it
- First 15 days
- Overview of my subject areas. I met with committee members and
asked them the probable areas. They will drop hints and you have
to listen closely for anything they say.
- Next 30 days
- I made sure I touched well upon every area in detail. For courses
I had taken, I went through the class notes and homeworks. There
was one topic, which I had never taken a course in. I collected
past homeworks and notes from friends.
- Next 30 days
- More reading. I paid attention to problem areas. I discussed
them with colleagues and professors. Also, I collected past exams
from friends and friends of friends. More reading making sure
I was thorough with the material. In discussing with professors,
I rechecked with them about probable areas
- Last mile
- Touching up on everything. I prepared quick look-up sheets.1
day before the exam: I am not a person who can just “chill-out”.
I was nervous but confident. I just skimmed through the material
and took the evening off. Called it an early night to make sure
I was well-rested for the “marathon”.
The exam
- Written part
By this stage, you have probably taken enough exams to figure out
your mode of attack. Mine was simple: get the easy first. This puts
me in the “groove” for the tough ones. The X-factor: write
something for every question. At the most it could be wrong. Before
you hand in your exam, photocopy it to go over your answers.
- Break for the oral
I knew which answers were wrong. So, I just had to work on them for
the break. Also, I read research articles related to my core area.
This was a just-in-case step.
- Oral
Some Don’ts
- Don’t show up in casuals. At least wear semi-formals.
The committee should feel you are serious about your degree
- Don’t drink coffee before the exam. It can lead you to
take a break while being questioned, and this may not go well
with the committee
- Don’t jump at answers you know. Think and answer patiently
- Don’t look at your watch during the exam
- Don’t get irritated if you can’t get the answers
right
The Intangibles
- Date: if possible select a date in the beginning of a term. The
committee, and you won’t have course-load or TA duties to worry
about
- Time: I prefer morning exams and chose that. Select a time that
best fits your freshness
- Location: you want a low-traffic zone in terms of passers-by. Also,
you don’t want a place that’s too hot/too cold. Scout
for locations during your prep period
- Belief: If you want your degree real bad, you will work hard for
your quals.
I guess that’s pretty much what I had to say on
this topic. If you have any comments/suggestions, do let me know at hemang@coe.drexel.edu.
|