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Don’t miss the forest for the trees: some tips from an advanced (yikes) PhD candidate to those starting out and anyone really

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  Ike Onwuka PhD Candidate Earth and Environment FIU   1.  Ask early and often Resist the narrative that you need to figure things out for yourself all the time. If there is something, say a method, you saw in a paper that is useful but difficult to understand, reach out, do not wait, email the author(s), make phone calls, and don’t be afraid to send gentle reminders …we are all busy? Reaching out can save you precious time and perhaps a collaborator/reviewer.   2.      Find your tribe This is important for your overall well-being. Look for people who are in similar situations like you: your cohort, lab mates or students in other programs/colleges. Share experiences, challenges, victories and insights. See your cohort as collaborators not competitors. You make faster progress this way. The experience as a coauthor will be helpful as a first author. FCE student group is a great tribe to belong to :).   3.      Find a mentor(s) or join a group that has one Not necessarily y