Attending Workshop: Is it Useful for a PhD Student?

[sara-my]

Hi everyone,

I will start my PhD this autumn and I am quite familiar with the subject I am going to work on for my thesis. Therefore I searched for the workshops and schools to see where I can find the key people of the subject so that I can learn more.

I enrolled for a workshop and they accepted my attendance. But now I see that all of those who participate are post docs or professors. I really feel very inferior. Would it be useful for me to attend such a workshop?

Thanks for your comments.

 

[Vanadium 50]

We can't tell; the question is too general.

You could find the procedings from the previous years workshop. If you understand what you read, you'll be fine.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hi everyone,

I will start my PhD this autumn and I am quite familiar with the subject I am going to work on for my thesis. Therefore I searched for the workshops and schools to see where I can find the key people of the subject so that I can learn more.

I enrolled for a workshop and they accepted my attendance. But now I see that all of those who participate are post docs or professors. I really feel very inferior. Would it be useful for me to attend such a workshop?

Thanks for your comments.

A "workshop", if it's anything to what is commonly done in physics, is NOT the place you want to go for this. A workshop is a working meeting where (i) new initiatives/efforts/projects are being discussed to explore the next step, either in seeking funding, or mapping new direction of research. I'm surprised they accepted your application to attend it, because usually it is meant for people who are already working in the area, and people who know a lot about the subject matter to be able to know how to proceed in doing what I've described. It is not identical to, say, a conference, where people present work they have done.

But as Vanadium has said, you provided very little information. I don't even know where you are, and where you will be going to school, or in what area of study. You need to put yourself in our shoes, look at your post, and see if you've given enough necessary information for us to make a reasonable response. This notice applies to everyone new here seeking advice in this forum.

Zz.

 

[sara-my]

But as Vanadium has said, you provided very little information. I don't even know where you are, and where you will be going to school, or in what area of study. You need to put yourself in our shoes, look at your post, and see if you've given enough necessary information for us to make a reasonable response. This notice applies to everyone new here seeking advice in this forum.

Zz.

Sorry I didn't know that the area of my work will matter that much. I mainly work on quantum transport and the people there are all the profs and the post docs who come to present their findings and share their ideas. I do understand the proceeding of the workshop, but as Zapper said I am afraid I am not the right person to be there although, I look very much forward to have connection with some particular profs there.