Intelligent Vs Brilliant

It is not how much intelligent you are that actually matters. It is how you channelize the intelligence that you have that matters and makes you brilliant - akp

There is one Professor who influenced me a lot (and so did he on several others too!). He is intelligent. But thinking deeply, I feel it is not just his intelligence that brought him the laurels - for I think there are several others whom I have come across who are at least as brilliant as he is but not so renowned. I believe it is his brilliance to channelize what he knew into actions that made a difference in one way or the other that singles him out from the rest!

Ph.D Rules...

Over the last two and a half years of doing a Ph.D, I learnt a few things and I wrote the same as tag lines on my Orkut profile. These five Ph.D rules appeared over a period of five days on my Orkut profile - one per day. Considering the viewership it brought about and considering that some of them missed a few of the rules... I thought I can compile them and make it a blog post. Here is the compilation (thanks to my memory... I could remember all those five rules which I wrote!):

1. Do not do things in a way that satisfies others (includes your guide too); Do things in a way that satisfies yourself!

2. Decide not the time-frame within which you would like to finish your PhD; Decide on the learning you would like to have - doing your PhD.

3. Your PhD ends the day you get the confidence to work independently and solve the problems that arise in your field of interest.

4. Do not blame your guide. It does not help. Do things in such a way that you and your guide remain happy.

5. Pursue atleast one non-academic activity that you are passionate about. Know that there is life outside your lab too!