Welcome to CMU! This web page holds the handouts, slides, and other stuff from the Fall 2004 talk "How to Survive as a Graduate Student". Everything on here is opinion, hopefully some of it is useful to you. :-)
Talk slides: Powerpoint
Slides from previous versions of this talk (see different perspectives!): Francisco Pereira (2003), Ted Wong (2002), Sean Slattery (2000), Brian Noble (1996) (be sure to check this one out, Brian also has some collected wisdom from others).
The David Dill Document, which started this whole tradition of having an actual talk about survival, is here in postscript. It has been very minimally edited by past presenters of the talk.
David Redish has written an additional commentary on Dill, as well as compiled some other advice. It is available in either postscript or pdf.
Mor Harchol-Balter has written an interesting paper on applying to PhD programs in Computer Science which has some information and tips which also are useful to new students. Available in postscript or pdf.
The current list of advisor-advisee matchings by faculty.