2 - Get Solid Training

Summary

Productive scholars seek the solid training needed to follow their bliss by gravitating to centers of excellence, intellectual hubs where a field’s best-of-the-best congregate, collaborate, and create. Gravitation begins in graduate school where budding scholars often attend brand-name, research-rich institutions that include prominent scholars as advisers, a wealth of infrastructure for innovative projects, and essential financial resources. Productive scholars choose graduate schools and professors that can best train them and jumpstart a cascade of advantages leading to numerous publications, connections with prominent scholars both inside and outside their university, and to highly visible positions post-graduation. Recent data verify that most productive early-career scholars were mentored in graduate school by productive scholars. Gravitation to centers of excellence continues post-graduation as fledgling scholars seek intellectual hubs for postdoc fellowships or career positions, where solid training continues at research-rich universities guided by strong mentors. For those not fortunate enough to land in such centers of excellence, know that promising scholars often reach out beyond their immediate university for guidance, support, and fruitful collaborations. Resourceful scholars can build their own centers of academic excellence.