A Guide to Academia - by Prosanta Chakrabarty (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A Guide to Academia is a handbook for all those individuals thinking seriously about going to graduate school. Written by an author with extensive experience navigating the academic world, the book explains all the steps and potential bumps in the road that a student might encounter as they take the plunge into academia. Each chapter begins with a section called the "hard truth," which will help students determine if they are on the right path. Starting with an undergraduate student looking for a graduate school, the reader is taken on a journey up the academic ladder through graduate studies, a postdoctoral fellowship and an assistant professorship. Each chapter gives advice on not only how to survive the current stage but how to get to the next stage quickly. Enhanced with material from the author's own job applications and interview presentations, A Guide to Academia provides concrete examples of the tools needed for a successful career in academia.

From the Back Cover

On the surface the academic career path seems straightforward, with a logical progression from undergrad to graduate student to postdoc to professor. In reality there are many twists, turns, obstacles and pitfalls that can stand in the way of a successful and rewarding academic career. A Guide to Academia: Getting into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs, and a Research Job is a practical resource to help students and early
career scientists successfully navigate the ups and downs of academic careers.

A Guide to Academia provides real-life insights and insider tips on everything you didn't know you needed to know about grad school, postdocs, and academic careers. Chapters give practical and transferable advice on many of the issues you will face in your early academic career from finding an advisor to applying for jobs and giving scientific talks.

Written by a Ph. D. who has traveled down this same career path, and filled with useful real world examples, A Guide to Academia will provide readers with an invaluable head start to their academic career.

Review Quotes

"Overall, this is a useful, practical handbook on academic careers in any specific discipline as well as nonscience fields. Summing Up: Recommended. All students, researchers/faculty, and professionals." (Choice, 1 December 2012)

"The comprehensive overview A Guide to Academiaprovides will be useful to any scientist embarking on a career in academia." (Science, 8 June 2012)

About the Author

Prosanta Chakrabarty, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University and Curator of Fishes at the LSU Museum of Natural Science.