Summary: <br> Happy New Year to all our Hello PhD listeners! <br> <br> <br> <br> 2021 has already been… a lot. But we’re here to help.<br> <br> <br> <br> This week, we open the mailbag to answer your questions about graduate training and life in the lab.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> You Asked for It!<br> <br> <br> <br> Our first note came from Vibhatha, who found that a Science Writing Checklist we mentioned way back in Episode 21 was missing from the website: <br> <br> <br> <br> I know this is years later, but I am trying to access the material from the podcast. The following link is not available: <a href="http://www.sciencewritingradio.com/hellophd/">http://www.sciencewritingradio.com/hellophd/</a>.Is it possible to get this information? I also tried to check the website, it is also not available. If you can provide an alternative source to grab this information, it would be really helpful for me.<br> <br> <br> <br> We reached out to our guest from that episode Dr. David Shifrin, and he was able to locate the file. It’s now available in our show notes at <a href="http://hellophd.com/2015/11/021-the-4-simple-tips-that-will-make-your-writing-stand-out/">021: The 4 simple tips that will make your writing stand out</a>. <br> <br> <br> <br> Thanks to Vibhatha and David!<br> <br> <br> <br> Virtually Satisfied<br> <br> <br> <br> Our next email was from a listener who responded to our recent episode on virtual interviews: <a href="http://hellophd.com/2020/11/146-ace-your-virtual-graduate-school-interview-w-dr-beth-bowman/">146. Ace Your Virtual Graduate School Interview w/ Dr. Beth Bowman</a><br> <br> <br> <br> We asked for your experiences, and what it was like choosing a grad program without ever having set foot on campus.<br> <br> <br> <br> Lindsey was an early test-subject, virtually interviewing in Spring 2020. Here’s how that turned out:<br> <br> <br> <br> Hi Josh and Dan!I just started my Ph.D. this fall in mechanical engineering. I was going through the interview process right as the Covid lockdowns started in the US, so I only got to visit half of the schools that I was accepted to. In the end, I was deciding between a school that I got to visit in person and one that I was not able to visit. I ended up going to the school that I did not visit in person. It was definitely scary to commit to a school and a city that I hadn’t been to. Talking to students on Zoom really helped get a sense of the culture, even though it was a lot less information than I got from visiting in person. I’m very happy with my decision and love my research topic and the wonderful people that I get to work with! <br> <br> <br> <br> That’s great news, and thanks to Lindsey for sharing! If you have experience with virtual interviews, feel free to leave a comment below, or email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@hellophd.com">podcast@hellophd.com</a>.<br> <br> <br> <br> Hello? Is Anyone There?<br> <br> <br> <br> Brian wrote to find out if there is a better way to contact potential PhD advisors. He’s been getting a lot of nothing when he emails his request.<br> <br> <br> <br> I have a question that I would love to get your take on: what is the optimal way, and time, to email prospective PIs?In my emails to PIs thus far, I have included a bit of my background, expressed my specific interest in their work, asked if they were taking on new students and if so, if they would be able to meet to further discuss their research. My response has been limited, and I would like to increase my impact going forward. As far as timing, do you think there’s an optimal time over the next few weeks to email PIs so that I can form connections in advance of admission decisions?<br> <br> <br> <br> This one is tricky, because Brian is trying to make contact during the Holida...
