Student. "I understand that sometimes the members of the committee get into arguments with each other during the student's oral defense. What can a student do about that?" Advisor: "Indeed, during the exam session it's not unusual for faculty members to argue about some point brought up during the defense. The best thing for the student to do is keep quiet and not interfere. Let the committee members talk to each other as much as they like. The consequences of such discussions-or arguments--can be either good or bad. From your viewpoint as the student, debates are good if they use up 20 or 30 minutes of the three-hour exam time that otherwise would be dedicated to grilling you. But debates aren't helpful if they use up time you need for defending your work. And arguments are bad if they drive faculty members into an ill temper that affects their judgments of whether you, the candidate, should pass. That danger is particularly acute when an argument is between your major advisor and a vindictive colleague who vents his or her antagonism against your mentor by attacking your project. Finally, here's some advice I give students as they prepare for their defense: 'Answer committee members' questions precisely and concisely, and then STOP. The more you ramble on--which can be a natural tendency in such a stressful situation--the more likely you will expose issues that can harm your case.'"

PROPER PROOFREADING

 Student: "Mike Carmichael said his oral exam was aborted before it even got started. He said some faculty members there were prejudiced against him at the outset. I don't want that to happen to me. Since you were on the committee, could you explain what happened?" Advisor. "Remember the old adage, 'Haste makes waste'? Your friend Carmichael had multiple copies of his dissertation printed off and placed in the committee members' mail boxes before his major professor had read the final version. As a result, the document was in pretty rough shape when we got it. What it needed was careful proofreading and correction before it was ever distributed. So, when the meeting opened, two of the members said they didn't want to waste their time dealing with such a flawed product. I agreed. If Carmichael couldn't even bother to get the mechanics of the dissertation straightened out, how could we trust the way he'd conducted the other phases of his project? "Students sometimes feel that they need not pay attention to such mundane matters as spelling, grammar, and format, because they consider their basic ideas so valuable. They see themselves as so talented that they shouldn't be expected to waste their time on minor details. But faculty members, whose business is that of fostering responsible scholarship, don't see it that way. So, get your thesis in the best condition possible before it goes to the examining committee. And be sure your major advisor has plenty of time to inspect and correct your work prior to the defense."