Dear friends, It's the BEST and worst advice that many students receive.  My supervisor knew me quite well, that I would be one of the few students who would write in English.  So her advice to me was 'Publish and don't perish'.

Dear Beata, During our academic career and working in committees and working teams, we meet many persons and listen to their advices or reject them.

I attached one article for your question please.

1. You don't seek out multiple mentors.

2. You don't seek out external evaluations.

3. You are either perfectionist or perfunctory in putting your work into print.

4. Did you hold on to revisions too long? Or rush them out? Very few articles are accepted on the first go-round with a publisher.

5. You pay too much attention to personal relationships—or too little.

6. You fail to understand the cultural norms of your institution.

7. You aren't well known outside your institution.

8. You lack resilience in the face of failure.

9. You've been involved in one too many intradepartmental squabbles.

10. You are too selfish or too selfless.

11. You got stuck on your dissertation paradigm.

12. You collaborate too much with colleagues from graduate school or your postdoctoral years.

13. You fail to have a coherent research program.

14. You are guilty of any form of academic dishonesty.

15. You haven't figured out who you are.

http://chronicle.com/article/Self-Sabotage-in-the-Academic/138875/

In my view, Swami Vivekananda's advice on the goals of education are very relevant to this discussion thread. I shall summarize them briefly!

At my office, I have many books written by Swami Vivekananda and whenever I get some free time, I read a few pages of his speeches or works for inspiration.

Best wishes,

Sundar

Dear  All,

It's August now and hopefully we are in the middle of pleasant and rush less holidays, therefore thank you for participating.

In proportion to the length of our academic careers there are a lot of advices  which were accepted or rejected by us. I was aware of dimension, so I asked about the  boundary values as best and /or worst of all, dear @ Mahfuz. Thank you for your comment.

Dear @ Gopinath, quiet interesting sources you shared, thank you. I'll think about.

Dear @Sundar, thank you for inspirations. Of course, we got inspiring advices through published voices too.

Dear friends, It's the BEST and worst advice that many students receive.  My supervisor knew me quite well, that I would be one of the few students who would write in English.  So her advice to me was 'Publish and don't perish'.

Dear Beata

I became a professor in a research institute at the age of 41 when my guide  nominated my name to that research institute. He knew that I would not stay there for long as my wife worked in Delhi University where I have worked during most of my career. So, he told me that there are amazing facilities in that institute, and make full use of them. I kept that sentence in my mind, and worked nearly 12 hours a day, and published extensively, though there was no concept of impact factor journals those days; nor a craze for publishing in international journals as it is today. I came back after 2 years of stay there. I was most productive there, as I was alone.

Honestly, I can not remember the worst advice.

Dear  @Debi,

I always welcome your comments, knowledge, opinions, experiences and personal narratives. I agree, creative thoughts need empty spaces and kind of deprivation. Thank you for supporting.

Successful Investment .... Love your students, gives them all your knowledge, because they are the future.

At the other hand, I always ignore worst advice.

Dear @Jeanan,

I like advices as well as your attitude to the worst heard in academia. My personal dilemma was initially to recognize and differenciate the best from the worst advices, but I learned this too.

Dear @Beata, the worst  (friendly) advice I have got from a colleague who told me: "Stop fight corruption and frauds, it is very bad for our institution, ..., it will return to you like a boomerang! 

Of course, my reaction was the fighting one! There were many political and other pressures, but here I am, still do the same. Some good results were achieved in a meantime!

Oh yes, dear @Ljubomir, you just shared deeply tacit assumption from your colleague of the academia. Thank you a lot for the courage to share it. I appreciate it.

I hear all the time - don't rush with the habilitation, you're too young, you have time ... started too early, you will lose.

Of course it's sometimes true, I know few cases where women, too young in Department Board's opinion lost their chance but it's not a rule.

Dear Marta,

I wonder if such advice "don't rush with habilitation" may be only specialite de la maison Polonaise - and our academic environments. Interesting remark.Thank you.  Btw. Have you maybe heard such sentences  "you need to mature" ? and have you tried to decode the motives of  advices you have heard?

Yes I heared but we all know that a maturity is a relative thing ;)

And going back to the very young age ... according to our ministry "young scientist" is the one to 35 years of age ... but when it comes to habilitation, youthfulness is unspecified extended.

Dear Marta,

 I was always curious about the content of "maturity" in opinion of Faculty Board. When and how maturity starts in opinion of respected professors ? - I never got direct answer. Probably 35 + is the moment to think about it but waiting for getting graying hair. The most important things are documented achievements and scores.

Documented achivements should be the most important thing but not necessarily are, unfortunately.

It, happens too. I agree.

Dear Beata

the best advice i think is not to decide a permanent academic career in early 20s

you must get a lot of discussion from seniors and elders plus experience in internships or small contract jobs leads you to better choice to choose your academic carrier in a year or so   

The best pieces of advice I got were:

i) not to leave things for later; effective time management (which I'm not very good at)

ii) not to take things personally

iii) To be 'zen' about things that are beyond my control

The not -so- good pieces of advice were:

i) To say 'OK' to everything to show that I was professionally mature

ii) To copy and paste qualitative feedback for students from general templates 

iii) To not spend too much time on research and development, to just do the minimum possible and instead spend that extra time engaging in public relations with 'important' people.

Dear @Umer,  interesting remark about not deciding the entire carreer in early 20's. I wonder why ?   Thank you for support.

Dear @Monica,  I'm impressed with your comment. Some advices seem have universal values.   Thank you.

Dear Beata Borowska-Beszta

Not deciding the entire career in early 20's. wonder why ?

The answer is in 20s the human psychology is too vibrant and one get impressed too easily by show off and pay package e.t.c but the actual career satisfaction is often over looked and not taken into consideration

i remember in 20s we were quite impressed by jobs at Google and MS , IBM and other big names but actual career choice / job satisfaction is not considered, we got awake when we struck up in a lengthy job contract and no other choice left other then to continue

so in my opinion, 2-3 small job internships are need before actual career choice and sound career counseling

Dear @Umer, thank you for explanations. Now I understand your point of view and kind of "big dreams" while 20's.

Worst advice: Gratitude does not exist in the Academy! (from a chief)

Best advice: I would not get far if you had not given me the opportunity to look at the world from your shoulders. (from my ex students)

Dear @Enzo,

Thank you for reflective comment. There is something unusual with gratitude category in academia. From my perspective (22 years of work at uni)  better to not expect at all but broadly share to the best mentors and supervisors, who desere it. The best advice, you shared is indeed the gratitude or am I wrong ?