Joining the lab--the big talk

After your lab rotations, you have to decide on a lab to join. Carefully weigh the following in your decision:

• Lab environment
• People
• Equipment
• Advisor's style of advising
• Science
• Room for growth

I think the reason's for considering these topics are self-evident, but remember to consider them all, and don't just get hung up on one of them.

Once you've picked your lab, you need to meet with your advisor to let him/her know that you've made your choice. I would recommend that you first go to the PI whose lab you want to join and talk things out (discussed below) before going to the other PIs and telling them that you don't what to join their lab. The reasoning for this is simple: if something goes bad during this talk then you can still go to your second choice and join his/her lab.

There is one exception to this approach (but it's quite risky): if you are having a very hard time deciding between two labs then you could meet with each of those PIs and tell them that you're on the fence, and give them a chance to convince you that you should join their lab. Depending on their situation (big lab/small lab; lots of money/little money) they might offer some compelling reasons, or they might tell you to just pick the other lab. One thing to remember is that PIs talk to each other, and they've usually known each other for a long time. Their loyalty is to each other (generally) rather than to a first year grad student, so be very careful not to get in the middle of something that could get very ugly.

When you have "the big talk" you might want to consider discussing the following:

• Funding (current and future). Make sure that the lab has enough money to pay for you and your science over the next 5 years (yes, it will probably take that long).
• Stipend. In my department, there is a certain amount of flexibility in what students are paid. I don't know if this is common, but if you have room for negotiation, then you should talk it over. Try to at least get your advisor to bump up your stipend a little each year so you can keep up with inflation. If you don't have any luck then don't worry about it. No one ever got rich in grad school, so don't get too hung up on the stipend.
• Projects. What will you be doing? Can you come up with your own project or do you have to do one that has already been designed? How many projects? Will you also be teaching? Will you be responsible for any underlings (undergrads) in the lab?
• Other lab responsibilities. Depending on the size of the lab, you might get stuck washing dishes, ordering supplies, or whatever. Better to find this out earlier than later.
• People. Ask your advisor when more senior people in the lab are leaving (graduating) and if he/she has any plans to grow or shrink the lab over the next few years.
• Tenure. You probably already know if the PI is tenured, but not a bad idea to double-check.
• Lab space/equipment. Where will you work? Which computer will you use (will the lab get you one)? There may be other issues surrounding accessibility to special pieces of equipment.
• Expectations. This is the big one. Ask you (potentially future) advisor what his/her expectations are of a successful grad student. I think it's good to be vague like this at first to see what they come up with. If you're wondering about their expectation in certain things then you can follow up with those specific questions. For instance, if you love to travel, you could specifically ask about how much time off you can have each year. If you have a family (or a demanding hobby), you could ask about how many hours your PI expects of you each week. You could even discuss working a flexible schedule.

If everything has gone well, then it's time to commit to the lab. Let your advisor know when you plan on starting and let them know that you're excited about starting. It might be a good idea to plan another meeting to go into greater detail about your project(s).

Now, it's time to go and let the other professors know of your decision. It's a little bit like breaking up with a girlfriend, but shouldn't be too bad. You want to stay on good terms with these people, so be polite and think before you speak. You might need a letter of recommendation from them or need them on your committee down the line.