I just read “Instructions for PhD Students” by Dimitris Papadias (HKUST) and took notes to record and share insights with fellow PhD students—hope this helps.

Top 3 Notes:

1. Compete for your advisor’s attention. Advisors always have infinite tasks to focus on; it’s your responsibility to get their attention. Never feel guilty about actively seeking it.

2. Always write down (a) your ideas and (b) summaries of interesting readings. Writing helps clarify your logic, generates new ideas, and ensures your advisor visibly recognizes your progress—otherwise, your effort may remain unnoticed.

3. Proactively request opportunities to present to your advisor. Initiating these discussions is both your right and responsibility, crucial for receiving feedback.

Presentation Advice (4-step flow):

1. Clearly define the problem first. Without a clear problem statement, everything else is meaningless. Problems matter more than solutions.

2. Present related work.

3. Present the abstract idea.

4. Then dive into details.

Extra tips:

• If you can’t explain it simply, you likely don’t understand it fully. Learn thoroughly or skip that part of your presentation.
• Audience understanding is your responsibility—not theirs.
• Never assume your audience knows something; always provide complete logic.
• Papers get accepted based on the importance and innovation of problems, not merely solutions.

Paper Advice:

• Refine your paper at least 5 times. Read, refine, and repeat.

Life Advice:

• Never miss deadlines; start early and include buffer time.
• Acceptance builds your CV; rejection builds character.
• Don’t crash under pressure—your emotions are your responsibility, not your colleagues’. It’s perfectly acceptable to quit your PhD if necessary.

There’s more valuable advice in the full slide deck (available here). Feel free to explore and share your own insights.