PhinallyDone – PhD Survival Guide (Fabiano Mota)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzhH2BsmsvY&feature=youtu.beFabiano Mota da Silva just returned from his “PhD trip”, which started back in 2014. We asked him to build a PhD survival guide, which can help others who wish to embark on the same journey.When to go? When you have the desire “to find what has not yet been found”. After that, you should contact research institutes that work in your area of interest and find a supervisor who supports your ideas.Don’t forget:Patience, tranquillity, caution, attention and passion for science.Not to miss:Publications;Conferences;Seminars and discussions with other research groups.Top 3 experiences:Friends;Contact with other cultures;Field work.To avoid:Conflicts with supervisors and professors. "Those who obey never err” - in my opinion this is a good motto to follow during your PhD.Off the beaten track:Since I do field work, my PhD allowed me to meet people with different backgrounds and to travel around the country.What to bring home?Friendships, which we’ll stay with you for a lifetime. Also, the knowledge acquired during the PhD and contacts with research groups.Fun factBefore being a geologist and geophysicist, I was a professional drummer in Brazil. In Lisbon I had the opportunity to be on the opposite side of the stage, watching my friends playing at concerts.What’s new?The possibility of applying and integrating diverse techniques and methodologies from different research areas to meet a single goal of interest (in my case, I used geophysical (electromagnetic and potential) methods and remote sensing).Next stopBrazil, where I will probably apply for a Professor or a Researcher position. My PhD in FCUL was financed by CAPES Brazil. I made the compromise of returning to Brazil and bringing back the knowledge I acquired to a Brazilian University.