Choosing a PhD advisor

#1: They need to be willing, the more the better - the amount always varies.

#2: Among the willing, ponder their long-term abilities. Don't ever let yourself work for someone who is on the verge of going broke - especially after you finish and enter the workforce.

#3: Among the willing and able, pick the one you can most see yourself working with in varying ways. One day might be up close, one day might be other side of the world.

>>18079486
>going broke
what do you mean by this?
how can a professor go broke? you mean not having any projects funded?

>Any horror stories? Pitfalls to avoid?

First and foremost: since you're betting your future on this, obviously you need to be sure THEY aren't going to wind up disappearing or being suddenly disabled. Sounds crazy, but keep in mind this is largely old people we're talking about.

Other than that, don't worry about numbers or search for indicators of assured success. Give your instincts a chance to speak, and they'll steer you away from dangers that numbers can't express. In other words, the things people actually *regret* after they've made a multi-year commitment they end up hating. They usually don't hate it because of numbers, unless the numbers are absolute trash.

>>18079494
Anyone can go broke; even governments can run out of money. If you don't know this then give the matter a little thought and it might help you avoid potential hazards in the future.

>school runs on sunsparkles and unicorn farts

>>18079499
>beware that the US government doesn't go broke and your country doesn't descend into civil war
Nice advice, very useful