This Viewpoint boils down into a few magazine pages what I’ve learned in my 32 years of mentoring Ph.D. students. ON E OF MY favorite activities is advising, so I was happy to accept the invitation to give advice about giving advice. Some faculty members give new students a list of their expectations and student rights. One student did so well that I asked him if he knew why. He said I gave him helpful guidance upon entering graduate school, when he was eager to hear it. He then told me what I said, which I’ve been telling to new students eve