Piled Higher and Deeper: A Graduate Student Comic Strip Collection

Piled Higher and Deeper #1

by Jorge Cham

A collection of the first five years of "Piled Higher and Deeper," a comic strip about life (or lack thereof) in graduate school, as it originally appeared in Stanford University's "The Stanford Daily Newspaper" and online at phd.stanford.edu.

"Piled Higher and Deeper" the comic strip is currently read by grad students from over 300 universities and from around the world.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Research, Education

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Jorge Cham is a Chinese-Panamanian post-doc best known for his popular newspaper and web comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD Comics). He first started drawing PhD Comics as a graduate student at Stanford University, and has since been syndicated in several university newspapers and in three published book collections.

Jorge Cham received his Bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech in 1997, and earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford. He subsequently worked at Caltech as an instructor and as a researcher on neural prosthetics.

In 2005, Cham began an invited speaking tour of over 80 major universities delivering his talk titled "The Power of Procrastination". In this lecture, Cham talks about his experiences creating the comic strip and examines the sources of grad students' anxieties. He also explores the guilt and the myths associated with procrastination and argues that in many cases it is actually a good thing.

Reviews

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading these as webcomics, but they don't stay as funny through multiple re-reads, although I do still adore the characters.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be more nostalgic for this comic than anything, but I do find that this volume really does capture much of the joy I have had reading it.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series used to be my ameliorative drug of choice. Could certainly identify with the characters‘ seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich kenne die Comics klassisch online zum prokrastinieren im Labor. Es sind mittlerweile aber so viele Comicstrips, dass es schon angenehmer ist, sie in gebundener Form in Ruhe zu lesen.
Wenn man in den Comicstrip relativ mittig eingestieten ist sind die ersten Versuche gewöhnungsgebdürftig. Die Charactere haben nicht nicht das gewohnte Aussehen und sind schon eher Laienhafte Zeichnungen eines Studenten. In diesem ersten Sammelband verändert sich der Zeichenstil schnell und sehr massiv von Jahr zu Jahr und kommt der gewohnten Qualität späterer Geschichten immer näher. Vor allem bei der Schrift gibt es auch Phasen, wo diese winzig und schier unleserlich ist.
Was auch auffällt ist, dass die ersten Geschichten schon sehr auf US Probleme zugeschnitten sind, mit denen deutsche Doktoranden nicht so viel anfangen können. QUALS, haben wir nicht. Wir hatten Vordiplom, Diplom und Rigorosum nach Bologna sogar nur noch Bachelor und Master bzw. bei Staatsexamen gar keine Zwischenprüfungen. Was als QUALS sein sollen...
Auch die Housing Crisis lässt deutsche Leser nur müde mit den Schultern zucken, denn hier gibt es keine on campus Wohnungen, hier muss jeder auf dem freien Markt eine Wohnung suchen oder 1-2 Stunden nach Hause zu Muttern pendeln.
Viel Shakespeare Analogien, die sich normalen deutschen Studenten der Naturwissenschaften nicht unbedingt erschließen werden. Später werden die Comic strips definitiv besser, aber aus nostalgischen Gründen und weil ich nie die Muße hatte die wirklich ersten Geschichten in Labor zu lesen, sollte man auch den ersten Band lesen.

[Silo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading the Jorge Cham Piled Higher and Deeper comic published from 1997 to 2018 and I must say this comic would definitely be my guilty pleasure and I will come to this every now and then since I am also into the academic research field. More that the laughing I was seeing my real life experienced events in this comic and mostly I was relating to the Cecilia character besides her dating part though.

From the part of her geekiness of pursuing academic profession, not having outside life after lab, spending holidays in lab due to the expensive ticket to home, workloads after workloads, underpaid, under-acknowledged and absence of professor/supervisor/PI but always demanding the updates and results through online meeting not to forget in holidays as well...*SIGH*

If you are in research field or pursuing academic profession in any country I must say you could mostly relate to this comic characters.

[Erin Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how many years have I been enjoying this comic? A very long time. This collection is from the early years where the characters are being developed. I enjoy the later years more, especially as Cecelia gets deeper in her thesis writing, but the first book establishes the tone well.

I haven't really read the story in about a decade - so after COVID and the increasing taking advantage of workers desperate to learn and the debilitating student debt, some of these jokes are hitting different. Humor changes. Not good or bad, but different.

This particular set of jokes were originally written between 1997 and 2002. Therefore 22 to 27 years ago.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

appreciate the creativity and thought behind this book.

[Kritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

THESE COMICS GET ME THROUGH GRAD SCHOOL. Enough said.

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primer tomo de la serie, que abarca los cinco primeros años. Hay trozos que me gustan mucho, y otros (menos) que me aburren profundamente. En conjunto le daría 3.5 estrellas. Muy entretenido.

[Earl Truss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being the first book of the five book series, this one takes some time to get going. Toward the end, the drawings have become much better.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to reread the original strips that are very Stanford-centric and often reference events in the local or national news.

[Shikha Bangar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny book, a good way to laugh and cry at the same time (if you are a Ph.D. student).

[S M Rafiuddin Rifat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best comic strip series I have ever had!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too accurate!

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

You may be aware of the PhD Comics strip that's syndicated in papers around the world and comes to you in web form. This is the first of three full-length books of reprinted strips and chronicles the 'early years' of PhD life. I typically find Cham's work hilarious, though was let down by this collection. Piled Higher and Deeper gives the impression that PhD life is only about the pursuit of free food, the gradual decline in posture, the deterioration of social skills, low pay and long hours, and the lord-vassal relationship between PhD student and adviser. Oh but that's right - that's about all it is....

[Gabriel Gapas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen most of the comic strips in this book and I found them very amusing, despite the fact that I am still an undergraduate. I understand the grad school life since I have relatives who went through it and got their masters/doctorates after a long time of doing their theses/dissertations.


P.S. I have plans of pursuing about 2-3 Master's Degrees (Archaeology, Language and Literature, and Forensic Linguistics) and a Doctorate in English. I always check this comic to see and know what to expect in the graduate academia.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift from my mom and brother last Christmas, which I had put on my wish list, because I was planning to finish up my graduate degree. I read through the entire book while I was working on my thesis, and it was very therapeutic (and confirmed my belief that a master's degree would be far enough).

It got a bit repetitive about certain jokes, such as free food, the hopelessness of research, avoiding one's faculty, etc. Some of those jokes eventually got tired. But otherwise, it was a fun complement to my graduate degree experience.

[Liza · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are doing a PhD or a masters degree in engineering (or any other science, with social science being considered at a stretch), you will absolutely LOVE this comic series. Get the electronic version on your computer and check it every day, send it to all your friends and procrastinate with it to your heart's content. Go to www.phdcomics.com

However, if you are not a grad student, or have never been one, this will likely go over your head a bit....

[Aishe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I did not pursue a PhD in the hard sciences, I still felt that these vignettes were true to my experience as a graduate student, and that of my friends and peers. The characters were instantly recognizable and relatable. All you had to do was insert snow, and these events could have taken place at my institution. I found the subject matter refreshing, and irreverent, and brutally honest. I definitely recommend it as a break from tedium for all my grad friends!

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jorge Cham nails the trials and tribulations that almost every graduate student endures and makes it incredibly funny while doing so. If you are in graduate school they are a must read. If you are planning on going to graduate school, read these comics they may be able to save you before its too late.

[ratna · Rating 4 out of 5]

haven't actually bought the book, just followed the comic strips in "Piled Higher and Deeper" from time to time (well, actually not only reading them, but also having them as the wallpaper of my lab computer :p)

Someday, when I finish, I'd like to have this book. To remind me of the life (or THE LACK THEREOF :D) during this time :)

[Norain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been considering about furthering my study to higher levels but this comic made me re-consider my option. I mean, having Dr prefixed to your name sounds grand but… whose idea was that originally? And really, what does it mean?

To Dr Y my probable adviser, if I am not continuing under you then blame Dr Cham. Or, maybe thank him for saving me?

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly picked this up at San Diego Comic Con 2012 after being sold from reading the first two panels. It's ridiculously hilarious and relatable plus quite well constructed. Definitely worth a read for anyone who has been through college either for undergrad or post-grad, especially those who have been in the science majors.

[This Is Not The Michael You're Looking For · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first "Piled Higher and Deeper" collection, it's a great look at life as a grad student. It's a bit oriented toward specific events at Stanford (where the author was a grad student at the time), but much of the humor is universal.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard Cham speak and had my book signed when he came to my campus. A lovely man with a lovely message--we're all in this together, and grad school is not worth ruining your life (though it may make it a funny shape).

[Nurul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A legitimate procrastination.... Amazing how this book covers all of the complains (and the fun, of course)of being a graduate student. Reminds me of......

[Masnita · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best strips ever!

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to doing my PhD...

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this at McDonalds King Albert Park. I aint a grad student yet, so the quips didnt strike me as an epiphany sort.

[Ericka Loffredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

highly recommend. However I had to stop reading this while I was in grad school, because it hit a little too close to home.