Having started at a lower ranked school and ended at a higher ranked school, I can give you the following advice (which mostly applies to technical fields). Fi

Having started at a lower ranked school and ended at a higher ranked school, I can give you the following advice (which mostly applies to technical fields). First, do not fall into the trap of thinking that where you get your PhD, or whether you get your PhD, is some kind of indication of your worth. What matters is the quality of your work. People at top schools can do mediocre research, and people at low-ranked schools can change an entire field. Do the best research work you can do; nobody is going to care where the work was done. Second, set expectations with your advisor -- you are not there to further your advisor's career, you are pursuing your own career goals and are not just cheap labor. If you start doing random tasks that your advisor needs done, tasks that are not related to your own research, you will find yourself doing those tasks all the time. It is like any other job, you need to make it clear that you are not going to work outside of your role. Finally, and most important of all, keep your dignity and remember that you can always take a more satisfying job (for better pay). Make sure you pick up a master's degree ~2 years into the PhD program, it helps if you want to leave. You should never feel like you are trapped; years spent in a PhD program will count as years of relevant employment at most tech companies (at least those I am familiar with). The only reason you need a PhD is if you want a tenure track position, and you should know that junior faculty face a new lineup of BS as they work towards tenure.