Hey there! So for those of you who are jumping into a PhD programme,
this might be useful.
this might be useful.
Here are the top 5 things which you need to consider
before you make that big decision.
before you make that big decision.
1. Choose your advisor wisely
It goes without saying that this is the most important thing to consider. Mainly because it has direct saying on the projects that you’ll be working on. Think of it as a marriage, your decision should be well thought out because it is a huge commitment which has bearing throughout your life. Once you make that decision, it stays for all your lifetime( literally, your advisor’s recommendation will matter for all your future employment). This decision is paramount.
I’ll figure out when I get there, instead of this, do your homework. Identifying what your interests are is a big strength, think of it as a lighthouse when you are traveling in the sea. It serves as a direction when you are off-course from your goal for some reason. More importantly, your interest in the research field is the single most important thing as most often you and your advisor are the only people who are interested in it. Think of it this way, you need to pick a food which you need to eat everyday for the next 5 years. So you rather choose something which you like to eat than something which you dread.
The students of the lab are like your family, it's imperative to have a professional relationship with every student of the lab. In your 4-5 year journey, the discussions you have with them will enrich your knowledge and improve your research, probably more than the discussions with your advisor on many occasions. These guys are the brightest of folks in their areas, so tap into their knowledge as much as possible. Also keep in mind, they are a year or two ahead, their experiences will matter and can give you courage to keep going through harsh times
4. Don’t think about money while doing research.
You would often leave a lucrative job to pursue a PhD. So at this time, you have to live hand-to-mouth more often than not. But do keep in mind, PhD is not to improve your position in a company, such things can be accomplished by being an excellent engineer. PhD instills a research philosophy where you go through a conceptual movement , you learn to ask tough questions and form hypotheses, design experiments and so on.. You need to enjoy it for what it is, you get to work with the brightest of people during this time. Remember you get to work for 30-35 years after this, so don’t hurry up at this process.
This will indicate whether the professor has enough skills to guide a student on his topic towards completion. Often professors will be busy and students will be left in the lurch, usually such labs are well funded and have clean working systems. Senior PhD students or Postdocs will engage in your daily research discussions, you get to meet your advisor once in 15 days or so. In another category of labs which are starting new, advisors are likely to micromanage and take control of your research. Either way it is important to note that the professor has the ability to guide you. So one measure is to find out how many have graduated.
My personal experiences:
Caution : Take this with a sack of salt
I came from being a developer at Samsung and a graduate student at IIIT-H.
So I was hardwired to think that programming is all important.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
My first year was the hardest. It involved juggling between courses and research.
At IISc, the courses are heavy-weights and they are structured to make you think hard.
And the professors are from top research labs,
they are on top of their fields, there's a lot to learn working with other students on
these course projects.
The IISc PhD programme has a mandatory course part and a comprehensive exam apart
from your research.
One needs to maintain a minimum pointer of 7 out of 10
in the courses section of requirement. I had to take 3 courses which make up to 12 credits.
I did pretty bad in the courses I took in my first semester.
I took 3 courses and had to drop since it was hard to manage them well
with research readings and discussions.
Second semester marked the amazing and magical recovery, it turned out well ,
I took part in 2 publications as well ( a huge part of it goes to my lab-mates, smartest bunch I've worked with). I cleared my course requirement.
Looking back, the first year ended on a high note.
On an average, in my first year, I worked for about 12 hours a day (6 days a week).
Sometimes there were days where it topped 20 hours as well.
there were phases where
it used to be like that. But there were also phases where it was light.
It all depends on how you pace things. Few people managed it excellently.
I had to learn a lot to, so it took more time for me.
But everyone in our lab worked that way, we supported each other and enjoyed it.
On an average, in my first year, I worked for about 12 hours a day (6 days a week).
Sometimes there were days where it topped 20 hours as well.
there were phases where
it used to be like that. But there were also phases where it was light.
It all depends on how you pace things. Few people managed it excellently.
I had to learn a lot to, so it took more time for me.
But everyone in our lab worked that way, we supported each other and enjoyed it.
In my second year, I was thrown into another problem
which I had a tough time solving, it was unfruitful at the end.
Second year is harder than the first year. But you get adjusted to it.
Maybe I’ll write another blog recording
how the experience of publishing something was like and the nuances surrounding it.
Meanwhile, for all those who are aspiring to join a PhD programme
please read “The PhD Grind”.
It has the ups, the downs, the thrills, the frills of being in a PhD programme.
Image credits : PhD comics.
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