Struggles of Grad Life
Common challenges in Grad Life in the USA and how to overcome them.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: You will likely move to another country or city for higher studies. If such is the case, you will feel homesick, especially at the start. Therefore, try to get connected to people at the destination before your arrival. These people could be your seniors, classmates, labmates, etc. They will help you to find your legs soon.
๐. ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ฉ: Many students struggle to find a concrete research gap. Donโt look for a perfect gap. Seek input from your supervisors to scope your topic. Then, study the recent survey papers to scope your case further down. Start from here, and you will figure out the rest on the way.
๐. ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ: Scholarships are not always too generous. Sometimes, they are even partial. Sometimes you have unexpected expenses for medical or repeat a course. So, you may face some financial hardships. To overcome this, you can do the following โ teaching, marking, assisting your supervisor in an external project, working more hours in Summer, doing odd work like working at university dining, and so on. Try saving and being thrifty from the beginning, but not too thrifty makes you depressed.
๐. ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ: You will most likely face paper rejections during your Ph.D. Donโt get disheartened. Every Ph.D. student faces it. Carefully analyze reviewersโ comments, improve, and submit again. Submit more. Please donโt sit on papers to make them perfect.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค-๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐: Many students struggle to balance work and personal life. Also, doing regular chores like cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. Of course, do study hard. However, donโt kill yourself โ be kind to yourself. Establish a good balance.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐: You can do good research when you have access to rich data. You may struggle to find the correct data. When you pick a Ph.D. project/topic, you have a solid plan and resources to get the required data. You donโt want to change your case after a year due to a lack of data.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: At multiple stages during grad life, you will lose motivation due to not getting the expected results, paper rejection, criticism, and so on. Everyone comes across it. This is the time when your true strength will be tested. So stay strong and stay focussed. Keep yourself away from negative-minded people.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ-๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ: This is the most crucial relationship during your grad life. Keep it healthy, professional, and respectful. Seek concrete feedback and be clear in your communications.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐: Grad Funding is for a specific time such as four years. You may struggle to finish on time. To avoid it, plan from the start. Publish as soon as possible. Keep at least four months for your thesis writing.
๐๐. ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐: When you start your grad life, you will have to learn new skills such as paper reading & writing, data analysis, and so on. Donโt worry if you are slow. Just give it your 100%. Donโt shy away from running the extra mile.
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