One goes for Ph.D. hoping to do some ground breaking research and getting intellectual satisfaction out of it. Engaging and challenging one's mental abilities is what research is all about and a Ph.D. gives you ample scope to do so. But what are the factors that one must look at while going for admissions for Ph.D.
Here I am going to list some prerequisites that one must think of even before applying to a college.
Firstly, one should broadly know what he or she is going to study and research, meaning the broad area of research which one wants to pursue. It is important that one goes in for something that one likes as it will become cumbersome after a while to carry on reading and researching a field which you don't like that much. Moreover, a Ph.D. is generally very different from semester based programs because it doesn't have clear milestones and you cannot get away with not reading a part of the complete course that you do not like. It may so happen that the part you do not like is the cornerstone of your work and there is no way around it. Also, it generally happens that what we don't like is what is difficult for us to learn. But there are not short-cuts in a Ph.D. You have to learn what is needed for your research.
The next part to think of is the school and prospective supervisor that one is going to work under. It is always advisable to go for a big brand school and a super-star supervisor as it would be beneficial for your work and will give you visibility during your placements. But, the most important factor to consider is the kind of work and publication that your prospective guide has. One should choose a guide who has reasonable research experience and visible output in terms of publications in good journals. In research your output is measured in terms of your publications, both quantity and more importantly the quality. A supervisor who has experience of publishing in top tier journals is a great asset as writing and publishing in these hallowed journals is also a major subject in itself and someone who is adept at it is always a great help. Do understand that a big name school is important but more important is the quality of your supervisor as your own productivity and output would depend on that.
Moreover, last but not the least one should look at the life that the prospective school or institute has to offer. One generally spends 4-5 years of his or her life in Ph.D. and if you are miserable on the personal front because of the place then your productivity suffers and also everything else. So, the personal front is an important facet that one should look at. If you feel good and are happy in your personal life then you will have fun doing work as well. I can tell from personal experience that Ph.D. work becomes excruciating if you don't like the place where you are working.
So, those are some factors in a nutshell that I would want people to look at before admissions to a Ph.D. course.
Here I am going to list some prerequisites that one must think of even before applying to a college.
Firstly, one should broadly know what he or she is going to study and research, meaning the broad area of research which one wants to pursue. It is important that one goes in for something that one likes as it will become cumbersome after a while to carry on reading and researching a field which you don't like that much. Moreover, a Ph.D. is generally very different from semester based programs because it doesn't have clear milestones and you cannot get away with not reading a part of the complete course that you do not like. It may so happen that the part you do not like is the cornerstone of your work and there is no way around it. Also, it generally happens that what we don't like is what is difficult for us to learn. But there are not short-cuts in a Ph.D. You have to learn what is needed for your research.
The next part to think of is the school and prospective supervisor that one is going to work under. It is always advisable to go for a big brand school and a super-star supervisor as it would be beneficial for your work and will give you visibility during your placements. But, the most important factor to consider is the kind of work and publication that your prospective guide has. One should choose a guide who has reasonable research experience and visible output in terms of publications in good journals. In research your output is measured in terms of your publications, both quantity and more importantly the quality. A supervisor who has experience of publishing in top tier journals is a great asset as writing and publishing in these hallowed journals is also a major subject in itself and someone who is adept at it is always a great help. Do understand that a big name school is important but more important is the quality of your supervisor as your own productivity and output would depend on that.
Moreover, last but not the least one should look at the life that the prospective school or institute has to offer. One generally spends 4-5 years of his or her life in Ph.D. and if you are miserable on the personal front because of the place then your productivity suffers and also everything else. So, the personal front is an important facet that one should look at. If you feel good and are happy in your personal life then you will have fun doing work as well. I can tell from personal experience that Ph.D. work becomes excruciating if you don't like the place where you are working.
So, those are some factors in a nutshell that I would want people to look at before admissions to a Ph.D. course.
