“If you want to make money, you don’t need a PHD. If you want women, you don’t need a PHD. If you want freedom, then a PHD will help.”-Slava Rokitski
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Why apply.
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Studying for tests
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Personal Statement
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Experience
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Contacting professors
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When to apply
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What if grades are low
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Masters or Phd
Those were the words of Slava Rokitski, one of my mentors during my undergraduate days. He has a soft spoken, calm and quiet demeanor. He is one of those who sits, observes and makes a decision carefully. He gets his work done without a fuss. Why does a PHD get you freedom? “It makes you think clearly and forces you to question everything.”
When you question everything, you do research and when you do research you surpass ignorance when you are not ignorant you know reality and when you know reality you can make better decisions and when you make good decisions you are in control and when you are in control, you are free. Everyone I spoke with, did not regret getting a PHD. Not everyone can get a PHD but like my other mentor, Professor Shaya Fainman said when I asked him if it’s possible do a PHD later in life: “Anything is possible, if you have focus.”
When you question everything, you do research and when you do research you surpass ignorance when you are not ignorant you know reality and when you know reality you can make better decisions and when you make good decisions you are in control and when you are in control, you are free. Everyone I spoke with, did not regret getting a PHD. Not everyone can get a PHD but like my other mentor, Professor Shaya Fainman said when I asked him if it’s possible do a PHD later in life: “Anything is possible, if you have focus.”
Taking Tests
Many of my friends took entrance tests, most of them took them more than once. I took mine more than once. Most of us did the same thing, we didn’t study because we thought we were geniuses. But we did poorly and for the second time we studied our hineys off. At the time, I was unemployed and spending 3-6 hours a day studying for my GRE’s. I’d do a practice test in the morning, study during the day then take another one or two during the day and or at night.
This paid off and after I took the test I began to take grad classes through my employer. I was lucky, they were flexible allowing me to drive to college at lunch or during the day, paying for several classes. This wasn’t easy and I wished I had taken advice of other PhD students, mainly to go straight from undergrad to grad school.
When To Apply
When you’re out and working, you get used to having money, having your own schedule and working a lot less than when you were in college. You don’t have finals, you have free weekends and you can take off on vacation any time instead of during designated times.
Going straight from college to grad school means that you’re used to living poor and working hard. You are surrounded by people like you and that helps a lot. When you’re older you feel out of place and people your age will be a lot less understanding of you going through school.
If you’re tired of school, just think how you’ll regret not pushing yourself an extra year or two when you’re working and feeling like you could have had another degree. Just a year or two more and your checks will be bigger and a lot more opportunities open. Just look at job openings, vast majority ask for Master’s candidates. So suck it up and do it!
Personal Statement
A grad school personal statement is not at all like the personal statement for undergrad. The Graduate school could care less about how unique you are or how hard your life was. What they care is that you can work hard, you have passion and you know what you want. They want that because that is the kind of people who thrive in grad school because that is the type of people who have focus.
For this reason, look up some successful statements and model yours after theirs. This is how they will look:
I first began to like subject A when.
I worked on subject A in undergrad with Professor B.
My grades in this area were C.
I have done work on the subject, I read the papers on the subject and I intend to work on C in subject A at this school because A, B, C
That’s it.
Contacting Professors
Do it early. In fact do it right after taking a class where you did well where they will remember you.
Give the professor a pre-written letter for them to edit and sign. This will ensure that they get to it in their busy schedule and maybe embellish it because you have shown you care for their time. Even if you worked for the pro-fessor pre-write the letter because they don’t remember what you did because they barely remember what they did.
This is how the letter will look.
A worked in my lab from A to B and was in my class for D. She was a hard-working student having completed all assignments on time and showed ability to perform in class by earning an A and in lab by quickly picking up the skills and performing them on time and with great quality. She is motivated by C and clearly sees a future for herself in this area of research.
I recommend this person for your program as I believe they will be able to perform and excel given their talents, skills and passion for C.
That’s it, be honest about your work and let the professor embellish it if need be. Just don’t put anything that you wouldn’t put for others because then you may never hear from the professor because they are too “busy”, missing the deadline and opportunity for grad school.
Grades/Test results too low.
Never take a no for an answer. If you can work hard and have focus, apply to all schools and if you do not get into a school you really want to go to, appeal. My friend Ash had a 2.5 GPA and was able to convince the Dean to let him into the PhD program. He wasn’t regular, he had a patent and a start-up under his belt but neither are you, that’s why you’re reading this to learn before doing. So make sure that you are aiming for the fruit you are qualified for. Otherwise, there are plenty of less competitive programs where you might be a good fit.
However, hopefully you are reading this before you let your grades fall too low so that you have to resort to appeals and begging. Best is study hard and work for things and don’t slack or you will come to regret the time wasted and the poor grades as each C is a potentially closed door in the future, there are no do overs in life. I’m not lecturing, I’m just telling you how it will go.
Masters or PhD
A Masters degree is great for getting a extra pay when you get out of school and having a little extra qualification for jobs. It prepares you for more than just a bachelors but it is expensive. What many don’t know however, is that you can do is get a Masters via PhD. In United States there is a shortage of PhDs, so it is easier to get accepted into a PhD program which is usually free to the student and after you pass your prelim test which is about two years into the program, you get an automatic Masters. At which point you can decide to go on or to stay.
Reasons to not go on to PhD:
You don’t want to go into academia and teach.
You don’t want to do a post-Doc, period of 2-10 years after PhD where you do the same work as people do in the industry but for a third of the money but with hopes of finding a position at a University to teach.
Last reason that I know of, you can’t spend another second in the PhD. program.
Pitfalls
I have met PhD students whose funding was cut off after four years and could not get their PhD. I’ve met students who were going through the program for ten plus years and I have met students who got on the bad side of a tenured professor who would fail them and get them nearly expelled. One must navigate and tread the waters of University politics carefully.
You must never burn a bridge, no matter how shaky and keep focus at all times.
You will work like a slave for virtually no money but in the end you will be smarter, better and richer. So focus on your passion, don’t let others dissuade you and dig in. Others have done it and so can you.
seven year degree 