Exchange Diaries
Sabyasachi Sen | Mechanical Engineering
Cornell University, USA
What part does a Ms/PhD degree from a prestigious university play in a student's life?
A PhD buys you the time you need to introspect; Dive deep into all the questions that bothered you through your undergrad, some of the questions my supervisor threw in my mind during the undergrad days. You get the opportunity to investigate and develop your techniques/approaches to answer any question. You spend a lot of time in the laboratory finding out how deep your interest is in the subject.
From where did you get the motivation? How did it all start? How did you handle your preparation with your academics?
The best I remember is that from class 10th onwards, I had a tilt towards academics. When my journey began at IIT Kharagpur, I knew that my bachelors would not be the end of my academic journey. So, I started reading books in my free time, usually during the evening. My interest in the subject became firm after doing the dirty work, i.e., working in labs and calculating the values and working precisely.
What are the essential points to look at when deciding which PhD program one should choose to join?
The university ranking has no direct bearing on what kind of a PhD experience you will end up having. The professor is super important. It's a decision that will affect your 4-5 years of PhD and the rest of your career.
Area of interest is a given - if you didn't have multiple profs doing work that interests you, you shouldn't have applied to that university in the first place.
So, I would say, knowing who your supervisor will be at the time you receive your offer or if it's a fellowship, you typically get a semester to decide - so the various options you have for supervisor/advisor are super important.
I would look for three things in a prof whom I would like to have as my PhD supervisor -
1. extremely good technically - someone whose fundamentals are super strong
2. pushing the frontiers of knowledge in his area of work
3. becoming a good human being
The first two can be understood, more or less, by going through the work, he's done over the years - read his papers, see what impact they've had in that academic community, etc.
The 3rd one is tough to understand before you meet the person and spend time with him, but it helps if you can reach out to as many former/current PhD students of that prof to know what it's like to work with him/her.
How did you apply for the MS/PhD?
All the universities have an online portal on their website through which you have to apply for a PhD.
How are you planning to manage your finances?
Since I am doing a PhD, I don't have to worry much about the expenses. The program is fully funded; additionally, I'll be receiving a decent stipend to bear my costs.
What do you think is the role of CGPA?
CG is super important. If someone is telling you that CG is not essential, then maybe that person is ignorant. Maintain a Good CG, as it will open the door to many possibilities.
How is your university going to manage everything in this confusion of Covid-19?
There is a high probability that my PhD program will start from January onwards, although they have not given a clear notice on this.
How did IIT KGP benefit you in your journey?
In my journey of getting this PhD, professors and supervisors have played a crucial role. Without their guidance, it could have only been a dream.
Dr Aditya Bandopadhyay helped me a lot to get to know what my genuine interest was nad since he was an assistant professor to I got a chance to
Work with him directly. Peer pressure is excellent in IIT KGP since it pushes you beyond your limits. Not many people are as lucky as I was in getting to know my interest in the undergrad days. In the end, it boils down to you how much you are willing to put in.