Exchange Diaries
Ghansham Chandel | Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland, USA
What motivates you for a Ph.D.? From Where Did You Get The Motivation? How did it all start? How did you handle your preparation with your academics?
My first research exposure under Prof. Anandaroop, and coursework experience from Professor Suman Chakraborty, who taught the course in micro fluids, was why I took up this field.
Did you apply to multiple universities? If yes, can you please elaborate on the differences in process of different universities? What was the role of your CGPA?
Yes, I applied to 4 universities of which I got offers from Georgia Tech University and the University of Maryland. The number of letters of recommendation varies; they ask for a minimum of three, but some top universities require four letters of recommendation. Georgia Tech University has two rounds of selection. First, the university selects you based on your resumé and CGPA. In the second round, you can approach any professor, and if they are interested in working with you, you get selected. This process was a bit different from all the other universities. I didn't have a good CGPA, so my case was mainly pushed forward by my good letter of recommendation, and thus the CGPA didn't play a significant role in my admission.
How are you planning to manage your finances? Have you applied for any scholarships? What were their procedures?
I am a Ph.D. candidate so all my research will be funded which is the case for most of the universities. If any student is looking for funds for their ideas I would advise them to pursue Ph.D. in your field of interest.
How did IIT KGP benefit you in your journey?
The professor under whom I am doing my research is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur. Several foreign universities have professors from IIT KGP, and if your research interests align with theirs, you have a golden opportunity.
What difficulties have pandemics brought in your selection process? How is your university managing the confusion of the COVID pandemic?
The first problem I faced was that we had to give the official transcript after a gap of 2-3 months so the preparation of documents could be done. The number of seats was also reduced as the students who were supposed to apply in 2020 applied in 2021, which led to a lot of confusion in the cutoff stats. As of now, the university is going to call all of the students by August which is when the course usually starts. We would have to go through a fourteen-day quarantine after arriving, regardless of the status of our vaccination.
What are the opportunities after the Ph.D. course?
The answer is universal. Even if you get a research project under a professor and complete it, the choice is subjective. You can be hired by a research firm; or you can do your first postdoc, second postdoc, and enter academia. You can also get into the corporate world if you want to.
What message do you give to juniors today who are interested in pursuing similar courses?
Start doing projects under professors from the 2nd-year summer break. It is not a compulsion to join societies. If you do research work many opportunities will be open up to you. You can even grab more internships and can also go into the corporate world.