Exchange Diaries  

Devansh Pandey | Biotechnology

The University of Texas, United States of America

1.While you were in college, what was your motivation to go for higher studies and in which year
did you get that motivation? How did you manage your academics with your preparation?

"It was more towards starting or the later period of third year that I got to realise what I wanted
to do. I wasn't sure about this in the first or second year. I tried my hands in all the things that I
could find, like by the end of first year I started working in data analysis and data science. By the
end of my second year and in the summers of 2019 I did a data science internship at yes bank
even in my third year I worked with a few companies. So, I was doing finance and data sciences
but I wasn't in any biological stuff. So, I wasn't sure about biology but was really interested in
data sciences. Then in one of the courses named bioinformatics I learnt that you can use data
science and machine learning and this got me excited and I applied for some foreign internships
like one in Simon Fraser University at Vancouver, Canada in which I was going to build machine
learning models for computational biology but it got cancelled due to covid. Then during covid I
came home and started working on my B.T.P. My B.T.P was the one major thing that motivated
me to pursue higher education in the field of biology."
"Managing academics wasn't tough as these things didn't require much time. Also these things
catered to my interests and were related tomy subject so I managed them. And for the
Universities I applied to, I had to take only TOEFL not GRE so the preparation process wasn't
lengthy. I managed to score well even by mere two days' preparation."

2. What are the factors that you considered for selecting the universities you are going to apply
for?

"I considered the different programs and labs. So, basically one has to take into consideration
the different kinds of labs and programs because you have to work there for the next four years.
So, I started looking for the labs and programs I was interested in. Initially I made a list of about
hundred Universities then cut it down to ten. I talked to my friends and my seniors while
selecting the universities."

3. Did you apply to multiple universities? If yes can you please elaborate on the differences in
the selection process of the universities? In universities in which you were not selected can you
please share what you felt you lacked, and what could you have done better?

"For Ph.D, more or less the selection process is the same. You have to make your SOPs
(Statements Of Purposes), CV , letter of recommendation and personal statements too. But the
criteria of selection also involves a bar of CGPA which is different for different universities. But
different universities take into consideration different things. Some universities judge you on the
basis of the house from which your letter of recommendations are and some others judge you
on the basis of your holistic qualities and some take everything into consideration. In fact, most
of them take everything into consideration. Basically for Biology, Universities require two
statements for selection. The academic statement of purpose and the personal statement of
purpose."
"So, I applied for ten universities and got selected in four of them.I think that CVs or SOPs might
have been the reasons for not getting selected in others."

4.How are you planning to manage your finances?Have you applied for any scholarships?What
were their procedures?

"I first searched the websites of different colleges. They have detailed information for the
stipend,funding,registration,tuition fee and health insurance. Also the fees vary according to the
cities and the standard of living. Most of the time department funds for the first year. If
professors have funds then they would be funding you for the subsequent years too. You can
even apply for various TAships and fellowships. I have applied to fellowships in The University
of Texas too and got selected in it. If I get it then the department would fund me for three years.
So, there are different fellowships to fund Ph.D students."

5. Is CGPA a factor while considering higher studies at foreign universities?

"Different universities have different bars for CGPA, some have a bar of 9.5 or so and don't take
applicants who have CG less than that and some others have 9 or so. But yes, a CG greater than
8.5 will do you good."

6.Have you taken up any research project at your bachelor/master's level under any professor
here at IIT KGP? How did you manage your college studies and worked for your research?

"I took my first research project during the summer of 2020 under the professor of the Electrical
Engineering department. This was my first experience working under an academic
institute.During the same summer, I did a project from International Relations Cell F.T.P. where I
worked on developing deep models for parasitology.And during 7th semester started my BTP
currently I am working on my MTP. So, basically in KGP I did three different research projects
including my thesis project.

7.What were the other difficulties you faced on taking this path and how to overcome them?

"Initially living far away from home was a bit difficult for me as I wasn't able to do foreign
internships. So, in the first go, I felt a bit weird but gradually, I got used to it and adapted well
there. As such there were no logistic challenges but ya, settling out from home was difficult."

8. How did IIT KGP benefit you in your journey?

"IIT KGP did help me as it made the people know me and lots of professors of IITs come under
collaboration with the professors of US. So, they know that IITs are premiere institutes and so
help with your application. But for Ph.D, just getting an IIT tag won't help as one has to have a
good research background too in the field one is trying to pursue Ph.D."

9.What are the opportunities after the Ph.D. course?

"After Ph.D some prefer going for a postdoctoral degree do want to remain in academia while
others go for industries. You can remain in academia and be a professor or you can get to work
in industries."

10.What are the suggestions that you would give your juniors who want to pursue higher
studies? Could you please give a rough roadmap to ease their journey?

"I would like to suggest that before thinking of higher studies, try to work for a research lab for
5-6 months and see whether you like it or not. Since you will have to work in this lab for the next
five years. Talk to professors and Ph.D students and ask how they are funding themselves and
how their stress level is. Try doing some foreign internships starting from summer of third or
fourth year, they look good on CV."
"For drawing a roadmap, first start working under a lab in KGP in your department or in anything
you are interested in and start working under a professor or a Ph.D and learn how they research
or talk about science try to be regular at the meetings and at the end you have to be excited
about science for pursuing Ph.D. Explore things, do work on them. Work on the bachelerothesis
project by maintaining a good CG.Talk to professors and ask them about universities and work
on your SOPs and get them reviewed."