>Why is a PhD worth pursuing?
Before embarking on your search for a PhD, it’s essential to clarify your reasons for wanting one. A PhD requires dedication, and it’s vital to ensure it corresponds with your ambitions and passions. It prepares you to become an independent researcher, a competence that is crucial for the career I aspire to.
In addition to technical training, the opportunity for research autonomy and creativity in academia drew me in. My enthusiasm for science can only reach its potential if I engage with topics that genuinely interest me and undertake experiments that I care about, which is why I opted for a PhD project that I was truly eager to investigate. The ability to steer my project towards my vision is a major benefit for me and stands out as one of my favorite elements of pursuing a PhD.
As straightforward as it may appear, I would recommend drafting a pros and cons list regarding the pursuit of a PhD prior to commencing your search to affirm it’s a path you genuinely wish to take – what do you believe a PhD will offer you?
The application journey for a PhD
The application journey usually encompasses several phases:
- Identifying a PhD
- Submitting the initial application
- Making a shortlist
- Participating in interviews
- Receiving conditional or formal offers
- Making funding choices
Interviews often concentrate on your reasons for applying, your grasp of the project, your previous research background, and your approach to overcoming obstacles. In preparation for interviews, I reviewed my application, studied pertinent literature, and contemplated my experiences to ensure I could articulate them clearly and confidently during discussions.
Locating a PhD
Identifying a project necessitates understanding what type of research energizes you, what environments you flourish in, and what skills you wish to acquire through your PhD. Here are some resources you can utilize to find your PhD:
- University websites, like that of Imperial – seek out specific department pages where they list their available PhD opportunities
- Centralized PhD directories and job boards such as FindAPhD
- Websites of research groups and supervisors
- Academic networks and referrals from lecturers or supervisors
- Websites of funding organizations and doctoral training centers
My application experience may vary slightly from what yours will be. For my PhD, I was funded by my home country, so my main task was to locate a research group engaged in a project that piqued my interest. I accomplished this by browsing the Imperial website, discovering lists of researchers and research teams at Imperial, reviewing the information about their research, and investigating their research outputs.
As I was already enrolled as a Master’s student at Imperial during my PhD search, I also consulted with my instructors regarding which research groups they believed would align well with my interests. I discovered my current project supervisor from a recommendation provided by my MSc course instructor.
The essential point is to engage with EVERYONE and gather as much feedback as you can. I know a fellow PhD student who found their project after conversing with a stranger at a pub, who then introduced them to their current principal investigator (PI) and PhD supervisor.