“Over the years I’ve had a lot of people get in touch with me about applying for a masters or PhD programme abroad. I remember when I was looking for Masters programmes, I was completely lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I had no idea how to find the right course, or how to navigate academic life.
Things were worse when I finally chose a course. There was definitely a hidden curriculum - it seemed like all my peers knew exactly what to do, and how to do it. I was behind with Statistics, had no idea about academic culture (how do I address a lecturer, how to write a formal email etc) and at the same time struggled to adjust in a culture which was different to my own. While I did get into a funded PhD (and I won’t ever regret doing it in the lab I did), it was only after meeting other PhD students, my peers, that I realized just how much thought they had put into choosing a PhD. I got lucky but if I hadn’t gotten the position, I’m not sure whether I’d ended up doing a PhD at all given how little I knew about applications (& how to approach potential supervisors).
Now at Penn, I get emails about courses that help undergrads & masters students in the university to navigate PhD applications and find mentors. These are offered especially to students who are diverse, first-generation, identifying as LGBTQI+, and/or belonging to low income communities. While these efforts are necessary, I can’t help but think that even being an undergrad at Penn implies some kind of privilege no matter your background - access to basic resources and information. And so many of us are not even aware of the different opportunities that might be available to us.
So now, having navigated a little bit of academia in multiple countries, I want to open up a conversation with anyone and everyone. If you or anyone you know has questions, conundrums, ideas, thoughts, anything really, please get in touch. My inbox and DMs are open. I’d be happy to help in any way I can (please be patient, I may not always reply immediately! :)). I’d be happy to give advice, have a chat, discuss possible options to the best of my knowledge, and point to other resources!”
Kohinoor Darda