Anything else you think prospective PhD candidates ought to know?
Umika: Doing a doctoral degree abroad is an expensive affair not just because it’s a long degree (ranging from 3 to 5 years) but also because you must think about the cost of the course and the living expenses.
Often, funding also comes with strings attached, like teaching responsibilities and administrative work. Funding opportunities are also an essential aspect of selecting a university.
You don’t want to go through months and months of application processes, interviews, and preparation just to realise you can’t afford to attend the program.
Another factor to think about is the fact that a doctoral degree is not an easy degree and is different from a master’s degree abroad. You are the only person specialising and researching on a niche topic. You don’t have classmates who can empathise with your tough work schedule, and you spend most of your time by yourself.
Sometimes, you might have an adviser you only see once in a blue moon. Other times, you might be in a country where you don’t have a support system of family or friends.
Because the degree is so long, realistically, you must also think about your appetite for integrating in a new country and culture. Language barriers, lack of access to the food you might be more comfortable with, and the weather should climb up the hierarchy of considerations for a doctoral degree as opposed to a master’s degree.
While these might look like minor inconveniences during a 9–10-month long master’s program, they become major issues for a doctoral candidate on a limited stipend in a foreign country.
A doctorate is an unstructured degree. You don’t have to attend classes or have regular exams. There are only a few milestones, and these are far and in between.
So, the level of self-motivation and discipline required to sustain momentum to finish is a high threshold. It’s difficult to foresee these real experiences and put them into a list of warnings for anybody daring to enter a doctorate program.
However, all is not bleak as a doctoral researcher. It can be a deeply rewarding experience to work on something that you are passionate about. It is also the perfect way to build on several transferable skills that are useful in any profession
Harkiran: Start early to give yourself the best chance of finishing a good application. This means that well in advance of the deadline, you should start gathering resources and formulating a plan to apply.
Also, I believe it is crucial that you take this advice carefully as it might be risky to make too many compromises and start doing research that you are not interested in simply because it will result in a PhD.
Shivani: I think it is most important for doctoral students to be open-minded, adaptable and patient since the journey involves a lot of learning and unlearning, and could be quite unpredictable.
Sometimes, the candidate’s proposed research may not fall strictly within the domain of law. So, one may want to look up other relevant departments.
Some applicants may even find that another department at the same university would be a better venue for conducting their research, instead of the law school.
Source: Barandbench
