Deciding to pursue a Masters or PhD is an easy choice to make. However, working on your Masters or PhD is one of the most challenging things. Of course, the level of difficulty varies amongst the different fields, and so do their opportunities. As much as I would like to advise you on pursuing these graduate degrees in various fields, I come from a biology field, so most of the tips here, although general, will be in the context of the biological field.
1) Know what you want to study.
Starting your journey, it's crucial to have a clear idea of what you want to pursue. This not only streamlines your search for potential schools and professors but also ensures you're investing your time and energy in the right direction. Without this clarity, you risk getting lost in a sea of options, spending days on tasks that may not be relevant to your goals.
2) Read papers or work on the subject of interest.
Reading papers from reliable sources like PubMed or Google Scholar is a valuable step. It not only provides you with in-depth knowledge about your subject but also prepares you for the academic rigours of your chosen field. It is through the papers that one gets to know more about professors’ work and how to contact them. Usually, the authors of published work have their affiliation indicated. One can visit the affiliated website to get further information on how to contact the professor working on something you are interested in.
When you contact the professors, be sure to have your resume prepared along with a letter of interest/personal statement. Each should be no longer than a page.
The resume will highlight your strengths and your education/career thus far. In the personal statement, you can briefly talk about who you are, what interests you, and how you think you can benefit from studying/working with the group you are applying to.
3) Attend Internships, seminars and training courses.
Networking is a crucial aspect of applying for graduate school. If you are an undergraduate student and have followed the steps mentioned above, you can reach out to institutes or professors for potential internships. This was the case for me. It was through inquiring about an internship position that I got the opportunity to study here in Japan. The institute I am in, IMEG, offers internship positions all year round, and I am positive other institutions worldwide do so, too. Building these connections can open doors to exciting opportunities.
Attending seminars is a great option to communicate with the speaker directly. Usually, the speakers are invited to talk about their work in person or on Zoom. It is essential to maximise this opportunity and speak with the speakers whose topics you are interested in. This allows both you and the speaker to get to know each other. If you find that the speaker's topics do not necessarily align with your interest, you can ask them to refer you to someone else who might be a better fit. This may be the case during your grad school application. The professor might refer you to someone else. This is not bad; it just means you have a better chance of working on your interests in another lab.
As for training courses, several kinds of training courses are provided by different universities that cater to different skills one would like to acquire. Most of these happen during the summer, meaning their deadlines fall early in the year. Be sure to look for those, as they provide excellent networking opportunities and skill development.
4) Find a Scholarship.
For most graduate school students in Japan, we rely on scholarships. I am not familiar with how it is in other countries, but from what I have researched, Masters degrees are self-funded, and PhDs are paid. This means you have to pay tuition and sustain yourself during your Masters course while for a PhD, you get a stipend because it is considered a job. I was able to find my scholarship from this pamphlet. The universities in Japan usually have some affiliated scholarships, so to apply for the scholarship, you must apply through the university. Ask the university for further details on what scholarships are available.
5) Contact Previous and Current members of the group
Once you believe you have found a suitable group in which you would like to pursue your graduate studies, make sure to contact its members. This can range from the previous members to the current members of that group. You see, graduate school is challenging, and you want to make sure you do it within a group that brings you closer to your project goals while keeping your well-being in mind. You do not want to end up in a group that does not care about your mental well-being, that puts stumbling blocks in your path, preventing you from finishing in good time, enjoying what you do, or making you depressed. You can learn about this from previous members or current ones. Their contact details are usually provided on the group's page.
6) Apply
When you have most of these, you can begin applying to your desired university. University applications require all of your transcripts, degree, financial statements and English scores, to mention a few. Be sure you have all these in order. Some universities also have entrance examinations and interviews for the graduate program. Be fully prepared.
With that, do not stress out too much. Check out some open positions for grad school on X!
If you have any questions regarding graduate school, comment them below!
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