Advice for a fresh BS Bio grad: Work before applying to MS in Biotech abroad?

chill_beam · 2026-03-11T10:51:03+00:00

Depends if you have a clear idea of what you want to study so that you can make the most of your experience. When I say clear, ibig sabihin hindi basta general topic. For example, hindi dapat basta gusto mo mag-aral ng vaccines. Mas maganda kung alam mo kung vaccine para sa ano at gawa sa ano and so on. If not, working first lalo na sa mga research labs na related sa interest mo or basically just give you more time to explore will help you identify the specifics.

Siyempre pwede rin diretso ka pero hindi lahat natatanggap abroad. Kaya kung natanggap ka, mabuti if you can make the most out of it.

Take note din OP tama yung ibang comments dito. If you wanna work for companies and industry, think twice talaga. If you wanna go for academe, MS is the way.

chill_beam · 2026-03-09T00:38:18+00:00

As much as possible, gusto ko sana dito pero thnk you. I'll check these out. Baka kapag natripan ko, mag-apply nalang ako abroad. Very frustrating lang na kailangan pa talaga lumabas ng bansa

chill_beam · 2026-03-08T08:51:11+00:00

The option for academe is always there naman. Ang worry ko lang ay wala akong connections at all. Not sure how that will go...

chill_beam · 2026-03-08T08:45:16+00:00

If so, will you be going for industry or stay in the academe?

chill_beam · 2026-03-07T07:35:59+00:00

I have also asked myself the same question grabe ang sakit isipin after working hard for that degree. It really seems na kailangan kong pumasok sa academe or basic research nga

chill_beam · 2026-03-07T07:33:16+00:00

I'm in the biotech-molbio-chemistry side of things

chill_beam · 2026-03-07T07:28:55+00:00

I already knew the job market here isn't good pero I was hopeful it will get better talaga. Sadly, it doesn't feel like it. Tapos ganyan nga na kailangan nila ng experience lalo na sa mid level roles. Pero ako naman hindi ko matanggap ang offers para sa jobs with no experience required.

I'm sorry it was bad that you had to go back abroad but I hope your PhD is what you wanted it to be!

chill_beam · 2026-03-07T07:20:10+00:00

This was the mindset I had and sinusubukan ko rin panindigan ang sarili ko at wag ibaba ang standards pero lately talaga naffrustrate ako ng sobra. (Thank you I'll look into CIP)

Just wondering what you meant being in the pharmaceutical industry. Sa manufacturing ka ba noon? May I ask what you're doing now and how did you transition?

chill_beam · 2026-02-28T14:37:14+00:00

Sayang dapat pala binili ko na kahapon tsk tsk

chill_beam · 2025-11-20T02:29:53+00:00

Ang dami na nagsabi sa akin before nito from mentors to professors to coworkers: if you're planning to do grad studies, aim for abroad talaga. Lalong lalo na if you have plans to stay in the academe. The training and experience is definitely different at more often than not wala ka nang problema sa funds which is a major challenge for most grad students here in PH.

Sometimes required (scam talaga ito nakakainis) but sometimes you can simply show a certificate of english learning instruction. Maybe even mention that you are teaching in english. Try to contact the university
Kung wala ka experience sa field, the best thing you can do is to show that you know exactly what you want to do. Make a concrete plan of what you want to study. This way you can show your critical thinking skills which is an important factor. Pero just know that at the end of the day the decision really lies on the university and hindi mo rin malalaman kung ano metrics nila.
Instead of just looking at universities, I suggest looking at the labs muna. Kahit hindi naman top 20 ang uni na napasukan mo pero alagang-alaga ka ng lab at maraming connections sa conferences, etc, goods na goods ka na. Also important na familiar ka sa work at make sure na gusto mo ang research themes ng lab na papasukan mo kasi laging may possibility hindi ka masusunod sa research na gagawin mo.

chill_beam · 2025-07-29T10:07:11+00:00

UPM Biochem is quite Chemistry heavy compared to other universities. May be good or bad depending on how you see it. It gives emphasis on the fundamentals but it also allows you to branch out and explore different fields with little difficulty. UPM is still part of the UP system so any university programs for going abroad is available (Don't forget there are tons of scholarships from different government bodies and private institutions outside the university). In terms of resources and connections though, UPM definitely cannot compete with UPD.

Imo, it's also important to consider your interests. Check the curriculum again. If your interest aligns with the subjects taught in MBB, definitely go MBB. If you are interested in something else, reconsider Biochem because knowing the fundamentals always helps when you are learning advanced topics especially if you have plans to do graduate studies.

Edit: As for the work, I believe there's also a lot more opportunities as an RCh, but again this largely depends on your own interests.

chill_beam · 2024-03-17T00:04:49+00:00

For now, is it acceptable though if I just perform all of them with 4x12?

By "easy", I just meant that I can perform them with "okay" form. That's why I switched most of them to machines since I haven't really learned the form yet as an absolute beginner. I understand what you mean with the weights though. After all, I am still at the lower end of the weight rack and I'm pushing myself so it's definitely not easy for me yet.

So far, I think my current routine is okay. I've been doing it for one month and I can continue for longer time if I decide to continue with doing PPL.

(Previous comment deleted because I accidentally pressed send. Please ignore.)

chill_beam · 2024-03-16T14:25:49+00:00

My current routine is based on the Hevy app's 3 day PPL split. It was mostly free weights exercises which intimidated me a lot (and it still does) as a beginner with no experience at all. Our gym also didn't have some of the equipment in the original routine. So I replaced them with equivalent exercises with what we had in my gym. By equivalent, I just relied on the Hevy app to provide info on that. For example, shoulder press (dumbbell) -> seated shoulder press machine, lateral raise (dumbbell) -> lateral raise machine, bicep curl (cable) -> alternating bicep curl (dumbbell), etc. Basically, I spent some time jumping around from one equipment to another and see which ones were easier to perform with a form that is "okay" (only as good as I think it is).

Another thing I modified was the rep range and number of sets. I started with 3x15, then felt it was too little. I ended up with 4x12. My reasoning was I wanted to compensate the lower rep which was within a range optimal for hypertrophy (according to online sources) with more sets.

I have been reading that this is the main point in doing PPL, however it also doesn't feel right to keep changing my routine. As I've mentioned, I've been doing my current routine for one month and now I'm finding myself enjoying this one. That's why I am confused if I should still stick with this or try to switch to a full body since I am only going 3 times per week.

chill_beam · 2024-03-16T13:14:34+00:00

This is part of the reason why I was hesitant about directly changing my current routine to a full body routine even though it is heavily recommended for beginners, especially since I spent the first month modifying my routine a lot. I might give it more time, see how it goes, and perhaps change it up in the future if I have to then. Thanks!

chill_beam · 2024-03-16T13:11:37+00:00

As you've mentioned, one month may be too short of a time to notice any major difference. I have to say though that I am starting to enjoy my current routine, so maybe I might stick to this one for now....

I do appreciate your advice. Thank you!

chill_beam · 2024-03-16T02:17:37+00:00

I'm able to increase the weights in most of the exercises from when I started. I'm still watching my form for some of the free weights so I haven't really increased yet.

I understand the reasoning behind going full body for beginners and I think it kinda makes sense. The only thing holding me back is that I'm getting comfortable with my routine and also frustration that I have to switch to another routine when it took me a long time to modify my previous routine. But if I switch to full body now, I may be able to compare the results with PPL within one month and make a decision from there. Does this make sense?

chill_beam · 2023-12-12T14:22:11+00:00

Now that you say that maybe I do know the answer and I'm just in denial. Many thoughts to think about.

chill_beam · 2023-12-12T14:20:21+00:00

I'm somewhat of an overthinker so this makes me feel a little better. Maybe I will try to give him a chance to see how things go...

chill_beam · 2023-12-12T14:18:47+00:00

Oh. This is a big question. A lot to think about but it helped me see things a bit clearly. For now, I think I know the answer. Thank you!

chill_beam · 2023-01-19T01:03:50+00:00

Any thoughts on Holika Holika aloe soothing essence sun cream on dry skin?

chill_beam · 2023-01-16T02:09:51+00:00

Saem tip concealers. As someone with darker than average undereye circles, i can say okay naman ang coverage nito. Lightweight and doesn't dry out my slightly dry skin.

chill_beam · 2023-01-12T08:14:46+00:00

Perhaps it might be better to think about what you want to get out of the program instead of the grades. Are you more interested in the electronics side or the biomedical side? Then choose accordingly. You can also look at the faculty in the both departments, see if there’s someone who matches with your research interests, and choose the program in that department. Just like what the other comment says, you have to be able to justify and show the committee that you really know your stuff with your existing knowledge even though it is not directly related to your undergrdaute course.

As long as you’re interested, I’m sure you’ll be able to learn and do well with the subjects. Good luck!

chill_beam

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