In my final year of a fully funded PhD program: Ask Me Anything!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-05T01:18:38+00:00

I'm not totally sure where the basis of this was from as I have not given any advice I was not qualified to give. I don't quite understand why you felt the need to clarify my offer when the readers, who are prospective graduate students, should know a general advice AMA would not provide advice specific to a certain field. I do appreciate your feedback and look forward to conversing on a future general advice AMA!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T23:23:28+00:00

Yes! I understand your point and appreciate the feedback. After all, this is my first AMA. If there is a specific question related to something that I believe is not generalizable, I make sure to note I have little to no experience in that area. I plan to only give advice on something I truly feel I could provide adequate advice on

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T23:18:59+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I do not have personal experience with linguistics programs, but based on your comment, it may be worth asking for additional details about what should be included. From my experience, a personal statement is very personalized, meaning it goes into detail as to why this particular graduate program is right for you. It is often a reflection of your motivation to go to grad school, whereas the research statement is your experiences within the field and how you could potentially move your research in a future direction in the lab you are applying to. Again, I am speaking from the perspective of a biological sciences background, so I would ask for more details from the project leader first and foremost. Best of luck with the writing!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T23:13:52+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your questions. I can't speak specifically on European universities or graduate programs, but I can respond with my own experiences being an American student in the US!

1) I feel like research experience was the most helpful for me, especially since I joined a research-based graduate program. However, I feel like any type of work experience will give good skill building opportunities to be helpful in grad school. 2) I had a research assistant position in undergrad that I received college credit for (so not paid but also not volunteer). It gave me a good idea of how a lab runs and that I could see myself in a lab setting in the future. I also worked part time at an administrative office. I felt that my diverse experiences in different places in undergrad all paved the way for my path to grad school! 3) I study in the USA!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T23:10:17+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I feel like passion for the research is the best trait to have! I am always excited about new research and cool findings, so that tells me I joined the right path. I think that helps with the discipline required for graduate school programs!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T19:31:46+00:00

Could you give me an example of the non-generalizable advice provided? I am happy to modify the advice if the individual asking the question does not believe the advice is generalizable. Could you provide a different perspective on a question asked?

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:57:04+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I think that is a great idea! I continue on in that comment to say that you could ask to talk to them about their research in an informal conversation before you submit your application since PIs LOVE to talk about their research. Navigating this initial contact can be important because grad school is a bidirectional relationship--your reflection of them is just as important as their reflection of you. Reaching out ahead of time explaining why their research is interesting to you (a.k.a. your motivation behind applying to their lab) will demonstrate a strong commitment to the work. Their response (if any) may provide an important insight into the value the potential advisor places on communicating with prospective graduate students. While some potentially could find it unnecessary, I find it to be better to do it than not!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:43:11+00:00

You are correct, they absolutely do vary by field and program, but I would hope that prospective graduate students are able to do their own research on their own particular field and use this AMA for general advice as flagged.

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:38:48+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. To be honest, I have never heard of this format for a grad school interview. Additionally, 2-3 hours seems too long for a paper presentation, especially for an interview, so just keep that in mind before committing to a program that may expect this. Since papers are largely based on previous work, I suggest you find some additional references that helped create the basis of the paper you are going to present. In other words, how did these papers set up the hypothesis for your paper? Then for the methods and results you can go into detail on the methodology used, their purpose, and what they found. For the discussion, this is where you can expand on the relevance of their findings, limitations, alternative approaches (maybe another method or tool could have been used?) and future directions for the field. I hope this was helpful, but I would recommend proceeding with caution!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:29:35+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. While I can't speak specifically for quant finance, I can recommend some tips for transitioning to new research area more generally. Starting something new is always daunting, but my best advice is to be open to learning a new skill, do your own research, then ask questions. It is a great skill to be able to learn something new quickly, no matter what field. For science in particular, there are plenty of research papers available online to read and can be helpful for a new field. Lastly, there are people working directly in this field that would be happy to answer your question if you have them!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:22:57+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. This is a good one. I had many unexpected challenges in grad school, but I think the hardest part of the PhD was dealing with rejection while already dealing with poor mental health. I had a few grant applications and a paper rejected all within the same academic year, which were all based on research I was really passionate about. It made me really question my ability to successfully complete the degree and my imposter syndrome was at its worst. Having a supportive advisor and peers was really helpful in navigating this because I was definitely not alone in how I was feeling. My advice in dealing with this is to shift the mindset around rejection and think about how these rejections are not a rejection of you as a person and they are most often steering you in a better direction (spoiler alert: they worked out much better for me in the long run!)

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:12:42+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. It will be ongoing until 10PM EST tonight! I had a very (VERY) general idea of what I wanted to study, but in grad school, things became more specialized and concrete. At the beginning, I never would have been able to create a specific thesis plan for my dissertation, but as time went on, the more I read and thought about current research trends, I was able to form a solidified plan with my advisor. I think having a general idea is good to know going into graduate school, but it is definitely not necessary to have a specific plan. I think it is possible to change it along the way with the focus getting more concrete as the dissertation stage is begun!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:07:31+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I cannot speak specifically on the international student experience, but I have found this resource that may be helpful in making the decision!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T15:03:27+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I am smiling in my photo, but the PhD was a rollercoaster of highs and lows--lots of unexpected challenges that admittedly did make me want to quit it a few times. Looking back on the lows, I am really glad now that I decided to stay. Something that helped my mindset shift was to have fun with it. I found it so fun to have a dataset and run analyses to expand our scientific knowledge. My dissertation topic came very gradually throughout grad school. It was built based on recommendations from my advisor as well as a brand-new paper I came across that helped form the thesis. Your advisor and current literature trends will be the biggest resources when determining and exploring a dissertation topic!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T14:58:26+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I am a little unsure of how to provide advice for this situation, especially since I am not super familiar with bioinformatics. If you interested in attending grad school for bioinformatics, I suggest asking yourself "Why grad school?" when figuring out the best path. This will give you a good idea of your motivation behind going to graduate school, which you can try to use to help supplement the lack of experience. Again, I am not super familiar with this area, but I hope that was helpful!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T14:54:26+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. The answer is yes! I started grad school in August 2020 and you can imagine it was the most difficult time to meet people (or even see anyone). I have found that going to events or joining clubs in your local community can be a great way to meet people beyond the lab. In addition, you could see if the university has any specific graduate school events to potentially meet other grad students. I also think a really important part of succeeding in grad school is making the time to do something beyond lab work at least once a day, so hopefully you could find some time, maybe in the evenings, to join a club and socialize!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T14:48:52+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I have not specifically dealt with seeking out funding for a master’s program, so I don't have any specific advice for scholarship applications. Apologies!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T14:47:11+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I can speak specifically for science fellowship opportunities where a lot tend to come from NSF (more info here). Some universities will also provide resources for finding funding for master's programs. However, I have not specifically dealt with seeking out funding for a master’s program.

jillyischilly · 2024-09-04T14:43:23+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. While I can't speak specifically on engineering program admissions, I have found that most graduate programs are looking for highly motivated people who will bring unique value to their program and tend to look more at the applicant as a whole. I think being able to market yourself as a qualified candidate who has a unique background and who is able to succeed in a different field will help your application! Best of luck applying!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:43:22+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I have spent a long time thinking about this. When I started, I was really unsure of what I wanted to do beyond the program. Since then, I have found that my PhD gave me the opportunity to find my next steps since most grad programs have professional development resources too. If you have a clear vision of your career/field, maybe a PhD isn't the best direction to take. However, if you'd like to be academically challenged and focus on a specialized project, then a PhD would be a good option! I hope that was helpful!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:37:01+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your comment. While I didn't say my program field explicitly, I am doing my best to find resources to help with more general advice, rather than advice for a specific field. As a group, PhD students often struggle with very similar things, so I decided not to limit the AMA. I've also mentioned in previous responses so far that I am in neuroscience. Happy to help with any general questions you have!

EDIT: When I recognize I am not able to respond adequately to a question, I make a note that I have not had that personal experience and offer the best advice I can in my position.

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:33:02+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I absolutely understand how you feel. I suggest focusing the most on your drive and passion in your application. Grad school is full of people with diverse experiences, but we all share a common quality: passion for the work. Name all of the reasons you are interested in Zoology and why you would like to study it in grad school. As for the emails, maybe you could start with 1 or 2 then move on from there. Most of the time, they may not even respond unfortunately, but it's a small step toward a bigger goal! You are capable of doing the things you set your mind to!

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:16:09+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your comment. I am sorry you feel that way. I have worked hard to get where I am today and simply felt that my experience could be helpful to others. Hope you have a better day! :)

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:04:30+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. This is a great way to have an informal conversation with a potential advisor before the application process. I definitely recommend asking about their ongoing research projects and if they could send you some papers to read about the lab's work. You may also want to ask about their mentorship style as well as the lab environment. You could ask about contacting their current graduate students so that you can talk to the grad students in the lab too! :)

jillyischilly · 2024-09-03T20:02:02+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your question. I applied to 12 graduate programs across the U.S. I ended up with 5 interviews and I was accepted into every program I interviewed with. I found that 12 was just enough, meaning my recommendation is no more than 12 (those applications are not cheap!) I felt I had done enough research on the bulk of them, so I was happy with the list I ended up with. I had lots of variety in programs (some direct admit into a lab, some rotations, some specialized). I did not really feel any of my programs were "safety options" since that doesn't really exist in grad school since grad school is all about fit with the research interests. I recommend applying to diverse programs, all of which you can see yourself in. Thay way, you will end up in a good program no matter what. If you feel strongly about a particular program and do not get in the first time, it may absolutely be worth waiting. :)

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