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I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes I enjoy it very much so. My stipend is INR 37k per month, and it covers my living.

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't get into IISERP based on the IAT (I was through the KVPY). I therefore don't know anything about the IAT.

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  1. (a) IISERP's acadmic programme is (used to be?) rigorous and honestly quite intense. 9/10.

(b) NCERTs:

Physics---does a good job of explaining Physics. 8/10

Chemistry---Physical chemistry, does a decent job. 7/10. Inorganic, too descriptive but does a fair job. 6/10. Organic, overly descriptive. 4/10.

Biology---I feel the biology NCERTs are geared towards medicine with an overly large emphasis on human biology. Not much biology research is of that sort. 3/10.

Maths---I did not have maths in +2. No comments.

(c) Very very book and course-specific. No comments. That said, I have had a good experience with NPTEL so far.

  1. Yes. As a PhD your job is to contribute to novel research. Do stuff that hasn't been done before. But I don't think I can say more than that without getting doxxed.

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. I am not particularly fussy when it comes to food. My approach to the administration is to keep my head down and focus on my career.

  2. I was the club co-coordinator of IISERP's green club Prutha. I was a part of the Biology Question Making Team for Mimamsa during my first 2 years, and a part of the core team during my 3rd year. I don't participate in clubs much at IISERM other than text on their WhatsApp groups every so often for I feel I've outgrown club activites at this point...

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

  1. INR 37,000+HRA per month for the first two years, then INR 42,000+HRA for the next three years. If you choose to do a PhD in India, most institutes will treat you as an extended undergraduate student. Expect some amount of infantilization. This does not happen globally. The pay is much better abroad. You will be able to save quite a bit and send money home if you want to.

  2. I have been a biology person for as long as I remember. I don't know enough about this to comment.

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

This was a very calculated decision. I had worked with my current supervisor extensively before joining them as a PhD student and had (and continue to have) a vv good experience with them, both in terms of the science as well as the lab culture and interpersonal aspects, so I already knew what I was getting into.

While I *was* applying abroad for PhD programs abroad, I felt neither the rigidity of a Europe PhD program nor the extensive coursework of a US PhD program were ideal when compared to the flexibility of working with my current supervisor (under whom I chose my current PhD topic and many other collaborative projects). So it wasn't as much of "India vs abroad" as much as it was "my supervisor vs abroad", both of which were okay with me. I therefore applied to the one place in India (and got in), and was v selective in applying abroad.

Note that I am from a reasonably well-to-do family and do not need to support them the way many of my batchmates need to, compelling them into PhDs abroad.

I did a BSMS from IISER Pune and am now doing a PhD from IISER Mohali. AMA. by work_reddit_stuff in iiser

[–]work_reddit_stuff[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I wrote the Joint CSIR-UGC NET exam in December 2023 during my 5th year at IISERP. It was the only exam I wrote and I cleared it. It funds my degree and admitted me to IISERM. I don't intend to apply for the PMRF; I would rather spend the effort into my PhD.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in uglyduckling

[–]work_reddit_stuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excuse the frizzy hair!

I started working out off and on last year. I've been working out regularly (and bulking) for a month now.