tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post114388966241442520..comments2024-03-20T13:10:11.477+05:30Comments on nanopolitan: Advice for potential graduate studentsAbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-1144340836421945822006-04-06T21:57:00.000+05:302006-04-06T21:57:00.000+05:30Sourav: There are lots of things you can do: check...Sourav: There are lots of things you can do: check the websites of departments and individual faculty members (or, their blogs, if they have one). Also, make full use of your network of seniors, to get as much info as possible. During the time I did my grad studies, I had very little knowledge of what I was getting myself into; but luckily for me, things turned out okay.<BR/><BR/>Which brings me to my second point: if things don't quite work out, you *always* have the option of getting out of the system, and looking elsewhere (or, looking for someone else as your advisor).Abihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-1144051671885289412006-04-03T13:37:00.000+05:302006-04-03T13:37:00.000+05:30As somebody who is going to leave for grad school ...As somebody who is going to leave for grad school this year, I found these discussions extremely helpful and at the same time, very interesting.<BR/><BR/>However,as an Indian student,one thought is lurking at the back of my mind.<BR/>As Sean says "picking an advisor means picking a specialty",but in these troubled fund crunched times,we do not actually get to <B>"choose"</B> an advisor.First of all,most Indian grad students(except those who are fortunate enough to get fellowships) have to decide their advisor from here,and they do not have any first hand knowledge about the most important person of their graduate career.Secondly,in these times,when to get RA is like hitting on a treasure trove,one doesn't really have a choice. <BR/><BR/>Hence,at this stage, where I shall have to make a "wise" judgement about the acceptance of offers,I feel this decision is a gamble of sorts.(quite like the one that we had played at the start of our undergraduate careers at IIT,deciding our Departments!!)<BR/><BR/>As somebody who has already passed through these stages,it would be illuminating if you can put in a few words of advice from the Indian perspective.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13441809988487585009noreply@blogger.com