How I landed into PhD

 Hello again! Following my initial introduction to the blog, let me share a bit more about myself, my background, and my journey into the world of PhD. I'm Anuja Kakkar, hailing from a small city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. My educational journey started in a convent school, and initially, I envisioned myself becoming a medical practitioner like many others who chose biology as their major in 12th grade.

However, due to insufficient guidance and financial constraints, I found myself pursuing BSc at a government college with the parallel ambition of becoming a doctor. After a year of hard realization, I abandoned the dream of becoming a doctor and fully immersed myself in BSc. At that point, I wasn't even aware of the possibility of pursuing a PhD, as my primary goal was to become a lecturer in a degree college. I was intrigued by the life of a government degree college lecturer but lacked the knowledge of how to pursue that path and didn't make much effort to find out😕.

While thoroughly enjoying my studies in botany and zoology, I decided to pursue higher studies. Unfortunately, due to a lack of guidance, I ended up taking a different direction, pursuing MSc in Microbiology, leaving behind my major subjects of botany and zoology. Despite being selected for some prestigious universities, I chose a new college where our batch was the first for MSc Microbiology . Many of my friends and colleagues regretted studying applied subjects, citing limited job opportunities and intense competition. I must admit that core subjects have their unique importance, but this isn't a strict rule.

During my MSc days, I learned about the CSIR exam, which grants eligibility for the role of assistant professor and provides a fellowship for pursuing a PhD. Although I qualified for NET (eligible for Assistant Professor),it has been nearly six years without clearing JRF (Ph.D. Fellowship), so you can expect some regular financial rants in my blog 😃. Despite the challenges, I managed to secure admission to BHU, my dream university, and enrolled in the Integrated PhD program. Currently, I'm in my fourth year of PhD, sharing my experiences with you and shedding light on when to embark on research in India, how to choose a lab and research area, and managing financial issues if you find yourself in a similar situation 😔😜.

That's a brief overview of my journey. Looking forward to connecting with you in the next post. Stay happy and tuned!