Start a Thinking Process - Sucking
So you think you should apply for higher studies?
Or are you sure that you want to just go for it?
Well this is the first question you need to answer. Nothing else - dont think that you want to do a MS and not Phd, dont think about what process to follow, dont start taking suggestions before you answer the above question. The process one chooses (well there are no two processes but for the sake of simplicity) shall depend on how much commitment he has to go for higher studies.
Having said that if you are among those who are not sure that they should apply or not, then please dont think twice about it and follow the process as you are really wanting to go for it and there is no second option. You MUST keep your options open as there is a very high probability that you WILL choose the path of intelectual satisfaction :-) or atleast since you are not sure right now you never know. So give your 100% at the time of application.
The basic process in application for higher studies are:
1. Decide you field of interest (FOI) - Not necessary a precise field but something like - 'signal processing' in Electrical Engineering would do.
2. Suck Professors ;-) - Now this is one think that many people are confused as to what is to be done. Ideally you should have knowledge about whats going on in your FOI - atleast read some papers in that area and can recall the names of some famous journals and conferences in your FOI. Now if you are among the lucky ones who also know the specifics of their FOI, it will be easier for you to go to the professors pages(I am gonna tell you in short time how to find profs) and try to find a match between his interests and yours. (Caveat: Undergraduate education is too early to really pin down your FOI so be sure that you are really interested if you are wanting to do research in a very specific area). If his interests matches with yours, browse some of his current projects and mail him *short(try to keep it as short as possible though it might be difficult - if the prof responds with a +ve note then you can add more details)* paragraph about your work and that you are interested to work with him and his research group and would appreciate if he could asses and tell you the chances of a RA/TA/fellowship.
For those who can not be that specific, dont go into his project details - try to gauge him by your general field of interest - if you find it attractive just write that you went by his webpage and found out his work to be interesting and that you are a able person to carry out reseach in the area and would love to work with him. Ask his about your chances.
Attach a pdf resume for his reference and its also good to send an online link of your html resume so that he can just click on it and does not need to open acrobat and waste his precious minute :-).
Must Avoid: Mailing professors without checking out their field of interest. I have seen people interested in communications sucking to a microelectronics professor.
2.a Finding Professors to suck - This is one of the most essential part and can be THE factor in the sucess of your application process.
i) Talk to your seniors in the same field. They have gone thru the same process and being 1 year in the system have more knowledge about the professors in your FOI.
ii) Try to enqurie from the professors at your institute (maybe the ones you are taking recos from) and ask them about ranking of/good research groups in FOI.
iii) If you have read some papers on your FOI and are experiences enough to extract names of professors and universitites from the authours, it gives you another path.
iv) Go to the conferences webpages and find the names of chair persons and organizers - they are in most of the cases the professors who are working in that area.
v) Go to the departmental websites of the universities and browse through their faculty pages.
It is a tedious task but if done correctly can do wonders in your application process.
Or are you sure that you want to just go for it?
Well this is the first question you need to answer. Nothing else - dont think that you want to do a MS and not Phd, dont think about what process to follow, dont start taking suggestions before you answer the above question. The process one chooses (well there are no two processes but for the sake of simplicity) shall depend on how much commitment he has to go for higher studies.
Having said that if you are among those who are not sure that they should apply or not, then please dont think twice about it and follow the process as you are really wanting to go for it and there is no second option. You MUST keep your options open as there is a very high probability that you WILL choose the path of intelectual satisfaction :-) or atleast since you are not sure right now you never know. So give your 100% at the time of application.
The basic process in application for higher studies are:
1. Decide you field of interest (FOI) - Not necessary a precise field but something like - 'signal processing' in Electrical Engineering would do.
2. Suck Professors ;-) - Now this is one think that many people are confused as to what is to be done. Ideally you should have knowledge about whats going on in your FOI - atleast read some papers in that area and can recall the names of some famous journals and conferences in your FOI. Now if you are among the lucky ones who also know the specifics of their FOI, it will be easier for you to go to the professors pages(I am gonna tell you in short time how to find profs) and try to find a match between his interests and yours. (Caveat: Undergraduate education is too early to really pin down your FOI so be sure that you are really interested if you are wanting to do research in a very specific area). If his interests matches with yours, browse some of his current projects and mail him *short(try to keep it as short as possible though it might be difficult - if the prof responds with a +ve note then you can add more details)* paragraph about your work and that you are interested to work with him and his research group and would appreciate if he could asses and tell you the chances of a RA/TA/fellowship.
For those who can not be that specific, dont go into his project details - try to gauge him by your general field of interest - if you find it attractive just write that you went by his webpage and found out his work to be interesting and that you are a able person to carry out reseach in the area and would love to work with him. Ask his about your chances.
Attach a pdf resume for his reference and its also good to send an online link of your html resume so that he can just click on it and does not need to open acrobat and waste his precious minute :-).
Must Avoid: Mailing professors without checking out their field of interest. I have seen people interested in communications sucking to a microelectronics professor.
2.a Finding Professors to suck - This is one of the most essential part and can be THE factor in the sucess of your application process.
i) Talk to your seniors in the same field. They have gone thru the same process and being 1 year in the system have more knowledge about the professors in your FOI.
ii) Try to enqurie from the professors at your institute (maybe the ones you are taking recos from) and ask them about ranking of/good research groups in FOI.
iii) If you have read some papers on your FOI and are experiences enough to extract names of professors and universitites from the authours, it gives you another path.
iv) Go to the conferences webpages and find the names of chair persons and organizers - they are in most of the cases the professors who are working in that area.
v) Go to the departmental websites of the universities and browse through their faculty pages.
It is a tedious task but if done correctly can do wonders in your application process.
posted by Nikhil at
7:58 PM
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