Honest truth: Taking a postgraduate degree may not always exactly give you the experiences you expect for. It’s actually a test of your capacity (most of it and most of the time), and capabilities. But there’s something beautiful about it that you’ll get to understand once it’s over.
I had my Master’s degree in Malaysia, and I must say, that was a bit of a roller coaster ride. I am not sure if this post goes the same for those who got or pursuing their Masters or PHDs in their homeland, but I hope the lessons here provide insights to some experiences you’ve had or you’ll potentially face.
# 1 Be prepared not just physically but EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY and FINANCIALLY
Being prepared physically does not just mean you have to take gym classes or exercise every day. For a person like me who does not approach the gym at all, physically fit means having a good rest with a complete dose of vitamins and nutritious food. Cliche but health is wealth. It pays well to be healthy before starting off your graduate studies. You’ll know it when you already get those sleepless nights writing for your proposal or literature reviews or even more of that when you’re finishing off your thesis. There was a time I got really sick and there was no one to take care of me (no drama, just the truth). That’s when I realized how important to still be healthy while giving the best you can be for your thesis. It’s not always a thesis-it relationship. Your priority is your physical health and wellness.
Physically healthy is just one aspect of it, you have to be mentally and emotionally prepared. If you plan to be an international student, staying away from your family and friends and leaving your comfort zone, this must be the best time to gather your confidence and collect your thoughts. Ask yourself, probably a hundred times: Are you ready enough? Are you willing to live your life away from your family, friends or loved ones? Are you willing to take the risks no matter what? Are you ready to take a leap of faith and step out of your comfort zone? Are you ready to live in a place you are not familiar with? If you think you are, then hoorah! You have conquered the easiest part of the journey.
You also have to be prepared financially. Well, I think I failed on this one. I thought I had enough but things happened and my expectations fell out. It was a daunting but humbling experience. If you’re not from a well-off family, you have to be financially ready before and after graduate school. I was blessed with supportive parents and good people around me as well as opportunities that came along which helped me to eventually cope financially. If you have decided to go for international or postgraduate studies, save up for it, look for scholarships (there’s a lot of them you just have to submit your applications) or find a job that will support your studies (if you’re an academician or working for the government, it’s the best place to pursue further studies).
#2 Grab the good opportunities and do what you love, forget the unnecessary
Given the challenging circumstance in graduate school, you have to forget the unnecessary. If a day fails you, accept it and move on. Tomorrow is another day! Do not let yourself be bothered by the unnecessary, you don’t need them. What you need is to keep your sanity (of course), set your mind on the goal and enjoy the journey. If your adviser or professors keep failing you, keep bugging them but never let them bring you down. I had enough of it, so believe me. If your adviser told you to repeat your methodology, don’t panic. Check whether he has a point and then decide. If you think there’s no need for that, then defend it. You have the right to argue. (It may not be effective for some, but I finished on time because of this.)
If your laboratory results didn’t work well, try again. “Great success is built on failure, frustration, even catastrophe.” Keep your confidence and courage. Wake up every effing day. You’ll get there.
To forget the unnecessary, do what you love. Enjoy doing what you love. Love what you do. It’s a full cycle. You will not get tired if you’re doing what you love. Well, finding a loved one is another thing. It’s all up to you. Anyhow, I love traveling and discovering different places and cultures. So I really made time for jalan-jalan (as Malaysians called it) to enjoy my stay and give myself a breather.
Grab good opportunities because you don’t know how far it will take you. You don’t want to waste your time and energy on opportunities that do not give better possibilities. So just choose the good opportunities. How to know the good ones? Good opportunities lead you to a better and stronger you. It might test your capabilities and patience but it helps you unleash your hidden potentials. These opportunities complement your passion and your next steps.
For me, it was when I joined a university-wide essay competition. I have always loved writing and sustainability. I may not be a pro, but whenever I write I really pour out the best in me. And since it was a competition with a very familiar topic, I did not hesitate to submit an entry. Little did I know, it will open up to an even greater opportunity. I won the first runner up and was hired as a student researcher which helped me gain back my savings. I was also given a chance to work with professors that eventually became my friends and mentors. I don’t consider my self lucky because all I did was to give my best and grab the good opportunity which leads to better ones. Postgraduate life is actually an opportunity for you to accomplish things you have never done before.
#3 Be OPEN. ASK. Do not just QUIT.
Being the eldest among four siblings, I tend to be an independent, trying-to-be strong woman. I may be emotionally transparent but opening up myself to someone or asking for advice is quite a challenge for me. I am sometimes hard-headed, and a believer of my own decision. The graduate school actually broke my ego apart. I was able to open myself to people whom I trust the most. I was able to share my challenges even to a stranger. There’s nothing to lose if you’ll open a bit to people around you. You’ll actually know yourself better and you’ll be able to choose the decisions best for you. Well, this is certainly my case.
You want to know more about SPSS or Stata? Ask. You want to know the better methodology? Ask. You want to know which is the better proposal? Ask. I realized that Grad school is a place where one is better than the other. You won’t always be the expert. I think that’s what makes each person, a research or thesis unique. So if you want to be better or be the best of what you can do, ask. You’ll lose nothing.
During grad school, quitting may be a common language. It’s the best escape when you’re caught with seemingly unending difficulties. Hang in there. Don’t quit just because you were not able to prove your hypothesis. Don’t even quit when you get delayed. Don’t just quit. In trying times, don’t quit trying.
There was a phase in grad school that I really wanted to give up. I just wanted to quit because I was so dead tired of juggling with my work and research. I was so annoyed about the situation I was in. I was at the peak of letting go of my dream because everything looked so messy. But, when I heard a story of a friend who did his Ph.D. for ten freaking years [because he did not get the results he wanted and the rough circumstances failed him], I realized I was a weakling. Who am I to complain and quit? That was a wake-up call for me.
If he can do it, so can you!
#4 Make the most of the university’s resources.
You can be selective of the university you want to enroll in. But once you’re in, make the most of the university’s resources.
If you want to learn more about your research and other relevant studies, go to the library. Borrow and read books. ACCESS ONLINE JOURNALS because when you leave grad school you’ll just need to depend on sci-hub or other online hacks. Most of the universities have access to journals all over the world. Read, read, and read.
Maximize the postgraduate room or the library’s study room. There’s serenity in those places. If you want to focus on your reading or writing, give them a visit. Well, this works for me.
Make use of the university’s portal because it has free access to several Softwares that are highly beneficial. With the university’s portal, you can freely download SPSS, Stata, Microsoft office, and even Grammarly or other plagiarism checkers.
Lecturers, tutors, other MS or Ph.D. students and other experts can help you be selective of your research topic or methodology. Maximize your connections without taking advantage of them. Learn from their experiences and field of expertise.
As you progress with your research and grad school life, you will learn from your mistakes and begin to better understand your capacity and capabilities, your strengths and weaknesses, and your personal style as a researcher. Everything is a learning process, so do not be afraid of mistakes. It’s ok if things don’t work out sometimes. Again, tomorrow is always another day! Live for today. These life lessons might not be the case for everyone. Either way, just remember that you can eventually get through this. Stay still.
#5 Finishing off your degree is not the end. It’s just the beginning.
Similar to having your undergraduate degree, life after gradschool is just the beginning of another challenge.
I found myself struggling after I finished graduate school. Perhaps I allowed myself to feel it. As I search for my next steps, I found myself in confusion.
What should I do after? Should I continue with Ph.D. given that there is an offer? Should I look for a job overseas? or just go back to my country?
For some personal reasons, I rejected the offer for Ph.D. studies. Then I turned to the next step, look for a job overseas. It didn’t work out so I went back to my country of origin. I had to begin again. While my previous colleagues have grown much in their professional careers, I am back here starting things over again. I have to admit, I felt a little insecure. But then I learned how to humble my self and just start a new journey. I don’t have regrets.
In case you’ll feel the same thing as well, do not be afraid to start anew. Humble yourself. You’ll be in the right place at the right time. Just be patient. You’ll get there, one day.
Sweet Nothings 
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