How did I get a PhD?

Latest update time：2015-04-18

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Author's note: The title may be slightly ambiguous, leading some readers to think that this article is a piece of dissuasion. I would like to clarify that the original intention of this article is neither to dissuade nor to persuade people to move forward. It is just to share personal experiences for reference by those in need, so as to increase the diversity of choices. Although I myself did not continue to engage in pure scientific research, I also benefited from the training at the doctoral level. I believe that readers have enough wisdom to make rational choices at the crossroads of choice, and have enough ability to take responsibility for their choices. The author neither takes credit nor takes responsibility, just smile.

It has been almost three years since I graduated with my PhD. I still feel that life is unpredictable. Many times, a small choice at a crossroads may change the trajectory of one's entire life. Why did I study for a PhD? This is a question I have asked myself many times. On the one hand, my academic performance has always been good, and I was successfully recommended to become a master's student in my department when I graduated from undergraduate school. I also have a certain degree of interest in scientific research. Even though I have left the academic circle now, I still feel very close to people and things in the academic circle when I occasionally talk to friends; on the other hand, when I was studying for my master's degree, my family's financial situation had reached a very embarrassing point, and I myself lacked a strong sense of mission for scientific research. Of course, nine out of ten people who end up studying for a PhD probably lack a sense of mission.

About a year and a half after completing my master's degree, some of my classmates began to switch to doctoral programs, and my supervisor also hoped that I could continue to complete my doctoral studies with him. It seemed that a natural path was laid out in front of me: a doctorate, staying in school, and being evaluated for professional titles. It seemed that my life would be spent in a stable manner. I agreed at first, but after two weeks of careful consideration, I still knocked on his office door one day and declined his kindness in person. Many times, it is difficult to say no to people who appreciate and are grateful to you. Every time this happens, I will try to explain my concerns and ideas in person, and strive to win their understanding, support and help.

When I was a senior, I learned some information about studying abroad from a senior, and I also knew that if I successfully applied for a scholarship, my financial difficulties would be basically solved. Going abroad seemed to be my only way to continue my doctoral studies at that time. In a short period of time, I took the TOEFL and GRE, but unfortunately my scores were not very good. Fortunately, I am a more pragmatic person and did not set unattainable goals. I applied to five or six universities and actually received scholarship admission notices from three of them. The rankings of American universities are average and they are far away in Miami. At that time, I was still inclined to Hong Kong or Singapore. I consulted some people living in Hong Kong, and they all said that Hong Kong has almost no industry, and the chances of finding a job after graduation are very slim. Singapore is obviously more optimistic in this regard, so I naturally accepted the admission notice from Nanyang Technological University. To this day, I have never regretted any choice at that time. No matter which path I choose, walking well may be the most important thing.

With the help of my then-advisor, I defended my master's thesis several months in advance so that I could catch up with the spring enrollment of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. At NTU, I changed my research direction from traditional metal materials to nanomaterials. Because of the project cooperation, I spent most of my time doing in-situ reaction observation of photochemistry at the Institute of Chemistry and Engineering located on Jurong Chemical Island, which most Singaporeans have never been to. From the beginning to the graduation of my doctorate, I failed to adapt to the research methods of the entire nanomaterial circle. The in-situ reaction observation that I was more interested in was a thankless direction, and the possibility of surviving in the academic circle of numerical factors was very slim. Of course, the most important thing was that I lacked a sense of mission in scientific research, so I started to pay attention to the position of the local industry relatively early. I even took the CFA qualification exam in my spare time and passed the first level. Although there were various research problems, the financial pressure was instantly reduced. My scholarship was enough to cover my expenses, and part of the surplus also helped my family pay off the loan. I also married my first love girlfriend, and she successfully obtained a visa to come to Singapore to live together. So now, whenever someone asks me whether to pursue a PhD, I will ask about their financial situation. For friends who come from poor families, I especially encourage them to consider opportunities to study abroad. In addition to the academic benefits, at least they can be financially independent and improve the quality of life of their families. Of course, writing this, I would like to especially thank Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who just passed away, for setting up a scholarship system that gave me the opportunity to study in Singapore and changed the trajectory of my life.

As soon as the third year of my PhD ended, I actively participated in the school's Career Fair, but was disappointed to find that there were very few PhDs in demand. The practical workplace in Singapore values skill matching more than high academic qualifications. Most HR managers, upon hearing that you are a PhD, directly said that there are no suitable positions. I took back the recruitment brochure, screened out companies that needed our expertise, and then looked at whether they needed PhDs. Only four or five options were left. The first interview was in Science Park Zone 2, a company that makes automobile exhaust catalysts. After the interview, we both smiled and knew that it was not suitable. Finding a job is really like falling in love. It is necessary to be in love. The second interview was in Science Park Zone 1, which mainly does industrial technology consulting. The person in charge of the technical interview was my future boss. He was one of the first batch of graduate students after the Cultural Revolution. Later, he was sent to the Max Planck Institute in Germany to get a PhD. After working for nearly ten years, he moved to Singapore. We both felt that it was a good choice. My skills could be put to good use, and I also felt that this was the starting point of my career and I could learn a lot quickly. Later, the interviews with HR and management went smoothly, and I was accepted. Although I left my first company after only working there for a year and a half for other opportunities, I still maintain close contact with my boss.

After I was admitted, I went back to school and told my supervisor. He also knew that I was no longer very interested in scientific research and that our project was basically finished, so he asked me to do some more experiments and submit the paper for external review within three months, and then I could go to work. Although the company was in urgent need of people to join immediately, it finally agreed to give me three months. During those three months, I did experiments while producing the first draft of the paper within a month. Discussions, various discussions, additional experiments, revisions, and another two months later, my co-supervisor at the Institute of Chemistry, a rigorous and strict British gentleman, also felt that I could graduate. In this way, I completed my studies six months ahead of schedule and ended my doctoral career. The subsequent external review gave good opinions and I successfully obtained my degree.

Looking back, my master's supervisor, doctoral supervisor and co-supervisor all gave me invaluable understanding and support at critical moments. I have always felt guilty for not continuing my academic path, but I still followed my heart and chose the path I like.

Source: Gong Dangguo Science Network Blog

The author Gong Dangguo is a PhD candidate from Nanyang Technological University

Packaging, testing and manufacturing QQ group of 1,000 people 94983436 (please indicate that you are from icbank when joining the group)

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