Later, I applied for a total of 157 positions, was rejected 154 times, got 10 interviews, and successfully got 3 offers.
On the canvas bag I carry, the logo of the research group was designed by me).
Busy days are not reluctant to give up day and night. In August, I got my IELTS score. A few days later, I received a Ph.D. offer from the University of Vienna.
At that time, I continued to apply non-stop. However, while other schools offer me a scholarship on my own, the University of Vienna directly signs a three-year contract for me, that is, I am paid a salary while studying for a doctorate.
Later, I learned that the vast majority of doctoral students in Vienna have either won the national government scholarship to study abroad, or they are from prestigious universities, or they have been recommended by their master's supervisors in China.
As for me, I didn't find any study abroad agents, nor did I spend a penny on training courses, and I spent the least amount of money to get a doctoral offer in Europe with the most general background and the least amount of money.
This is a rare case in the eyes of many people, but in my opinion, it is a valuable study abroad experience.
Soon after, I set up a study abroad studio with some friends who have a lot of experience in applying for overseas degrees.
It is our original intention to use our experience to help those students who have strong subjective initiative.
However, after all, we are all doctoral students, and we usually have heavy scientific research tasks, so we can only use it as a side hustle.
Some people are struggling with whether to study abroad, and some people are struggling with whether to study for a PhD, and in both cases, we will not blindly help with ideas.
When someone wants to entrust us with the entire application process, I usually reject it outright. We only give some suggestions for the collection of college admissions information platforms, and let them choose for themselves.
If someone wants us to help write a study abroad essay, I will persuade him to quit. Let them write it themselves, and we'll polish it.
I'm in Finland) In my opinion, if you really make up your mind to study abroad, you shouldn't just want to spend money because you're lazy.
A doctoral career requires determination, perseverance, patience and decision-making, as well as people who are decisive and have goals.
After studying for a PhD abroad, I found that there was still a gap between the actual situation and the expectations.
For example, I thought it would be a good scientific research environment, but in fact, the equipment and equipment in my laboratory are far inferior to those of domestic laboratories.
In addition, in the past, when ordering experimental reagents in China, they could be delivered in the morning and afternoon, but in Austria, it took two or three weeks to arrive, and the overall efficiency would be affected.
However, Vienna is known as the most livable city in the world, and I experienced a different atmosphere.
Domestically, there is a strong focus on efficiency, while Vienna is more about feelings. Here, I also began to slowly learn how to live slowly.
I'm skiing in the Austrian Alps).
Different from the obvious difference between domestic fresh graduates and non-fresh graduates, here in Vienna, there are many people who work and study, study for 6 years in the bachelor's degree, and only start studying for a master's degree at the age of 30, and the tolerance is still quite high.
Our school stipulates that doctoral students have teaching tasks, and they need to give experimental classes to master's students, and they can also take master's students or undergraduates to do graduation projects. At the age of 26, I took a 31-year-old master's student.
In order to go back at night to take care of his pregnant girlfriend, he always does experiments in the laboratory early. After the child is born, he runs at two ends every day. Sometimes in online meetings with him, he often holds the child in one hand and taps on the keyboard with the other to process the data.
But he didn't feel hard, nor did he feel anxious, and lived at his own pace, while studying.
Maybe you think, this is an inspirational story. But in Austria, such things are all too common.
I wear Thai clothes at Wat Arun, Thailand).
Downstairs in our lab, you can often see people snoring directly on the grass, people basking in the sun on chairs, people sitting on the steps with sandwiches and chatting over coffee.
With the sense of relaxation around me and the relaxed working atmosphere, I now plan 25 days of annual leave for myself in addition to my studies, arrange leisure and relaxation time, and travel around the world.
During my Ph.D. studies, I applied for scholarships 5 times and traveled to several countries.
I have traveled to the northern part of Finland and witnessed the fleeting aurora; I once walked through Estonia and felt the mystical atmosphere of a medieval Christmas market; I've also been to Spain and come across colorful neon on Dragonstone.
After playing, I like to share my travel notes. It may be the habit of "review" in the bones, even travel.
Me and the professors of the Spanish laboratory)
People always ask me, how long are you going to study? My answer was, "Study for as long as you want." ”
In fact, I have met the graduation requirements at present.
With a contract for 26 hours a week, a good salary, a few students to do experiments, by the way, run their own ** on the platform, help the "Buddhist" father clean up the backlog of bags, apply for international exchange scholarships after work, and let the roaming world tour fill the leisurely vacation.
What I want to say is that I am not the kind of traditional doctoral student who is dedicated to scientific research, I aspire to become a doctoral student who has both a career and a life, and can arrange the rhythm independently, and balance the economy and spirit.
Studying for a PhD is not only easy and comfortable, but also a kind of growth in the process of experiencing challenges and fulfillment.
After so many years, I finally found the true "free roll" mode.
As John Lennon said, "Life is like a melody that happens to you by chance while you are weaving a plan." ”
Now, I just want to try my best to live in the most comfortable state I can and enjoy the comfort and abundance of this journey of life.