2021, one isolated year.

2020 had the first 3 months that were quite active and filled with life. 2021 is the year I made the least amount of human interaction: The service industry (waiters, cashiers, ...) and strangers in the streets made nearly 100% of my interaction. Amid the pandemic, these workers provide a human aspect to the isolated humanity. The employers should pay them well. Since everything in the USA is about tipping, when will we start tipping Trader Joe's cashiers? They are the best. I wish Trader Joe's treated them with respect.

I don't know. But this really makes me feel sad.

 

COVID19 uncertainty - when you feel you are not in control of things. Pre-pandemic, the world changed slowly. Nothing fundamentally changed within a few months to years. We moved faster while the world moved relatively slower. That made us feel safe. The pandemic has turned the tables. Now with the pandemic, the world seems to be evolving rapidly than we. We are closer to 2022 than 2020 now as we have past the mid-mark of 2021. It is a one weird year, perhaps less weird compared to 2020. 3 years in Atlanta continuously. I am not sure where and how will this year end and what is next, and is there even a next?

Grad studies and destinations

Flights, a major part of our life!

One of my juniors asked my opinion on going for higher studies in Europe. I have blogged about Erasmus Mundus a few times. But I decided to make yet another blog post based off of our discussion.

 

Erasmus Mundus used to have both MSc and PhD programs - I did Erasmus Mundus MSc and Erasmus Mundus PhD. With the program restructuring, the Erasmus Mundus PhDs are discontinued. We have the Marie Curie scholarships for PhD instead. 

 

He was planning to apply for a PhD with just a BSc. But EU PhDs almost always (there could be exceptions) require you to have an MSc unlike USA or Australia. So, if you want to do a PhD in EU, you are mostly going to do what we I did - do an MSc (go for Erasmus Mundus - it was a dream come true for me) first. Then apply for a PhD.

 

The 2-years MSc and 5-years PhD was my case. I wasn't in a rush - I took my own time. More likely scenario will be 2-years MSc and 4-years PhD. There is really no rush to leave the school, unless you have no grant - but always strive to get a grant - Erasmus Mundus, Marie Curie, etc will help. Personally, I loved my MSc days. 2 years - 4 semesters. 4th semester was the thesis semester (research). The first 3 semesters were courses only (no research). It was like an extension to our BSc (Eng) from Sri Lanka - if you think about it, it makes sense in the EU - most do an integrated MSc there (i.e., enter the program after highschool and finish BSc + MSc combined in 5 years). 

 

In comparison, in the USA, more likely you will spend 5 years of (MSc + PhD combined, as you go directly from BSc  ➡ PhD.  In such places where you start PhD directly after your BSc (like in the US or Australia), you don't have that relaxing period where you just attend the lectures and do coursework/group-projects. They had to already think about finding the advisor, etc. 

 

Our EU MSc days were like fun, friendships, and feeling young. Only one catch is, if you go for an MSc in the EU, by the early second year (i.e., 3rd semester) you have to apply for the PhD again (with recommendation letters and all). That gives a slight uncertainty and anxiety: for instance, what if you couldn't get into a good PhD program in the EU after the MSc? US does not have a good credit transfer system from MSc programs, especially from other countries. So, if you try to apply for a PhD in the USA after an EU MSc, you are mostly going to sit with those who arrived there just with a BSc (in other words, you may feel like you have wasted 2 years for nothing in the EU with your MSc). That's why the strategy is, if you do your MSc in EU, do your PhD there as well.

 

If time is a concern, USA, Canada, or Australia can be better choices. Australia is very quick. I have friends who completed their PhD in 3 - 4 years directly after their BSc. US universities will typically require IELTS and GRE for the PhD. EU did not require GRE, and we were exempted from IELTS since we come from an English-speaking university.