At the end of the university, the graduates face an extremely important question of choosing the future path in life: whether to go to work in a specialty, choose another profession, go to receive a second higher education, or to realize oneself in science. As a rule, units choose the last way. Admission to graduate school is a crucial step, which means a willingness to give your life to science. Moreover, in our country, almost for free! Since a postgraduate scholarship without work experience is not very different from a student scholarship, and science requires sacrifice. Material. And sometimes very significant. Financing of almost all universities in our country leaves much to be desired. However, often this fact does not stop those wishing to create a career in science. What drives such people? Who needs admission to graduate school and why?
- People who dream of being useful to their country, society, having made a breakthrough in Russian science. For such people, there is simply no other way! However, they need to be prepared for the fact that all their efforts can go unnoticed and, moreover, no one needs. In our country.
- If you have dreamed of teaching at the university since childhood, graduate school is created for you. But be prepared for difficulties: it is not so easy to get a Ph.D. and it is even more difficult to get a position as an assistant professor in the department. Strive for this while still a graduate student: ask for hours, the position of assistant chair, senior researcher.
- If you plan to get a PhD, then leave the borders of our country and work abroad. In this case, make sure that they are waiting for you in the proposed country: take part in international conferences, internship programs for scientific personnel abroad, etc.
- If you were in love with student life, you absolutely do not want to leave the walls of the university that have already become home, and there is no particular job, you can also try to enter graduate school. But be prepared for difficulties: graduate school is fundamentally different from students - here you need to show dedication to science and the chosen research topic, which takes a lot of time, effort and finance.
- If you really do not want to join the army and enter graduate school, this is the only chance to avoid it! You, in principle, will achieve the goal, but at the same time, are you sure that graduate school is better than the army?
The conditions for admission to graduate school are less stringent than it seems to the bulk of graduates:
- You have the right to do if you have a diploma in the chosen specialty and certain successes in it.
- You will need to go through an interview with the prospective supervisor and seek his support.
- Pass the entrance exams. There are three of them: in the chosen specialty, philosophy and a foreign language.
- Have scientific publications within the framework of your subject (in their absence - an abstract).
- Carry copies of your documents and photographs. As well as a medical certificate of health status.
In fact, if you have an agreement with the supervisor, everything else is just a formality.
Exams for graduate school are not difficult: you pass your specialty (which you are theoretically excellent at), a foreign language (you plan to participate in international conferences and should adequately represent your homeland at them) and philosophy (since a true scientist cannot but be a philosopher in the shower). After 3 years of study (in the full-time department) or 4 (in the correspondence), you will once again pass all the same exams in approximately the same program, and therefore: do not rush to throw away didactic materials and cheat sheets!
Admission to graduate school is an important decision in life, and therefore, before accepting it, think again about whether you are sure that you want to put your life on the altar of science.