Get that PhD!

I earned my PhD from an accredited university in the USA. It was like a dream come true, considering where I come from —a small island in the eastern part of Indonesia. The first thing that made this achievement possible was that I dared to dream it, and I managed to remove a limiting belief that had stayed with me for years. Speaking of limiting beliefs, we sometimes have them because we let what people say in. Unfortunately, this was what happened to me. When I was in college, there was a professor whom I pretty much adored, largely due to his fluency in English and his PhD. Back then, I basically adored anyone with good English and PhDs because I longed to be like them (now, as a scholar of color and a member of a minority group, I am totally against this). He said to us one day that we should pursue a Master’s degree abroad because that was the only way to do a PhD abroad. He pointed out that if we earned our Master’s degree in Indonesia, then we were screwed. There was no way accredited universities overseas would admit us. I had no idea why the twenty-one-year-old me, who had already gotten married while still at college, really wanted a PhD, a desire deemed odd based on the common social expectations for women in the community I grew up in. So I tried my best to win a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Australia, but I failed. I failed multiple times. I then applied to one in the USA, and the interviewers thought I was too ambitious. I felt beaten. It sucked. Because I was running out of time, I decided to continue my studies at a local university in my hometown. I was still brokenhearted when I first started because I thought my dream to earn a PhD abroad was shattered. But then I met a mentor, another professor during my graduate study, who convinced me that what I believed was false and that I needed to uproot it from my mind if I still wanted a PhD. I accepted the challenge; I completed my Master’s in only three semesters and applied for a scholarship to pursue a PhD in Linguistics. Yeah, what’s the harm in trying anyway? So, why not apply for the prestigious Fulbright scholarship? So I did, and guess what? I got it! I was admitted to the Department of Linguistics at University of Hawaii at Manoa in the fall of 2016.

So if you are wondering whether it is possible to pursue a PhD abroad while you only have a Master’s degree from your home developing country, the short answer is hell yeah. Below are some ways you can make that dream of becoming a Doctor come true.

Remove your limiting belief

I share my story at the beginning of this blog post because if you can relate by any chance, please do not make the same mistake I did. In other words, if you have the same limiting belief as mine in the past, please toss it in the trash can or burn it into ashes. If you really want a PhD, don’t wait until so many years to do your Master’s just because you failed to do it abroad. It’s OK. Enroll in a graduate school within your home country and ace all your classes. If the degree requires you to write a thesis, write one that can serve as your foundation to expand it into parallel research. Your thesis and your future dissertation do not have to be wholly related. It is good to have a similar research background that can polish your study objective when applying to a PhD program. Once you remove the old false belief, plant a new belief, a seed that can grow like a magical plant, you know, the kind that you can climb, and it will take you to the Doctoral gate (instead of Hogwarts, though).

Do your first homework

Just like other things you desire in life, entering a PhD program takes upfront work. It even takes, way more work if you are from a different system. Everyone has their own point of departure, but if your diploma is not from a country where you want to continue your degree, your point of departure is simply further back. By default, you have a higher pile of homework, ranging from researching what you want to do for a PhD in, where, and how you will get there, and I hate to say it, but lots of paperwork is waiting at the end. Don’t need to feel overwhelmed. Take one step at a time, and do your first homework: research your dream PhD program. A better way to do this is not to start from the question ‘where’ but ‘what.’ What is it that you are passionate about? What research do you envision doing? Then you can ask another question: Is this a continuation of what you did in your Master’s? These questions are crucial because they will lead you to the next important one, where you should go. For instance, if you are intrigued about doing something different from what you did in your Master’s, you may need to find a university in a country where the system allows you. I did this too. My Master’s is in teaching, but I wanted to do Linguistics, so I chose the USA because I could take coursework and narrow down my research focus along the way. Remember, you want to do a PhD, not a picnic, so figure out what you want to do instead of where to go first.

Build a support system

You don’t have to figure out everything yourself. In fact, you should not. Pursuing a PhD abroad is big, so go create a support system. I know there might be naysayers who laugh at you behind your back. Those people exist but ignore them; kick them out of your system if they are in. Create a support system with people who can support and help you. Find a mentor or two, people who have gone through a similar thing, who know how things work, and can advise you. Keep in mind, however, that everyone is unique in their experience, so you need to have your own voice too. What worked for them may not work for you, but it is always easier to have someone who helps you in the process. Find a friend who can be your cheerleader. When I was preparing for my studies, my late professor was my mentor for my research, a good friend was my mentor to help me with my English, and another good friend was my cheerleader. You don’t need to announce to the world that you are committing to pursue a PhD. It’s just good to let some people know, the people whom you can include in your support system.

Get a scholarship

Ideally, you should apply for a scholarship that can fund your studies. After deciding what to do and where to go, get your boat. My boat was the Fulbright, but there are many other boats out there. You don’t have to compete internationally. Look for ones provided by your government or international grants designated for people from your home country. Winning a scholarship is not easy. That’s why you should have a mentor at this stage, too, if possible. A scholarship application for a PhD always includes a research plan, so the first process of figuring out what you want to do can help you with this stage, too. The assessments for PhD and Master’s applicants are different. Sponsors want to see the value in your proposed research; does it offer novelty or fill the gap in the field? More importantly, pick the best scholarships, not the easiest ones. Remember, you are going to live far away from home for a few years, so choose the ones with the best coverage. Knowing where you aim to continue your study will definitely help you to decide, research the living cost and health insurance, then pick scholarships with the best package that covers these needs. Doing a PhD is hard. It would be great if you could get a scholarship that covers the whole expenses so you don’t have to work on campus.

Apply directly to your dream universities

Scholarships are not for all applicants, but don’t be discouraged if you are not selected. You should persevere in your efforts because there is still another path you can take. The good news about PhD programs overseas is that they usually have funds for students. In other words, you can still apply to a program even if you don’t have any outside funding. They need diversity by including international students in their PhD programs, and they surely understand that not everyone can get a scholarship. They will make it clear if they have a fund for you or not, even from the beginning of your application process. If you pass their criteria and they have the money, you will start your PhD journey in no time. The fund may mean you are required to work on campus, or if they can be generous, all school fees and stipends are covered. You should therefore check the availability of grants at your dream universities.

So what is holding you back now? Use that local diploma to pursue a PhD abroad; it’s really doable!