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Well written.

If you find yourself gravitating towards academia and you seem lost by all the information out there.

Kindly reach out.

Also you will find this link 👇 useful to start

https://www.nairaland.com/8726152/gap-graduate-study#140298813

Let me know what you think.

Young professionals, graduates and researchers are usually conflicted on which path to take in the course of their career.

Do not beat yourself up. It is expected to be at a cross road on what choice suits your career goals.

First off, I do not think it is a one-size-fits-all thing. Life is dynamic, and full of unexpected twists and turns.

However, there are many factors that might affect, and in turn influence an individuals choice such as family background, demography, field of study, health conditions, personal beliefs and goals.

Regardless of these factors, one can make a reasonable decision based on the following criteria:

A) Short-term & Long-term goals
B) Strengths & Weaknesses
C) Opportunities
D) Work Schedule
E) Influence
F) Work Ethic & Flexibility

My advice is to plant as many seeds as you possibly can, within your capacity.

You never know which one would yield the best results per season.

Send me an email, so we can start off on your writing & Graduate school applications.

Send me that email, and kick start your writing project.

CITATION

One identifier of scholarly academic writing is in how well the citations are made.

In scientific research, ALA citation style is mostly used, except in interdisciplinary research.

These tools can make can make your citations easier & better than expected:

▪︎ Zotero
▪︎ Mendeley
▪︎ ResearchPal
▪︎ Quiqqa
▪︎ Mybib
▪︎ JabRef
▪︎ Citationsy
▪︎ PaperPile
▪︎ EndNote

Other tools that are compatible with the citation reference managers listed above are

▪︎ Turnitin (plagiarism checker, that filters out bibliography and in-text citations).

▪︎ iThenticate (designed for academic publishers).

If you are still double-minded on how to approach your intending plans for graduate school, 👇

reach out.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF AI IN WRITING YOUR STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP).

One of the goals of graduate school is to hone your writing skills. It is best to write as humanly possible as you can.

Note: This article is written with a science-based research program in mind.

A great Personal Statement/SOP should have about 4 to 6 paragraphs.

Paragraph 1:
Introduce your 'problem statement' and connect it to its relevance. This typically includes what you saw that made you decide to study in that field and a possible solution it can profer.

Paragraph 2:
Talk about your Educational background, your undergraduate research experiences, and how they have prepared you for the proposed study. Highlight the knowledge, research experience, and skills acquired.


Paragraph 3:
Discuss your leadership, volunteering, and extracurricular activities that showcases relevant soft skills. It is best if these experiences are relevant to your intended study.

Paragraph 4:
Talk more about your research interest and mention the supervisor you have contacted (This is very important). Explain why you intend to work with them. Be specific about your research interest. Include publications, workshops or conferences inline with this field of research (if any).

Paragraph 5:
Talk about the Institution and why you chose it among others, and what you stand to gain and contribute if given the opportunity. Find out what happens to the Alumni of that Institution, and indicate how this network can promote your career goals. Highlight specific interests in the school; research facilities, research work, professors etc

Paragraph 6:
Talk about your immediate, short, and long-term career goals. Make sure anyone reading your SOP can understand WHO you are without the need to ask further questions. Highlight what you want to do after your program. Can be linked to paragraph 1.

Your SOP is your voice. Be specific, concise and most importantly, sell yourself.



Things to note:

1) Start with a draft. This should be a rough sketch that will be fine-tuned into the final document after multiple edits.

2) Target 500 to 1000 words. Or 1 to 2 pages of a standard A4 document. Preferably one page.

3) Use formal fonts Eg Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria, Arial etc, inline with ALA format.

4) Font size 11 - 12 for the body; 14 -16 for headings.

5) Line spacing should be double. You can use 1.5 as well.



DO NOT LET IMPOSTER SYNDROME STOP YOU FROM TRYING. You are better than you know.

Remember to utilize the help of a 3rd-party to proof read the document prior to submission. This ensures there are no errors.

Additional tip:

▪︎ Write as the ideas come to you.

Do not wait to be in the perfect mood.

Edit as often as you can. Each time, you will get new perspective, & find new mistakes.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

PART 4

You have Received a Formal Acknowledgement as a Graduate Student at your school of Interest, Hurray!

Depending on the location, You need to start making travel plans.

Again, Do your Research. Different countries have different requirements.

Laws are constantly changing. You need to stay updated.

Processing your visa ( No guarantee that you will get it, so you have to be well prepared)

PART 3

If Part 2 of the process is successful, then you should Receive a formal invitation to apply to the school of Graduate Studies.

Note: Some Institutions may not require an Interview; they will skip part 2.

1) As always do your research before applying. Different Institutions have different requirements.

2) Make sure all documents are handy. Upload as requested.

3) When confused, an inquiry email to the institution will help.

4) At this stage, you can ask about accommodation.
▪︎ Most times off-campus living would be relatively affordable in comparison to on-campus accommodation.



Part 4 below

PART 2

If Part 1 of the process is successful, and you receive a reply from the Institution, a potential Supervisor, a lab etc

Congratulations.

Some Institutions may schedule an Interview to further determine how suited you are as a graduate student.

Preparing for your Interview:

1) Do your research about the Institution, potential Supervisor, & field of study.
▪︎ Make sure to have your summary notes with key points.

2) Be prepared to answer questions regarding previous study, research, skills and interest.

3) Understand your goals & how they match the interest of the Institution, potential supervisors research, or lab.

4) Ask relevant questions. This signifies interest and shows you did your research.

5) Be true to yourself; Do not exaggerate; Do not Underestimate your background or Undersell yourself; Do not be scared to say no if the need arises.

6) Be prepared to answer technical questions.

7) This is an opportunity to showcase your soft skills. Be attentive, respond with grace. Take notes.

Dress well; Formal or Semi-formal , depends on the institution.

9) Use appropriate salutations.



Part 3 of the Process Below

Come closer, you; Yes, you!

The only thing stopping you from taking the bold step to pursue your dreams in a graduate study of your choice, is knowledge.

But, no worries. I am here to guide you.

You might be wondering about the where, how, who, when, what.

PART 1

The first step to PLANNING your studies starts with your Preparation.

1) Start a year or more earlier. Rules change, the systems are dynamic, so as not to be caught unawares.

2) Gather necessary documents:

▪︎ Academic CV
▪︎ Transcript
▪︎ Statement of Purpose / Statement of Intent
▪︎ Cold Email Template
▪︎ Specific documentation based on the country of interest
▪︎ Proof of English Language Proficiency / Test (depends on country; Most accept WAEC/NECO).
▪︎ Copy of Undergraduate publications; if any.
▪︎ Copy of Undergraduate thesis.
▪︎ Recommendation Letter

Do your Research.

3) Acquire skills relevant to your area of academic research/study, Eg: Lab research, Internship, work experience, conference, workshops, etc

4) Carefully outline your expectations based on geographic, demographic, academic and personal interests. These factors can make or mar your time as a student.

5) Research Institutions, researchers & instructors that meet the above requirements. This step is critical, and requires a lot of time and patience.

6) Organise and document your findings in spreadsheets, or any suitable documentation app of your choice.

6) Draft out A Cold Email that is suited to the specific Institution, Principal Investigator or Lab. Meaning, you will have to do this multiple times if you intend to apply to multiple schools.

7) Now, assemble the necessary documents & send that Email.
You have laboured for it. Be confident.

While you wait for a response, repeat step 7 as many times as possible, of course, to other Institutions & labs of interest.

9) Stay positive & have faith. Wait, & continue learning.

10) Go through any feedback from previous applications, implement the corrections where & when necessary. Modify the process as needed.

11) Network, ask questions, follow creatives who are knowledgeable in the subject area. Telegram, X, LinkedIn & YouTube are great resource tools.

Part 2 of the Process Below

Contrary to what many students/ entry-level researchers believe, academic & research writing can be a breeze in the park if you know where to begin.

Here are 10 key components that can make your writing seamless and hassle free:

1) Have a good grasp of the subject matter. This will reflect in the Introduction of the Topic and guide your reader on the best way to perceive it.

2) Create an organised and properly documented dataset. Spreadsheets, Statistical tools like R & Python are recommended. You would be surprised how much this can impact your writing.

3) Plan! Plan! Plan!
Outline your goals, objectives & time frame clearly, and separate planning from actual writing. Ghantt-Charts come in handy.

4) The experimental design should be a reflection of the entire empirical process, from start to finish.

5) The writing should be direct, formal (or depending on the Institutional requirements, as the case may be). Keep to essential, be precise, simple & consistent.

6) Assume nothing. It must be factual and backed by data from literature or the current study.

7) Use a suitable citation tool, Eg., Mendelez, Zotero etc.

Always write Cause before Effect, avoid jargon, and write one point per paragraph.

9) Follow section headings:
▪︎ Introduction
▪︎ Literature Review
▪︎ Methods
▪︎ Result
▪︎ Conclusion
Make sure to put things in the right section.

10) Use topic sentence while telling your story. Remember, Your reader must come first.

Resource:
Writing as an essential research skill by Stuart West and Lindsay Turnbull.

For access to other resources:
https://welib.st/


Feel free to add yours.

Please, we would love an update with your testimony, God bless you 🙏.