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Well finally after 3 months of work this website is done. I have much more content (like projects, talks, posts), but migrating the postgres database...
By Kartik Mandar
6/24/2025An honest look into what life is really like for students and researchers in academia.
Real stories from the academic journey - the successes, failures, and everything in between.
Well finally after 3 months of work this website is done. I have much more content (like projects, talks, posts), but migrating the postgres database...
Each stage brings its own unique challenges, growth opportunities, and revelations.
3-4 years
Foundation building, discovering research interests
Key Challenges:
2 years
Specialization, first research experience
Key Challenges:
4-6 years
Independent research, becoming an expert
Key Challenges:
2-4 years
Building research profile, job hunting
Key Challenges:
What does a typical day actually look like? Spoiler: it's rarely typical.
Coffee + latest papers in your field
Experiments, coding, analysis, or writing
Discussing ideas with peers and advisors
Classes, assignments, or TA duties
Literature review and next day preparation
Hobbies, exercise, or just unwinding
From curiosity to published paper - the real timeline and process behind academic research.
Identify an interesting, unanswered question
Read everything related to understand the field
Design experiments or theoretical approach
Conduct experiments, collect data, analyze
Draft papers, get feedback, revise extensively
Peer review process, revisions, final publication
Reality check: This process is rarely linear. You'll often cycle back to earlier steps, face rejections, and sometimes start over completely. That's normal!
Let's talk about money - because passion doesn't pay the bills (but it might barely cover them).
In India: ₹31,000-₹35,000/month for PhD scholars (JRF/SRF). Just enough to survive, rarely enough to thrive.
Multiple income streams keep academics afloat: fellowships, teaching assistantships, research grants.
Academic careers require patience. Financial stability often comes later but can be very rewarding.
Academic life isn't for everyone, but for those called to it, it can be incredibly fulfilling. The world needs curious minds pushing the boundaries of knowledge.