Kritika Kasliwal
Branch: B.E Chemical plus MSc Biology
What made you consider a reverse dual?
While taking admission in BITS, I initially wanted to come in as BPharm, but after speaking to a lot of BITSians, I decided to choose Chemical instead. When I took the Biology course in my first year, I realized that I still wanted to do something along those lines, and hence spoke to the admissions division, ARCD(AUGSD) about this. They said that I could either do both pharma and Chemical (which is not possible anymore) or do a reverse dual. The idea of doing an MSc in something that appealed to me and coming out with 2 degrees in 5 years felt worth it. This made me consider a reverse dual in Biology.
What helped you get the information you needed to finalize the decision?
The first thing I did was to consult seniors who were already pursuing a reverse dual. They helped in giving a very realistic opinion. Talking to the professors of the branch you wish to pursue is also very important. I spoke to about 3-4 profs to get a broader range of opinions. So you should make sure that you keep talking to different professors until you get a somewhat more realistic perspective from at least one of them, where they talk about the possible negative aspects of the situation as well.
I also went and spoke to the dean because it is a decision that both the college and yourself have to take, so you may want to talk to them beforehand. The HOD of your own department should also be consulted.
I took some time to think by myself and plan out my interests and objectives, which I think should be done by everyone before finalizing their decision. When you apply and accept the dual, you initially have to pay some fee, which can be refunded if you choose to drop it before the end of the second year, giving you another year to reconsider.
My PS1 was again more about checking out whether or not I like Chemical and if I want to pursue something in that. But after PS1, I ended up chalking off Chemical.
What are the pros and cons of reverse dual/dual?
The advantages it provided were that it gave me an extra year to explore my options and think about what I want to do. Apart from that, an MSc added to my research profile and helped me directly apply for a Ph.D. Integrating both my B.E. and dual so that one compliments the other, did wonders as well.
It has a few drawbacks, firstly, if you take a reverse dual, you would be doing the B.E. courses in your second year and the MSc courses in your 3rd year, so the process with respect to setting timetables and exam dates can become a little confusing. With a reversed timetable it becomes important to plan beforehand how you would be fulfilling your disciplinary electives.
If you are clear about a reverse dual in your 1st year, you can talk to the AUGSD and try to have the same system of a normal dualite, i.e., MSc in your 2nd-year.
What is the procedure for applying for a dual?
You need to apply along with the dualites who are choosing their B.E. degree, the forms for which come out after the end of 1-2. You need to fill in your CGPA and why you want a dual. The C.G. cut off varies for different branches. For my batch, the cutoffs for biology were around the high 7's, and for physics/economics were around 8.5-9. Since there are no official C.G. cutoffs provided, I recommend you talking to plenty of seniors.
What are your research interests?
When I started doing projects in biology, I was much more inclined towards microbiology, now what I'm getting into is more of genetics and developmental biology. In biology (generally science research), there are three broad paths you can take, one is more theoretical reading and literature path, the other is doing wet lab work, and the 3rd being computational biology. I mainly like doing wet lab work.
What is your thesis about?
My thesis is about X Chromosome inactivation. Using laboratory techniques, the group will try to determine the molecular mechanisms and dynamics of X Chromosome inactivation.
How did you apply for your thesis?
I'm planning on going for my thesis to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I started sending mails around January. I went about that by speaking to a lot of seniors and getting sample emails from them, which they had sent. The emails must be as crisp as possible while also putting across your point. Being from BITS was a plus point, many of my interviewers mentioned that they decided to read my email only because I was from BITS.
Also, talk to a lot of profs on campus as profs do have contacts abroad and can get you in touch with some of their contacts. There are a lot of people who go to thesis through these contacts. Get a good LinkedIn profile so you can scout people there as well. I connected with some alumni through bitsaa.org, and they were quite helpful.
What projects and internships have you done so far?
I've done five projects, including the one that I'm currently working on. The first one I did in 3-1 in the chemical department, and it was on fungal biofilms. I then did a summer internship in CSIR-IICB Kolkata and then three projects in the Biology department. I would strongly recommend dualites to take up internships in the summer of 3rd year. That's the time you'd realize what you want to do and taking an internship further helps you understand and refine your interests. You also learn how to apply for different opportunities, which helps you a lot when you're applying for a thesis. For biology, some options to look at are - MITACS, Harvard summer program, Indian academy of sciences, Khorana program (U.S.), all CSIRs, TIFR, NCBS. Ensure that the projects you do initially are along broader fields so that you can pivot from there and have more options for applying to summer internships. Before applying for a thesis, have a more or less specific field of project, so there is some kind of specialization.
Try writing your project description in a way that it seems to cover more areas of research. But make sure you do not exaggerate anything that you did on your CV as you would be asked several questions about your CV in your interview, and it can put the whole interview off.
More advice on the importance of LORs, CGPA, Projects, and online courses in terms of building a profile?
Make sure you have a good rapport with the profs you do research under so you can get LORs from them. LORs are extremely important for various applications. A minimum of 3 LORs is a must when applying for a masters or Ph.D.
CGPA is quite important for research, anything above an 8 with a good profile is fine. People with low C.G.s have also gotten good opportunities with excellent profiles otherwise, though.
Do projects/gain skills in a wide array of topics to, firstly, broaden your knowledge on a variety of topics, and secondly, looking at the topics you have worked on, you'll have that many options open. Putting your lab skills or other skills in a separate column in your resume helps in making it clear that you're capable of doing those things.
Having a variety of keywords on your resume, through the skills and knowledge you've gained through projects, online courses, and other sources help in applying to several different opportunities.
Online courses definitely add to your resume as well, in fact, one of the thesis opportunities I got was because of one of the courses I did. Try doing the courses that aren't available in college. Make sure to keep updating them on LinkedIn as well.
Advice for bio students:
Go to classes because then you get to know the professors, and you can approach them for a project. A good rapport means that the professor knows your abilities and interests and hence can guide you appropriately. Though the research exposure for undergrads is comparatively lesser, I advise that you make full use of any resources you get your hands on. This will definitely add to your skillset and CV. Another thing is that some masters/thesis branches in Bio are easy to get into, so don't lose hope when going through the process.
Which extracurricular activities did you pursue, and how did you manage them with your academics? Do you believe that they may have even helped you in your academics in a way?
In my second year, I was the joint secretary of the Dramatics Club, vice-captain of the football team, and captain of the athletics team. In my third year, I was the Sports Sec.
I just went to classes religiously and decided that I would bind myself from 9-5 to finish any academic work I had. What helped me study was the fact that I was time-bound, and hence didn't waste much time. Sports helped me concentrate and manage my time, so I feel that playing sports has helped me in my academics as well. Moreover it adds to your overall profile as well.
Disclaimer: The points given above are the views and steps taken by the individual. They are not fixed steps and guideline to base your college upon. Our hope is to inspire students so they can take the necessary steps here after. We hope you like it!
Written By: Eishita Tripathi and Manish Patil
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