In the first episode of the season, learn about the ins and outs of applying to a PhD program, what it's like being a PhD student, and how to balance school work with other pursuits. In this episode, I speak with Garima about her path to becoming an Earth and Environmental Sciences PhD candidate. We talk about the time she took off before starting her PhD program (including working at a botanical garden), how she conducted informational interviews to help narrow down which PhD programs to apply for, and her work outside of the classroom.

Best for: key lessons on applying to PhD programs, learning about the day-to-day of a PhD program, considering what to prioritize when

Contents:

1:00 - Introduction

4:39 - Deciding between environmental consulting and environmental research

7:53 - Deferring grad school and working at a botanical garden in Hawaii

19:43 - Applying to a PhD in environmental sciences

25:20 - Overview of a PhD program

30:05 - Beyond the PhD program

37:23 - Evolving priorities

40:35 - Pros and cons of being a PhD student

43:33 - Lessons learned