Story of my PhD - The Loss

Within a few days from now, I will be leaving my country to study abroad for PhD, Insha ALLAH. It’s an industry based project, fully funded, which includes a tuition fee scholarship for 4 years and a stipend for 3 years. Let me tell you the twists behind these seemingly simple words of a win.

The story of winning this scholarship starts off with a loss actually. I was refused from Oxford University for PhD in Numerical Analysis that day, February 22, 2012. Upon my request, I was told later that there are only 3 to 5 positions offered in the said position in one whole year! I knew Oxford was competitive but had no idea, to this extent! (I have been reading number of scholarships for Mathematics Department and didn't know there were strict allocations subject-wise). I knew I was eligible for applying this position and for the scholarship, but it gets just too competitive when you have applicants from around the world. I was good in academics but not so exceptional. One of the biggest problems that I faced was that I didn’t have a research publication yet. Why not? That is another long story. But the fact is that I did not publish my thesis work.

Now what? I had confidently applied at Oxford University without even thinking that it will get rejected like that. It was my dream. I wanted to prove that I will study at my own talent where son of my country's President (and many other renowned politicians and personalities in Pakistan) studied. A lot of my plans were running parallel with it and I was excited. It was a gloomy morning for me after the dream broke.

     It had taken almost six months just to launch the application. The idea first popped in my mind in July 2011. I started off studying for IELTS test preparation on my own. I remember there wasn't a single person I could ask about it. Amidst teaching three courses, which is maximum work load for a Lecturer, I sat for my test in November and earned band 7.0, which was just enough to qualify for Oxford Uni in Mathematics Department. I think my mistake was that I requested for funds from Oxford. Had I shown that I will finance my studies through my employer or HEC, there were bright chances of winning it.

Lesson learnt! That same day, within an hour, I started searching for a new scholarship. Life has to move on and it doesn't end with that. The problem was, that being busy with too many other things in my life, I just relied on a single application. It was end of February and all Universities in UK had closed admissions for bursaries and funds. UK was my top priority for studies because my brother was also there at that time. Spring semester started and I had to teach with full workload again. I had to start it all over when there was teaming pressure at workplace now i.e. start of a new semester.

What happened next, is another story to be told!