Ph.D : An Academic Adventure Of A Lifetime!

The PhD-as-journey becomes a way of telling self and others the story of the PhD process and the various experiences, emotions, and challenges that come along the way. The notion of the journey sums up the sense of movement, personal growth and change! Here are my learnings/observations and narrations of the ups and downs of my journey until now:

1. Patience & ability to deal with pressure

PhD can be really frustrating and there may be times you would feel like just giving up. Even though you may have completed the work from your end there are so many other factors that influence your progress. That is why you need patience and lots of it-

• The supervisor might not be available, dates for presentations, meetings might be difficult to secure. Comments from advisors could take too long or they could join some other institute mid-way.
• If you are getting the results and publications in time (what you and your supervisor have planned), then you are in a good phase of the Ph.D. And, here is your chance to make best out of it. However, for some reasons, if you are lagging then again pressure builds.
• Papers you send for publications could sometimes take months. It could be an endless process of rejections, reviews and revisions before you can finally get published.
• Getting married while doing PhD is not easy with the lack of time and less money from stipend. All this while your friends who could be graduates have good jobs and have been promoted and even have kids.
• Dealing with the pressure that comes with family and relatives constantly asking you about when are you completing your PhD.
• Holidays are rare and even then you might have to work. The only time you really get to travel is during conferences. Even that is impossible now due to Covid-19 situation.
• You might be a teaching assistant or taking classes or organizing conferences or doing some other work which will take up more of your time.

Basically, doing Ph.D. is an art of handling the pressure, and if you are good in that, then you will find less frustration. However, if you're unable to handle the load, then you will learn it during the Ph.D. And, undoubtedly, you will master the things (like pressure handling to minimize the frustration level) that can help you to grow your career. There is plenty of time to learn, improve and emerge. 

2. Drive + Humility + Hard work

It could take you anywhere between 3 to 6 years to complete your PhD. If you are not driven, it could be easy to slip into lethargy and depression as you counter setbacks on the way. You might waste valuable energy and lose focus. Treat every setback as a bump in the road.

The transition from student to scholar is the primary task of a doctoral journey. It involves learning how to (a) read and critically interpret the original works of important theorists and researchers contained in the literature of your field, (b) design and conduct research projects of your own (such as the dissertation), and (c) write in a style and voice acceptable to other scholars. 

So while you need to be driven to progress forward, you also need to be patient knowing it would still take time. This combination of drive-patience quality is tough but so important to achieve.

3. People skills

Although a lot of your PhD work involves you working alone in your lab or cubicle or home, it also involves interaction and working with others.

The most important is your relation with your supervisor. A supervisor might be kind and helpful but might not have enough knowledge in your area to help you a lot. Or your supervisor might be a genius and very knowledgeable but might have a nature that makes it difficult to work with them. It is up to you to figure out the best way to work with them as everyone has a different kind of personality and this relationship lasts for years and involves constantly working with them.

Besides your supervisor, there are also committee members with whom you may need to interact at times. Networking is important as you might need to take help from other colleagues, juniors or seniors for your PhD work or for collaborating to publish a paper together.

So although it is your PhD - that of an individual, it is never achieved without the involvement of a lot of different people and that is why people skills are necessary- knowing how to work and what works best with them.

4. (Mis)Using the freedom

The nicest part of a PhD is the freedom. The worst part is the freedom. Understand this! You have to be wise with how you use your time and make the most of the opportunity to study and research something you’re passionate about. A PhD student who understands this difference separates himself/herself from the rest automatically!

P.S: 

1. There are days when you don't understand something or you don't get desired results in this journey. Similarly, there are days when you might get scolded for no fault of yours. All these things are frustrating but if you were to look at it, these things happen in almost any career. 

2. Ph.D is an endurance test. So, even with all these aspects, enjoying the doctorate journey is what matters the most. It will have its share of ups and downs. How you handle them will determine whether you succeed or fail in your quest.

4 Super Useful Things I Suggest You Do - That Need 30 Seconds Or Less!

There are so many things that need 30 seconds or even less. Here are a few, I would suggest! :)

1. Boost Your Confidence and Reduce Stress (POWER POSE!): Find a quiet place. Stand up straight and lift your chin. Keep a straight posture and a superhero stance. This releases confidence-boosting testosterone instantly! You can try doing this prior to an interview or public speech. Or it can simple be used to help with stress!

2. Micro-meditate: Take that tiny bit of time, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to build mindfulness in this digital age. This helps in clearing your head, especially when you’re in the middle of the day & feeling anxious.

3. Stretch: 30 seconds is pretty much the perfect amount of time to hold a stretch! It is relaxing, soothing and makes you flexible!

4. Pay your online bill(s): It only takes a few seconds to fill up your card details and pay up. It decreases your debt/pending payments. It's great adulting! ;)

e-commerce Trends For Kids #FlipkartKids

Last Saturday, IndiBlogger hosted its last blogger meet of 2015! We met one last time this year to share a few drinks and have some fun at Blue Frog, Mumbai. Just loved the sitting arrangement and the ambiance there.

The IndiBlogger team had a quick introduction, followed by a talk by Kalpana - a parent blogger. Later, Chota Bheem and Flipkart team members took over to share their thoughts on the e-commerce trends that are changing the way people shop for their kids. I clicked a snap with the very-famous-among-children 'Chota Bheem'! Check it out!

Various bloggers shared their views on the e-commerce trends that are changing the way people shop for their kids.

I feel, kids these days are super smart and cannot be lured by simple things. Hence, the way people shop for their children has changed too. Kids these days are very much fashion conscious and aware of the latest trends. Hence, online shopping comes to the rescue and saves you a lot of hustle and bustle. Order 'trending' stuff for your children and if there are quality issues, size issues or simply if your kid is unhappy with it, you can change them with easy returns policy on Flipkart! Technology has made things this simple.

My 10 year old nephew already adds the stuff he wants his parents to buy for him into the Flipkart shopping cart, can you imagine, that's how smart kids have become with these e-commerce trends coming up in market!

In light with these changing trends, our team of bloggers performed an Ad called #FlipkartSanta where each one of us covered the different ages of a child and their specific requirements at every age.

Flipkart has launched the 'Li'l Star, India's Biggest Online Kids' #FlipkartKids Store on 19th December, 2015 with nearly thousand national and international brands, awesome isn't it? Makes shopping for your little ones so comfy and convenient. You do not need to go store to store searching for the right outfit/toys/books and so much more for your kids. You just need an internet connection and vroom you go! Take your kid along and browse until you get the best deal on Flipkart from toys to clothing to accessories, shoes, books, bags, and a lot more.

Source: Indiblogger

Personally I love Flipkart and now that it has a special range for kids, it has become so very easy to buy stuff for the kids in the family. Kids are the most choosy creatures!

With the launch of Flipkart Li’l Stars I am looking forward to pampering my little cousins with an amazing range of products from brands like Fisher Price, Lego, Chota Bheem, Disney, Barbie and other international brands that are just a click away. See the image below to get an idea of what I am talking about!

Source: Indiblogger

Airtel 4G - The Fastest Network Ever, Is Here!

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We all crave for high internet speeds. Earlier we used to wait for movies to get downloaded overnight with a lot of patience. But today, world is moving very fast, and so we hardly have the patience to wait.

Fastest downloads are what we wish for. Gone are the days of fast and faster downloads, we need fastest internet now! It is painful to sit in front of a screen that keeps going round and round but shows up no webpage and tests your patience endlessly.

Airtel 4G is here, finally.

Now that it is here, what will you do with the unbelievable speeds that it offers?

Firstly, Airtel 4G is the first telecom operator to roll out 4G services in India and most important thing to note is that  4G services are available at 3G prices which starts at merely Rs. 25! Unbelievable, isn't it?!

As a blogger and a social media enthusiast, my biggest trouble is often whether I will be able to update my activities on social media on time or not. In case I am attending an event, I get excited and I wish to share the live updates with my readers and friends. But I always am under the worry of my internet going slow or not working at all! Even after paying tons of money after 3G, these services aren't up to the mark.

But the recent commercial launch of Airtel’s high speed 4G services i.e. LTE promises that slow internet speeds will soon be a thing of the past. The ad lists down the features of 4G and it is damn impressive! Airtel has put up a challenge too - if your other network is faster, then they will pay your mobile bill for life!

Also, the good news is, if you already have an Airtel 3G pack, you are entitled to a free 4G upgrade, and get the same benefits as your 3G pack. So if one has an Airtel 3G pack, you can enjoy high speed 4G at no extra cost.

The 4G services have been commercially launched in 296 towns across India. Thanks to Twitter, you can get yourself a free 4G SIM home delivered by the Airtel folks! Tweet using @airtelindia and you'll be amazed at the speeds they promise!

I am soon going to try this new venture of Airtel's! I am sure I can pin point the difference between 3G and 4G very clearly! This promises easy movie downloads, faster running of applications without lags!

This revolutionary speed is going to excite everyone and I am sure many of the tech savvy's are already trying their hands on it.

This speed and the flow with which things work after using the 4G surely promise me good mood all day and no endless waiting for the progress ring to complete its 'n' rounds before it shows me up the web page!

I notice that Airtel's "Tweet using #GetAirtel4G for free 4G sim" is still on, so my wonderful readers go grab it, before it's gone!

This topic is about Airtel. Visit here for offers and more details:  http://www.airtel.in/4g/

Surf it All! Surf it Fast!

Cricket is a force, a madness in India. Cricket seasons are celebrated for long in India. Indians worship cricketers and hence love the game so much so that they go to different heights for watching the game LIVE.

Cricket is India's true religion, India's national anthem. Cricket is almost a synonym for 'sports' in our country! This game keeps the masses gripped!

Being a cricket crazy nation, we always strive to catch the game live and do not ever want to miss the action.

But at times, we have commitments made, that may prevent us from watching it live on TV. In such cases, we are tempted to skip work/office, or family get together, etc. But, UC browser lets you see videos faster. Which means you can now stream matches at faster speed, thus catching all the action live anywhere, anytime, without compromising on your commitments.

UC Browser thus allows a cricket worshiping country like ours a chance to stay connected to the game always without missing out on the little things that make life worthwhile. You can surf, browse at faster speed with seamless transitions.

Cricket is an entertaining game. The game can change any moment. No one would like the fun being spoilt by slow browsers trying to load the game, while in reality the game has moved ahead. Holding your breath and staring at the screen for the game to buffer is such a no-no. This is where UC Browser plays a pivotal role in bringing about a difference.

The excitement for the ICC 2015 World Cup Cricket tournament made the developers of UC Browser announce their new cricket application "UC Cricket".

'UC Cricket' is a special space dedicated for every cricket fan, connecting them to the match wherever they are. Nice, isn't it? UC Browser provides the best cricket service in India including Live Scores & Latest News.

 Some features of UC Cricket:

- Live Scores with auto update

- Match Result

- Latest News

- Videos

UC Cricket comes with a fresh user interface and provides the most comprehensive cricket services to cricket fans. It allows cricket enthusiasts across the country to conveniently access the most up-to-date tournament/match information including live scores, previews, commentaries, stats, videos, etc. Through its exclusive "Cricket Guessing Game", users can also guess/pick the winner of every match and collect points to get a chance to win exciting prizes, like iPhone 6, Samsung GALAXY Note 4 and much more.

Apart from providing all cricket-related information, UC Cricket is full of useful features including a real-time notification which runs in the background and keeps users updated with the latest scores. Another exciting feature is that, cricket fans across the world can interact with each other in the "comments" section of each game! Isn't this app truly tailor made for our nation's 'cricket madness'?

During the 2014 IPL, it is quoted that 1 million users logged onto UC Browser for cricket information. The stats can truly speak for themselves!

This topic is about UC Browser. Check this http://www.ucweb.com/

The 'Axis Digital' Meet Experience

I was among the few shortlisted bloggers to be a part of the 'Axis Digital' event organised by Blogadda.

Venue: Axis Bank, Corporate Office. Axis Bank Limited, Bombay Dyeing Mills Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai – 400 025

It was really nice meeting up new people and learning new things. The meet started on time in the conference hall of Axis Bank.

At first they gave us a brief idea of why the meet was being held. Axis Bank basically is aiming to make banking fun and easy using Social media. They have come up with Ping Pay app that makes transferring money fun.

Ping pay is a multi social payment app by Axis bank. When you launch the app you need to register first.

Transaction history can be viewed in your account details.

I will make this post illustrative with pictures so that, you my readers can understand how the app goes about, the steps and the fun involved!

The app has features that work on gestures -  a bubble that when you move up - goes for 'sending' money and down for 'asking' money. Quite a user friendly and fun interface.

You can send an audio or an image with the money which makes it customized all the more. You can use this app with maybe your milkman leaving an audio if he can't type, or he can just send you an audio of the money to be paid. So it's been made very friendly.

Security of this app is the baap of all. Axis Bank knows the importance of security with this kind of application. They have left no stone unturned as far as the security goes. Every time you enter the app, before you make any transaction it asks you to enter your Mpin. So no wrong or faulty transaction can be done without mpin which only you know!

Moreover, every time you send a person some amount, you have to share the ping code with the receiver via sms or call only. So it is full proof.

If a person doesn't have an Axis bank account, an option to become an account holder pops up too!

Using your Mpin you can accept/decline a transaction. The transaction limit is 500 rupees per day.

You can transact with any person in your FB, gmail, twitter, WhatsApp, contact list, etc. You just have to be connected on the related app while making the transaction.

The transaction you do while Ping Pay is valid for 15 days. If the money is not accepted till then, the money is reversed to the sender.

Any activity on the app is valid for 1 min, once the keypad of your phone locks, you again have to enter the Mpin to continue the session.

The transaction link can be copied only by the sender and nobody else.

There is no ping code in the 'Ask' transaction.

This app has customised funny messages so minimal typing is required. Few messages are ~

"Thappad se darr nahi lagta sahab, udhaar se lagta hai!"

"Yeh le tere khoon paseene ki kamaai." and so many more..!

Brief: Ping Pay

 Ping Pay allows users to transfer funds seamlessly to anyone they are connected to using WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Email and Phone Contact Lists

 It is the only banking social payment application which allows users to share digital content like text, images, audio and video, while sending/asking for money/mobile 

 An innovative gesture based mobile app designed to provide customers with a delightful user experience while enabling money transfers and mobile recharge with utmost convenience  

Ping Pay’ is a unique multi-social payment solution to enable customers, specially the youth and smart phone users, to transfer money and mobile recharge, person-to-person, including to non-Axis Bank account holders, using social and messaging channels like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Email and Phone Contact lists. 

The person-to-person fund transfers through Ping Pay would happen via NPCI’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and currently the transaction limit is at INR 50,000 per day. IMPS offers an instant, 24X7, safe and convenient interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile Ping Pay is seen as a strategic step by Axis Bank in bringing superior customer convenience, embedded in a seamless and secure process, to one of the most important online financial transactions viz. funds transfer, and in the process fast-pacing India’s progress towards becoming a cashless economy. India is largely a prepaid mobile market – the Ping Pay app also enables sending person-to-person mobile recharges, tapping into a huge opportunity. 

Ping Pay has been developed in partnership with Fastacash, a Singapore based, venture-capital backed firm. Fastacash’s technology enables value (money, airtime, coupons, etc) transfers, along with digital content, across any social network and messaging platform. The company brings it technology to end users by partnering with banks, mobile operators, remittance companies, payment service providers and mobile wallets.

Axis Bank account holders can download the Ping Pay app and sign up for the service using their registered mobile numbers and associate their Axis Bank internet banking credentials or ATM/ Debit Card to send money and mobile recharges. Funds and mobile recharges can be sent to any bank account holder. 

The app provides an innovative, gesture based user experience that enables money transfers without having to type in the account number and the IFSC code. Sending or requesting money or mobile recharges with the Ping Pay app takes a few simple steps. When sending money, the user chooses a social or messaging channel and selects the name of the person to whom the money is to be sent. They enter the amount to be sent and set a “ping code” that is shared separately with the receiver. Upon confirming the transaction, the money is immediately sent and the receiver gets a message across the social or messaging channel selected by the sender. The receiver has 15 days to transfer the money to his/her bank account using IMPS. In the event, the receiver does not claim the money received within 15 days, the transaction would be auto-reversed to the sender’s account. Ping Pay also has ‘Ask for Money’ and ‘Ask for Recharge’ options, which would allow the receiver to put in a request for funds and also seek recharge from their friends and family across social.

It was a great learning experience at the Axis Bank. Thank you, Blogadda for an enriching experience.

P.S: This post is about 'Digital Axis' meet conducted by Axis Bank in association with BlogAdda.com 

My Airtel App

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Telecom major Airtel recently launched a campaign titled 'Bachat ki khunn khunn' for its prepaid consumers who use smartphones. The new TV led campaign promotes the 'My Airtel' app. The TVC features people from all walks of life shown shaking their phones and celebrating new offers and plans from Airtel.

The concept behind the campaign is to give the customers a quick and a fun way of availing the best recharge deals that include My Airtel My Offers, talktime benefits, extra Internet and cashback offers. Smartphone using customers have to simply download the 'My Airtel' app and choose from a range of deals and offers from time to time - exclusively for its 'My Airtel' application users.

Indians today are increasingly accessing online content through apps as opposed to logging through browsers. In tune with these developments, the launch of 'My Airtel' app will empower the customers effortlessly. It seems a promising digital experience.

The 'My Airtel' application has been designed to follow an intuitive and easy to use interface that allows customers to conveniently browse, discover Airtel services and do much more.

The  3 key features that best suit my lifestyle ~

1. Simple, convenient and intuitive design to manage all Airtel services through one handset

'My Airtel' App has a simple and intuitive design that helps the user  manage all the DTH, Broadband, Prepaid & postpaid services in one place. Convenient, isn't it? Apart from the amazing offers for post paid and pre paid users, it also helps you pay your bills, recharge your DTH, track account usage, track service requests, buy products, etc.

You can also use the 'My Airtel' app to recharge any mobile number, activate or deactivate any VAS service like astrology, jokes et al. and receive Airtel Surprises coupons on all recharges for the value of their recharge.

2. Value-for-money deals with shake-the-phone feature

Customers can now use the all new shake-the-phone feature to avail exciting value-for-money deals. The shake-your-phone capability is a compelling feature. The new app also includes management of various customer accounts and faster payment checkout through cards. What suits my lifestyle the best is that Airtel has partnered with mydala for coupons and tied up with merchants across categories like shopping, food, entertainment, etc. to offer coupons for popular brands like PVR Cinemas, Café Coffee Day, Flipkart.com. amazon.in, Ebay.in, Myntra.com, and more. Makes life much more happier and easier! Exciting, isn't it?

3. ‘I Want To’ feature

This is the best feature of all. The 'My Airtel' app’s ‘I Want To’ feature allows customers to replicate their frequent tasks with a quick action on the home screen. Push notifications with alerts of low balance, pack expiry and bill due date are also available. The most tempting part is that the customers on the ‘My Airtel’ app do not incur any data charges for using the application. So use it for free, organise your mobile data better!

This topic is about Airtel. Here for details: http://www.airtel.in/myairtel

27Coupons - Booking A Ride

Initially, booking a car or a vehicle for some function was really hectic. You had to spare a lot of time to go to the agents personally, crack a deal with them and finally book yourself a car. But with applications like OlaCabs or Uber, today booking a ride has become very easy.

But checking their individual sites every now and then to keep yourself updated is a bit tiring.

But what if, there is a site which shows you about all your interested sites and their offers and provides an additional discount on those offers? Tempting, isn't it?

A lot of time is wasted in searching and hunting for the right deal on my favorite sites - OlaCabs and Uber for finding the right ride.

But recently I came across 27coupons, where I saw they had an aggregation of all my favorite sites in one place and believe you me, it even shows fresh offers daily with/without coupon code. Exciting.

27coupons is one of the leading coupons and deals distribution platforms of India. They cater to more than 1000 stores and almost all products available on the web.

How 27coupons helps the customers with additional discounts on offers.

27coupons has a very costumer friendly website. You can easily browse through the website and find deals and offers according to your interest.

You can browse active offers and coupons too. You can click on a offer you like and see its details too. Some offers can be used without a coupon, and some require a coupon. If a coupon code is required, you can save the coupon and use it before it expires.

You can filter your results according to your brand/site. It will show you the deals and offers available.  All in one place at your finger tips!

Let me give you an insight of how 27coupons works for me with my favorite brands for booking rides.

1. OlaCabs 

Ola Cabs is a an online car rental service. They also provide airport pick up and drop off services. With a fleet of cars they serve a huge customer base. Use these Ola Cabs coupons to save money while you shop from their store. These Ola Cabs discount coupons have been tested and tagged with banks, as is the case.

Check how it shows me the active deals/offers under Ola Cabs, some coupon codes and their expiry dates. You can conveniently save the coupons in your account according to the location you wish to book for and use them while payment.

2. Uber.com 

Uber.com is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through apps, it makes cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers. It is rapidly expanding global presence continues to bring people and their cities closer. Use these Uber coupons to save money while you shop from their store. These Uber discount coupons have been tested and tagged with banks, as is the case. 

It shows active coupons and deals under Uber. Save the coupons and have fun shopping!

Using 27coupons can help you buy smartly, choose wisely and make the best deal. The best part is you can compare various sites and choose the best offer and in that too - the best discount!

I have become smarter in choosing deals because of 27coupons. Go for 27coupons today and get the best coupon codes for almost all Indian e-commerce stores! Happy shopping!

The list of stores associated with 27coupons:
Cleartrip, Makemytrip, Yatra, Expedia, Goibibo, BigBasket, FoodPanda , JustEat, Jabong, Myntra, Yepme, Zovi, FernsNPetals, Bookmyshow, Ticketgoose or Redbus.

P.S: Linking this post to 27coupons.com Blogging Contests.

Image Source: 27coupons

Redefine Your Smart Phone Experience With ASUS Zenfone 2

ASUS Zenfone 2

Can anyone in today's world live without gadgets? No. I can't. We need them for so many activities - clicking pictures, Insagram-ing, Facebook-ing, searching something on Google, checking mails, listening music, WhatsApp, Tweet-ing, reading e-books, and so on and so forth! I have my to do list in my cell phone. I constantly go through it many times a day!

But the market nowadays is full of smart phones. We are concerned whether which one we should go for, which to skip. I do not like carrying my phone charger with me where ever I go. I see people carrying the charger and always struggling to find a charging point as their phone battery drains and is almost dead even on little usage.

Choosing the really 'smart' smartphone is a headache these days. The most promising brand recently is Asus Zenfone, it promises the most efficient phones in the near future.

5 reasons why I feel the ASUS Zenfone 2 can redefine the smartphone experience ~

1. Beefy 4GB RAM

Asus Zenfone 2 is the world's first 4GB RAM phone and it is launching in India on April 23. Amazing, isn't it? Really looking forward to try my hand on it. I'm sure the experience will be out of the world. Three times faster for gaming applications, no lags, imagine! Expandable memory upto 64GB is an added feature!

2. 13-megapixel PixelMaster camera

Bigger, brighter and way beautiful pictures - Can you imagine? 13 MP? This phone already makes me excited! See more than everyone else in the pictures captured by this phone with zero shutter lag! The phone supports a low light mode which uses pixel-merging technology that captures up to 400% brighter photos at night without the need for a flash in low light! Truly redefining the definition of 'smartphones', I would say!

3. Fast Charging Battery

This phone has the quickest charging battery - 60 percent capacity in only 39 minutes. Such reduced charging time! Spectacular it is! No more carrying charger everywhere!

4. Sleek Looks - Worth Flaunting

Accompanied with brushed-metal finish and concentric-circle detailing, this sleek phone is going to be worth flaunting. A 5.5-inch Full HD IPS+ screen running on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS powered by 64-bit class based 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor Z3580. Dreamy? Isn't it?!

5. ZenMotion

ZenMotion is a collection of intuitive touch gestures that provide a new way of interacting with ZenUI, thus allowing quick access to frequently-used features such as One Hand mode or Do It Later.

This phone is surely going to be a luxury. Awaiting its launch and hoping to spend some more time with this awesomely crafted gadget! The specifications of this gadget truly promise a redefining smartphone experience. Looking forward to it, Asus!

This topic is about ASUS India. 
Click here:  http://www.asus.com/Phones/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/