Tower Bridge, London http://paradiseintheworld.com/united-kingdom/

Postgraduate Studies Prachya Boonkwan in the United Kingdom NECTEC, email: [email protected] Who? Me?

• Nickname: Arm (P' Arm, N' Arm, E' Arm, etc.) • Born: Aug 1981 (32 y.o.) • Work: research staff at NECTEC since 2005 • Education • Obtained Government Officer Development Scholarship in early 2008 • Did a PhD in Informatics at University of from 2008-2013 (4.5 years) • Facebook: Arm Boonkwan

2 Princes Garden, Edinburgh Outline

• The United Kingdom • Preparation • Life and work • Towards a PhD

Questions from the audience are welcome during the talk. :) But kindly be considerate of time.

Big Ben and Parliament House, London 3 https://mymzone.com/blog/big-ben-postcard/big-ben-clock-1/ http://demo.t2themes.com/wordpress/chroma/albums/landscape/

3 months of summer

9 months of shower

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rovingeyephotography/8760071260/ 1. The United Kingdom (GMT+0/1) Great Britain (England, , Wales) and Northern Ireland 4 View from Calton Hill, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Bobby's Statue

Edinburgh, Scotland 5 Military Tattoo Grassmarket

St. Gile's Cathedral

Edinburgh, Scotland 6 Whisky House, Edinburgh

"Sláinte mhaith" /'slan.tʃə va/ ('สลานเจอะ ฟวา) = Good health 7 Kilt

National dress of Scotland

• Basic information • Founded in 1583 • Rank 17th best (QS World Rankings) • Reputable schools • Informatics (biggest in Europe; ranked 1st by RAE rankings in 2008; ranked 15th by QS World Rankings in 2013) • Medicine and Veterinary Med (ranked 27th by QS World Rankings in 2013) • Physics and Astronomy, Biology, Linguistics, Laws

9 Old College (Front) McEwan Hall

Old College (Inside) Pollocks Hall

University of Edinburgh 10 Graduation Ceremony, University of Edinburgh 11 The School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh 12 School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh 13 The Spiral Stairway, The Informatics Forum 14 Academic System/1

• High school • Undergraduates • Masters • PhD • Post-doctorate research

http://www.shu.ac.uk/mediacentre/jarvis-cocker-hoop-receive- 15 honorary-doctorate?filter=Honorary-doctors Academic System/2

• High School • GCSE (General Certificate for Secondary Education)

• High-school certificate

• Adequate for job hunting but not for higher education • A-Level (general certificate for Advanced Level)

• Prerequisites for university enrollment of undergraduate students

• Equivalent to GAT/PAT exams

16 Academic System/3

• Undergraduates • Duration

• Normally 4 years

• 5 years for certified careers (engineering and architectures)

• 6 years for medical studies and veterinary studies • Scheme

• 2 years of chill-out basics — no credits

• The rest will be taken into account for merits (honors)

• Merits: First (1), Second (2:1, 2:2, 2:3), and Third (3)

17 Academic System/4

• Masters • Taught masters (MA, MSc, LLM, MEd)

• Coursework + dissertation

• Lots of homework and essays

• One year • Research-based masters (MRes, MPhil)

• Research only + dissertation

• Preliminary for PhD

• One year

• Required when having insufficient academic background

18 Academic System/5

• PhD (Philosophiae Doctor) • Doesn't require a masters • 3+ years of single research project (normal limit = 6 years) • Scheme

• 9 months of literature review + first-year talk + annual talks

• No publication requirements; supervisor will give you green light himself

• Viva exam

• Results: minor corrections (6-12 months), major corrections (12 months), and fail (1 more chance)

• Thesis submission (laid off if not submitting in time)

• Get MPhil in case of failure

19 Academic System/6

• Post-doctoral research (postdoc) • 1-2 years of work as a research staff • Getting ready for real academic career • UK professorship system

• Postdoc

• Lecturer

• Reader

• Professor

20 2. Preparation Entry Requirements

• Masters • UK 2:1 undergraduates or equivalent • IELTS 6.5-7.0 (at least 6 in each section) or TOEFL iBT 92 (at least 20 in each section)

• PhD • UK 1 undergraduates or equivalent or a masters • IELTS 6.5-7.0 (at least 6 in each section) or TOEFL iBT 92 (at least 20 in each section) • Sufficient academic background

22 Language Tests

• IELTS • 4 separate skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking • Speaking session with usually sympathetic examiners • Easier, but unfamiliar accents may be spoken • TOEFL (Internet-based) • 4 skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, sometimes with skill integration • Speaking session with unsympathetic computer • Harder, but very practical for academic life

23 Application

• Make your mind up • Choose a research field wisely based on your motivation • Supervisor is your boss; contact him/her in advance • Check the university rankings at UK Education Advisory Service [http://www.ukeas.com/ukstudy-school-ranking.php] • Check out the requirements

• Prepare the statement of purpose

• Online application (with upfront application fee)

24 How to Get Accepted

• Preparation • Meet your supervisor in person • Contact him as early as possible • Fill in the application form • Prepare the statement of purpose • Submit an English test score (IELTS / TOEFL) that meets the requirement

• If the supervisor can envisage your academic potential • He will deal with the enrollment process on the university's side • He will help you file relevant documents

25 Statement of Purpose

• Components [http://www.uni.edu/~gotera/gradapp/stmtpurpose.htm] • Hook (strong passion in this research field since childhood) • Life story based on this passion until you found your motivation in this research field • Experiences and academic background • Research topic and your capability to finish it on time • Positive attitude and friendliness

• Tricks: Tell your story briefly. Use a vivid language. Be specific and dynamic. Be yourself but not too casual.

26 Departure

• Student visa • Up to 3 years at first • Then to extend every year afterwards

• Packing • Clothes for a week, shower set, shoes, flip-flops • Rice cooker, steam iron, medicines, instant noodles • Curry/Tom Yum paste sachets for a week

• Money exchange: SuperRich [http://superrichthai.com/]

27 Initial Settlement

• Accommodation • University dorm: check where to collect the keys in advance • House/flat share: check out Gumtree [http://www.gumtree.com/] • Host family: keep instant contact before arrival

• On your very first days • Locate other Thai students in the dorm • Locate nearby supermarkets (TESCO, Sainsbury's, Scotmid, etc.) • Get a mobile sim card online (Giffgaff, Vodafone, 3, etc. for domestic calls; Lebára for cheaper international calls) • Register to a local GP (general practitioner; doctor) for free treatment

28 3. Life and Work

Samaggi Summit 2011 at the University of Edinburgh “English As We (Don't) Know It”

–Anonymous

30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dABo_DCIdpM

Warning: Pardon his language. 31 Improve Your English

• Talk to native speakers and let them correct you • Talk to non-native speakers, too • Watch the TV and turn on the subtitle • Take note of newly found vocabulary and use them in daily life • You may find these books lucrative

32 Necessities

• Bank accounts • RBS, NatWest, Barclays, HSBC, etc. • Eligible for student account if staying for three years or more

• Foods: • TESCO (7AM-midnight), Sainsbury's (8AM-9PM), ASDA (24hrs), Scotmid (24hrs), etc.

• Households: IKEA

• Cosmetics: Boots, SuperDrugs, etc.

• Clothes: H&M, Urban Outfitter, Hollister, Primark, etc.

33 Venison Pie

Fish and Chips (F&C) Cupcakes and tea

British Foods 34 IrnBru, Shortbreads, Potatoes, and Porridges

Haggis Sunday roast

Scottish Foods 35 Shopping Tips

• Online shops • Amazon UK, eBay UK, GumTree, Appstore, etc.

• Sales • Summer sales • Christmas sales • Boxing Day sales (26 DEC and 2 JAN) • Cyber Monday sales (Monday after American Thanksgiving) for online shopping

36 Making a lot of Friends 37 Making a lot of Friends 38 Making a lot of Friends 39 British Professors

• Kind and very helpful when you need a hand • Knowledgeable in their literature field • Love to challenge their students (to work harder) • NOT a demigod • Straightforward and (usually) polite • Skeptical in everything research-oriented • Can be a ninja From: phdcomics.com 40 How to Deal with the Supervisor

• Make regular appointment for progress report • Weekly or biweekly • Preferably in group (perhaps with the entire research group for knowledge exchange) • Straightforward; no hidden problems here • Don't be too stubborn; accept what you don't know

• Do not disappear from the office without notice (even you're writing up)

• Always inform them about your upcoming publications

41 Thesis Topic

• Always start with literature review • Try/study all popular methods used to solve the problem • Pick the most promising one applicable to your work • Replicate the experiments and analyze the existing problems • Find your solution(s) to them with the scientific method

• Your supervisor will also help you shape the thesis topic

• Stick to the scientific method throughout the thesis

42 • 2 conference papers • 1 journal article • Not taken into account for graduation at all • Supervisor gave me a green light to do viva

43 243 pages in total

44 Scientific Method (Crawford and Stucki, 1990)

1. Define a set of questions

2. Observe: gather information and resources

3. Form an explanatory hypothesis

4. Conduct experiments and collect data in a reproducible manner

5. Analyze the data (perhaps by data visualization)

6. Interpret the data (find hidden trends)

7. Draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for a new hypothesis

8. Publish the results

45 Extra Activities

• University's societies • Hanging out with friends • Dine-out • Cooking party • Clubbing • Pub crawls • Traditional festivals held at Thai temples • Songkran • Kathina offering • LASSMUOO • Loy Krathong festival, etc.

46 At a Ballroom dance rehearsal Over-Throwaway

Won the 3rd Place in Intervarsity Dance Competition 2011 Blackpool IVDC

Ballroom Dance Society 47 Social Salsa

We're gonna hit that Jive!

Salsa Society 48 Been a master of ceremony since 2010

Thai Society and Wat Dhammapadīpa Temple 49 Volunteer teachers

Taught Thai classes since 2011

Sunday Thai Class at Wat Dhammapadīpa Samaggi Summit 2011 in Edinburgh

Samaggi Samagom 51 I'm fascinated by baking and culinary arts.

Cooking and Bakery 52 Such a social animal

Iceskating

Wasted Prachya

Clubbing and Sports Obscenity is one of my KPIs.

Just be yourself... (much more on Facebook) 54 Let's skip this one

Just be yourself... (much more on Facebook) 55 Do's and Don'ts in British Culture

• Queueing implies good nurture

• Do not reserve a table by leaving stuffs on it

• Politeness: "..., please?" / "Could you please...?" / "Can I have/get..., please?"

• Say "Thank You" to everyone that helps or serves you

• Don't have to give up your seat to women or children, but do give it up to the elderly and the handicapped

• Stay on the right side when standing on the escalator

• Do not touch strangers (esp. the elderly) although you're offering a helping hand (unless you're allowed to)

56 Weird British Words

• Edinburgh /'ɛdɪnbərə/ /'เอดนเบอเรอะ/

• Loughborough, Carlisle, Oxford, Leicester

• Nottingham, Birmingham

• Grosvenor, Cockburn

• Enlightenment

57 Traveling

• Oyster card for the Tube (underground/subway)

• Young person/student's traveler card for National Rail Services (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk)

• Flight: http://www.skyscanner.com

• Bus • Top-up bus card is usually cheaper • Day ticket is also cheaper

• Walking is also a good exercise

58 4. Towards a PhD

http://emsincorporated.com/tips-for-troubleshooting-your-publicity-efforts/ Long and Winding Road (for PhD)

1. Accommodate the new culture

2. Read a lot of papers and practice lab skills (usually plus coding)

3. Develop a proposal for the first year talk [➟ PhD candidate]

4. Do more research with the scientific method

5. Write up your thesis and file an exam proposal document

6. Submit the thesis draft

7. Take a viva exam [➟ unofficial PhD]

8. Correct the draft according to the feedback

9. Submit the hardcover thesis [➟ official PhD]

60 Troubleshooting

• Troubles • Lab, materials, machinery, bossy supervisor, etc. • Loss of loved one • Time management • Accommodation with the new culture, messy flatmates, etc.

• Depression • "I'm FINE" — Failing, Insecure, Not good enough, Empty • Restlessness, loss of interest, fatigue, having problems in concentration, remembering details, and making decisions • May result in suicide if not recognized in time

61 Solutions

• Express your problems and your depressing feelings to the parents, best friends, or loved one (and ask them to just listen)

• Consult your supervisor (they're unbelievably experienced in this kind of problem)

• Call OEA London (Tel: 0207-584-4538) for help and suggestions

• Meditation helps you understand the current mental state and sort the problems out from within

62 Useful Links

• British council Thailand

http://www.britishcouncil.org/thailand

• UK university guide & Higher Education institutions – information from HERO

http://www.hero.ac.uk

• Office of Educational Affairs (OEA London)

http://www.oealondon.com/

• Samaggi Samagom

http://www.samaggi.org/blog/

63 Office of Educational Affairs (OEA London)

Office of Educational Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy, 28 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT

Tel: +44 (0) 207-584-4538 (5 lines) Fax: +44 (0) 207-823-9896 email: [email protected] 64 Facebook: Arm Boonkwan Best of Luck Email: [email protected]