From Kerala to Glasgow: My Scholarship Journey

Haritha Venu is a PhD student in the College of Arts studying the climate crisis in Kerala, her home state in India. In this blog she reflects on her journey from Kerala to UofG, her advice for potential scholarship applicants and how to stay resilient during a PhD.

Hi, I’m Haritha and I’m from Kerala, India. In 2018 and 2019 my community was badly affected by a series of deluges which caused severe floods. Whilst this was a scary experience, it inspired me to do something more for my community. My dream was to pursue higher education, thereby contributing to society in Kerala. However, as someone from a middle-class family, getting accepted into a top university seemed like an unattainable dream.

Why I Came to Glasgow

After finishing my undergraduate degree, I was keen to continue my studies by doing a PhD, but neither me nor my family could afford to pay the tuition fees for the course. However, I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship to pursue a one-year MRes in Human Geography at University of Glasgow. I was very grateful to receive the scholarship, but it only covered a portion of my tuition fees and it was not easy for me to afford the cost of living in Glasgow. Driven by my aspirations to help my community, I took an education loan from India and decided to leave my comfort zone.

Arriving in Glasgow

I left India for the first time and came to the University of Glasgow in September 2019 to start my Masters’. I remember, in the first few months of being an international student, I often questioned myself. It was really daunting coming here for the first time and I was really scared about making friends. However, the UofG community really helped me to cope during this transition period; especially when it came to settling in, increasing my confidence and providing me with support when I needed it. International Student Support was particularly helpful, especially when it came to accessing the resources that I needed and encouraging me out of my comfort zone. Being a student at a culturally diverse school, I also got lots of opportunities to meet likeminded students and I developed friendships with a variety of people from different countries.

Applying for PhD Funding

On the very first day of my Masters’ course, I embarked on my search for PhD funding. I applied for so many scholarships (and failed many times), but I definitely wasn’t ready to give up. Knowing that I was looking for PhD funding, one of my lecturers suggested that I apply for the Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith (LKAS) PhD Scholarship. I quickly discovered that LKAS is a highly competitive scholarship and selection is a tough process. Despite having low expectations for my application, I believed in myself and I decided to apply. After a great deal of effort, as well as with the valuable support and inspiration from my lecturers, I submitted an interdisciplinary research proposal before the LKAS selection committee in 2019 and eagerly waited for the results.

The Funding Decision

I had to wait until January 2020 for the final selection to take place. Some nights I hardly slept as I was so nervous about my future. But on the 30th of January 2020, one of my supervisors told me that I had been awarded the scholarship and that it would support my PhD studies for four years. I was dumbstruck; after facing so many hardships, struggles and failures, I had finally made it. I started my PhD in October 2020 and my research is related to the climate crisis in Kerala.

Resilience During a PhD

The pandemic has obviously made this year both stressful and difficult. Like many of you, I started my PhD amidst the pandemic. It was particularly challenging because I had not seen my family in over a year and was missing them lots. Despite being excited to start my PhD, I struggled to get motivated whilst working from home in Glasgow. However, with support from my Graduate School and supervisors I got permission to stay with my family in India and work from there until everything starts to look more normal. Despite a challenging start, I made friends with lots of people who are from similar backgrounds to mine, and who can help me during the difficult times. I have also sought help and advice from my supervisors and they have been really supportive.

Advice for Applying to Scholarships

My journey from a flood affected village in Kerala to Glasgow was not easy. But I strongly believe that, if you have a strong desire and passion for a goal, you will make it in the end. There are many scholarship opportunities out there for international students for pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees; keep searching and work hard. Do not be afraid of failure and step out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals.

International students are always welcomed to Glasgow with open arms and they are a vital part of the UofG community. For new and existing International Students, the International Student Service is a valuable resource of help and information. There is also an International Society and the SRC has a huge number of student clubs and societies based around language and culture which PGRs are welcome to join.