u/CrimsonPE

Hi everyone. I was wondering if you could lend me a hand. I was applying for a scholarship and managed to reach the final stage. It is for a master´s degree (Yei!), and now the universities I picked are contacting me about which labs I would like to be part of.

Could you please help me a bit? My masters of choice is in industrial engineering.

TL;DR:

- Do you know about webpages to check reviews of professors or labs? It would be a great help.

- General opinions regarding lab life in Korea as a master´s student?

- Tips for choosing a lab? Should I search for one with many PhDs, or for an equal number of PhDs as master's? Should I choose labs with under 10 people or the more, the merrier?

Ty!

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So, I´ve read many posts about lab life by now, and most don't seem pretty enticing. Also, I've got emails from the universities asking me to choose a lab in under 4/5 days in order to evaluate my application. I probably should have done more research beforehand. For a bit of context, I am having rn a bit of issues finding work, and my savings are running out.
So, getting a full-ride scholarship sounds like hitting the jackpot for me, as it is a good opportunity to get back in the game with new skills and contacts.

What worries me is how much people say that choosing a lab can make or break your entire experience. Besides the 12-hour workdays —which seem common for some reason—, how is the lab environment? Some people said that being ignored/brushed off by professors or labmates is not unheard of. Granted, I’ve also seen people say they had a great experience with great professors and cool labmates, but I wanna prepare myself just in case. Which is more common?

Some comments in old posts also said things like: "better get a degree in Europe" ... lol. I mean, I don’t mind the idea of staying in Korea long-term or even working there afterwards, but is that even a real possibility? If I think about it, getting a job in Europe as an immigrant is probably easier (not easy, but easier) than in a homogeneous country, such as Korea. And it seems working to death or pretending to is also common in Korea, with the long shifts. Ofc, working overtime beats having no job, but I wanna ask, how is life for you in Korea? Regarding work-life balance, salaries, and if worst comes to happen, are Korean degrees accepted in other countries outside of Korea?

Tbh, I dont really know if I will get responses from alumni/current students from labs before the deadline, so webpages with reviews of professors and labs would be a great help if you know any. Ngl, it kinda feels like I´m running blindfolded. Idk if I am heading towards the finish line (and have an experience of a lifetime) or towards an incoming train. It will def be a surprise, though (hope it is a good one lol).