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"The novice writer makes a big mistake in blaming language knowledge for everything," says Mary Ellen Kerans, chair of the Mediterranean Editors and Translators association in Barcelona, Spain.

“Reduced economic opportunities in some fields relative to others … may be an important factor driving native students to enter particular occupations and avoid others.” --George Borjas

"This idea of research was foreign to me. I'm sure that had it not been for that opportunity, I would not be a scientist today." --Wilfredo Colón

The challenges are both logistical and emotional, and if training and productivity are compromised, scientific careers can be derailed.

India's top institutions make up a comprehensive and well-funded research network rivaling those in the West.

“It’s not really for fast trackers,” says Ann Russell, a terrestrial-ecosystem biologist at Iowa State University in Ames. “But if you really want to do it, the important thing is that you have to play by the rules.”

Working with a professor and lab mates from back home make for an easier, more congenial experience than plunging into a strictly American cultural environment.

"It's on-the-ground, in-depth research with a very qualitative component." --Olivia Salcido

"Generally, I find that people are attracted to enthusiasm if it's unfettered and for the right reasons," says Hendrik Poinar, director of McMaster University's Ancient DNA Laboratory.

Julia Kempe couldn't bring herself to choose between physics and maths, nor between two graduate institutions. So she did two Ph.D.s at once in quantum computation.

This is the first time researchers have been able to connect brain activity with a real-life consumer decision.

"Teaching at a community college is not lecturing; it's more hands-on. You have to do a lot more work as a teacher, because students are not nearly as prepared." --Michaeleen Lee

It's worthwhile to throw a party every now and then. Apart from the fun involved, it is a great way to celebrate your success and acknowledge your co-workers.

"I had no idea that there were other African-American woman astronomers until I hooked up with the National Society of Black Physicists during my master's degree." --Jarita Holbrook

"To me, having a Ph.D. and being a professor is a lifelong learning experience. The degree, to me, is to teach you how to teach yourself later on." --Adil Shamoo

“Used properly, this tool will encourage you, and your lab mates, to operate outside your normal mode of thinking.”

The trouble is that if you start off without much space, your ability to produce good science is seriously compromised.

"If you have already learned how to function independently in a laboratory environment by the time you graduate from your undergraduate institution, then you are really well-prepared for graduate school." --Chris Burge

For students brave enough to dust off their passports in seeking a Ph.D., the rewards can be great.