Have you ever wondered what PhD studies looked like? Have you ever had the desire to pursue PhD studies, or do you know any friends, relatives or loved ones who would like to engage in the adventure? Do you want to set your/their expectations straight? Do you want to test and feel the PhD waters without lifting a finger? Then you are in for a treat.

PhD studies can be fascinating and fulfilling as much as they are challenging. Most people however can only resort to uninformed guesses as to what a PhD journey really looks like. It is like in a theatre hall, where a large curtain often separates the audience from what takes place on the other side. However, one better ought to be right about their expectations, especially if interested, or knowing someone who is interested in pursuing doctoral studies. In this series, curtains will be taken off, you will be invited behind the scenes of a PhD journey. You will get full exposure to the whole experience, from start to finish. Here, I will tell you everything, the high and lows, the good, the incredibly good, the bad, and the ugly. Please put on your seat belts, close your eyes, take a deep breath, you are about to embark on my European PhD journey as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow in the United Kingdom.

In this part, I will tell how I got a Marie-Curie PhD fellowship while I was living in Africa, in my home country Cameroon.