My Ph. D. (博士学位) adviser called me into his office, saying I needn't bring my notebook. After 15 minutes of listing my positive things, he looked me in the eye and said, "You are fired from the lab. "
I had moved to Israel from my native India the year before, excited to experience a new culture and study for a Ph. D. At first things went well in my new lab. Then, 3 months before I was fired, I ran into some problems. I made a few mistakes in the lab that slowed my research, but I wasn't a ware that my adviser noticed them, and he never spoke to me about any concerns. I'm still not sure why he fired me, but I guess it was because of those mistakes. He wasn't confident that I could complete my research in time as we'd planned.
The first few days after I was fired were especially difficult. I spent hours staring at my computer screen, unable to get anything done. One day all I could do was sit on a beach, crying. I tried to change his mind with promising results, but he wouldn't change his decision. I could not tell the news to my family in India, as the fear of disappointing them overwhelmed (压垮) me. I soon got into a state of. sadness and anxiety. Meanwhile, the date for me to leave the country was drawing near, as my visa required me to be registered (注册) as a student. I was lonely and without hope.
Around that time, I watched Dasvidaniya, a Bollywood movie that's about a man who has 3 months to live. One line from the movie impressed me:"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade(柠檬水)". What kind of lemonade could I make out of my present situation? My wish to complete a Ph. D. was never in doubt. Finally, I told myself that one failure was not the end of the world, and that I needed to give it another try. With renewed confidence, I applied for other programs. Within 2 months, I landed an offer from a Ph. D. program in Italy. I gladly accepted it, happy that my goal of completing a Ph. D. was alive once again.
I'm thankful that I didn't give up on my dream and that I found another professor willing to take me on.
