Start With "Why"
Every year, around this time, something quietly shifts in thousands of households across Bangladesh. A student opens a laptop late at night, types "higher studies abroad" into a search bar, and begins a journey that will shape the next decade of their life.
I know this moment. I lived it. A few years ago, if someone had told me that I would be starting a fully funded PhD journey in the USA as a first-generation student, I probably would not have believed them
In Fall 2026, I applied to five universities and received admission offers from four. This Fall, I will begin my PhD journey at Florida State University.But before we talk about applications or test scores, we need to talk about something more important.
We need to talk about why.
This is a generation on the move. But the question nobody asks at the education fairs, the consultancy offices, or the Facebook groups is simple: Why are you going?
What People Actually Say , And What It Reveals !
I have asked many people preparing to study abroad why they want to go. Here is what I heard most often:
"I want to explore abroad" - there is a tourist visa for that
"I want to earn money" - there are work and labour visas for that
"There is nothing for me here" - leaving without direction rarely builds something new
"I want to do research. I have a question I cannot stop thinking about"- now we are talking
I do not say this to be unkind. I say it because a study visa is not a life visa. It is a commitment to a question, a field, a purpose. And without that clarity, the journey becomes very hard very fast.
When the Dream Becomes a Trap
The rising numbers carry a darker story that rarely gets told. Every year, many students and their families lose significant amounts of money and time to:
Fraudulent consultancy agencies that charge high fees for services never delivered
Fake scholarship offers and fabricated admission letters designed to exploit desperation
Programmes that are not right for the student's background, goals, or funding situation
Lack of mentorship that leaves students navigating an impossibly complex process alone
The absence of clarity about why you are going makes you vulnerable . not just emotionally, but practically. When you do not know what you are looking for, you cannot recognize when someone is selling you something false.
The Question That Changes Everything
Before you research universities, before you open any application portal -sit seriously with this:
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Not the version you perform in interviews. The real one. Write it down. Then ask yourself honestly:
Passion and curiosity - Do you have a question you genuinely cannot stop thinking about? A problem you want to spend years understanding?
Career alignment - Does this specific degree open doors that are genuinely closed to you without it?
Research and contribution - Do you want to produce knowledge, not just consume it?
Personal growth - Do you want to encounter different ways of thinking and build capacities that one context cannot give you?
Or is it primarily about leaving? - If so, what are you leaving, and what exactly are you going toward?
None of these motivations is wrong. But they lead to very different paths different degree levels, countries, timelines, and costs. A student going for intellectual passion will choose differently from one going for career mobility. And a student going primarily to escape will often find they brought the thing they were escaping with them.
And finally, if you’re able to figure out the ‘why’ your true, personal, and compelling reason for pursuing a PhD , your entire journey will become much more guided. From your preparation to every interview, to the visa application, you will be asked some version of the question, "Why PhD?" Having a well-thought-out answer will make your journey more strategic, focused, and convincing at every stage .
Before We Begin
I am not writing this as an expert. I am writing as someone who walked the road and kept notes who made mistakes, asked the wrong people the right questions, and eventually found her way.
If you are a first-generation student - if no one in your immediate family has done this before, this series is especially for you. You deserve honest, detailed, practical guidance. Not the version that makes studying abroad look glamorous. The version that actually helps you get there.
The journey begins with a question. WHY?
So today, ask yourself: Why do I want to go abroad? Why not Bangladesh? Why a PhD or master’s? Why the USA instead of other countries?
Stay connected - the next post goes deeper into understanding what higher education in the USA actually is, and how to begin finding where you belong within it.
Anika Tabassum Arpa is a doctoral student in Science Education (Curriculum & Instruction) at Florida State University and recipient of the Anne Spencer Davis Fellowship 2026–2027. This series documents her journey from Bangladesh to doctoral life in the USA - from scratch.