History of Japan Episode 601 - On Grad School (w/Charlotte Lai!)
Oct 31, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Charlotte Lai, a recent Oxford history graduate, dives into her experiences applying to graduate programs in the U.S. and U.K. She shares her unique research focus on Tokugawa whaling and valuable insights on choosing the right program, like Columbia’s deferred master's. Charlotte emphasizes the importance of matching with supervisors and securing strong references. She also provides encouragement for aspiring grad students about balancing ambition with practical backup plans—ideal for anyone curious about academia!
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History Lets You Blend Disciplines
- History's breadth lets you blend fields like anthropology, IR, and art history into original research.
- Charlotte valued Columbia/LSE for language focus and social-science training alongside history.
A Last-Minute Topic Shift That Worked
- Charlotte switched her dissertation topic late from London youth subcultures to Tokugawa whaling.
- She discovered a research niche by combining history, East Asian studies, and a love of marine animals.
Don't Study Japan Without Strong Japanese
- Avoid applying to graduate programs in Japan without strong Japanese fluency.
- Charlotte deferred because she felt she'd get more from programs once she reached language competence.
