Pathways to get into PhD program I graduated in 2016 from one of the best-known private engineering universities in India with 3.97 GPA (just got my WES report). All i knew till Undergraduate is self-study and attend classes and score decent marks in Exams. I was guided in that way.

Unfortunately, No professor of mine encouraged to conduct any research or help publish the research that i have done on my own. Having no experience with research and no support, When I saw research papers i thought they were just more talented and I am not up to the mark.

I have done decent projects in my undergrad and have contributed my work to my company. All my research work has been going into my projects, but not papers. Because I have no experience. May be I am lazy or shy/afraid to ask help.

I am taking my next step in my career, I am currently applying to US universities for MS in CS for Fall'19. 

Will Masters program help me get a kick-start for my research experience, leading to PhD program?

If so, should i know anything before going to college?

PS: your answer can change a life, Please answer if you feel you have something to say. Thanks.
I can only speak for germany and only my own experience as a researcher:
I don't know exactly what you mean by "kick-start leading to PhD program", but if you mean "will a masters help me get a PhD?" Then the answer is definitely yes. This should apply anywhere on the globe where bachelor/master is established. Where in general it is possible to do a PhD with "only" a bachelor degree, it is pretty rare and I personally know not a single case.

As for tips: If you want a PhD, do the masters program. Get in touch with people, professors and lecturers. In my group, a lot of people are hired after completing their master thesis here. 

So the best tips I can give you are:


Enroll into topics which you are truly interested in
Make a good impression in exercises(talk to the lecturer after the session, don't slack off, get good grades...)
Get a position as research assistant in a working group
Do your master thesis in the group where you are most interested in(and here is the hard part: during this time you should work very hard, make good impressions, try to get good results... since you want to work there later)


Those tips are pretty much the route I took and I guess there are many more tips and life experiences out there to help you.