Let me give you few but very critical tips 1. Read widely and critically. Don’t just stick to textbooks, follow global news, political podcasts, and IR journals. Stay curious. Betam important new. 2. Understand theories, but don’t worship them. Realism, liberalism, constructivism mnamn they’re tools, not absolute truths. 3. Write a lot. IR is about arguing ideas, so get good at writing clearly, persuasively, and with evidence. ( Assuming your English is good and if not you'll work hard at making it good) 4. Network early. Attend seminars, talk to people who are experts in the area, and make friends with people passionate about the same topics. 5. Languages matter. If you can, learn a second language it opens doors in diplomacy, NGOs, and global research. And you can do that for free, online using your phone so, simple. If you enjoy novels btw https://t.me/thebookishbunch