It's being almost 4-5 months since 3rd semester of my M.Tech program started. In this 2nd year of M.Tech program, consisting of 2 semesters (3rd and 4th), we've to carry out dissertation/research work. Well in M.Tech, the duration of research to be done is only 1 year and cannot be compared to the research done for a doctorate degree. But still, in these 4-5 months, I've realized that research requires lot of Persistence, Perseverance and above all, Patience.
Secondly, research seems to be life less sometimes. You have to do your work alone and there are no classes to attend, as we had in our 1st year. You only interact with your Guide and other students too seem to do the same. Interaction between classmates do happen, but then it is only on non-technical matters as no one has clue on what research the other guy is doing.
One needs to be dedicated for research. Research requires self-motivation :-(. One has to constantly be with the problem, thinking of solutions to solve it and still no guarantee of success. And all this seems to be difficult for all of us. ;-)