My first day of college in USA!!

Hello everybody,
Its been a loong time since I last posted here. I'm finally in the USA!!! I have so much that I want to share; but I've been so busy trying to get adjusted to all the new things that I haven't had time to write a proper post. Technically speaking, today wasn't my first day at college. Its actually my 5th day. but today was the first day of class, so I'll call it my first day of college. I'll write all about my experience the first time I visited the campus in a later post.
I have classes on just 2 days of the week; but they are back to back with just fifteen minutes between two classes. I have 3 classes this semester. Today morning, I woke up at 7:30 am. I was ready by 8:30 and left home at around 9. (My sister lives in the same city where I attend University and I stay with her) I reached college at 9:20 am. I had already seen my classroom the last time I had been there, so I was able to find it easily. Another class was going on and I sat waiting. I saw two girls from my own country standing near the door. I went and introduced myself to them. They  seemed really nice. As soon as the first class ended, we got in and sat in the first row. The class was Algorithms. The professor was a short soft spoken person. I thought he was really well-organized. He started off with the actual coursework.
My next class (Object Oriented Design)  was in the same room as my first class. I stepped out as I had a fifteen minute break in between. By the time I came back, the first two rows were full! Another person whom I had met at an orientation earlier had taken up this class too. We sat together. (We need to submit a project for this course and it forms a major part of the grade. The professor would be putting us into groups of five for the project work. (I hope I get good team mates!) ) We were asked to introduce ourselves and talk about our expectations from the course. The course would be slightly tailored to our expectations. I found that very interesting!
The next class was Database Design. For this I had to go to another classroom (which was on the same floor). Another friend of mine had taken up this class. I met her and befriended another person in that class. The professor was an energetic cheerful lady. I had heard that she was really strict with grading. From what I saw today, I think scoring well in this subject would be slightly hard. Although happy and cheerful, she seemed like a strict person who wouldn't be lenient with grading assignments.
I had taken most of these subjects at my undergrad level too; so hopefully, this semester  would be easy in terms of study load. I have so many other things that I need to get used to.
After class, we went to the library to get some textbooks. From what I've heard/seen, text books in USA are very expensive. Of the three books, I have brought one of them, the other one, I had referred to during my undergrad course; however, I haven't brought it. But I was able to find an online copy of it. The third book I was able to find a soft copy at the library. By about 4:00 pm I was back home!
I relaxed for a while and tried to look at the online material posted for each of my courses. I'm really impressed with the promptness of the professors in posting material online. I was able to find a lot of useful info.
I love that I have classes on just 2 days a week!
Welcome Week is going on at the university. I still need to plan on what events I want to attend this week. I'll post anything interesting that I experience. I still have lots that I want to tell you all. So stay tuned!!
Until next time,
Bye! :D

Up, Up and away: 50 days to go

Hello everybody,
As  I have mentioned before, I will be pursuing my Master's degree in a foreign university. Leaving the country I was born in and going to a new country and exploring things by myself is going to be an enormous change. I thought I'd do a post on how I've prepared myself for this change, how I feel etc. I'll keep posting under this topic at regular intervals.
Now I have about 50days before I fly. I've booked my ticket but my visa is yet to be done! I need some documents for the visa and I'm waiting for them. I met a bunch of people from my city, who are going to join the same university, yesterday. Social media is SUCH a boon. I was quite unsure about meeting a whole bunch of people whom I had never met before. Most people have at least a year's work experience. (I just finished my Bachelor's this year)  I was a little intimidated by them initially but as I got to know them a little I became a little more comfortable. (Even then I was one of the quiet few in the group). I met 2 girls (one from the same branch that I've chosen) whom I found to be quite friendly. Meeting them helped me get a better picture of the kind of people I'd be dealing with. I'm also glad that I'll have their company to attend college for the first time! I plan to live with a close relative who lives in the same city as the University I'm planning to attend. So, I did not have to get an apartment or find roommates. Almost everyone else has already booked an apartment and know their roommates. They have at least the company of their roommates to attend orientations/ pick classes etc.
I've had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Sometimes I feel excited and happy that I've got this wonderful opportunity to explore the world and myself. Other times I feel extremely gloomy and depressed thinking about all that I'll leave behind. The thought of having no form of income for the next two years (especially after starting to earn a little) and having to burden my parents is scary. By the time I finish my course and start earning again, my parents will be older and I feel guilty that I'm depriving them the opportunity to enjoy their lives when they're fit. I'll have to leave behind Tee (my pet cocker) under my parents' care. I wish transporting pets abroad was easier!
On the brighter side, I may be able to get a better job than what I would get now. I hopefully will become more independent and mature. Emotionally, I'm quite mixed up right now.
As far as preparations go, I've not even bought my suitcases. Since I haven't got my visa yet I'm kind of stalling the travel preparation. I haven't decided on what clothes I'll need, what I have, what I need to buy etc. This weekend I plan to organize my clothes a little and decide on what I'll take and what I wont. Atleast then I'll get a vague idea about how much stuff I have. The airline that I've booked my ticket in  allows only 2 pieces of checked in luggage. Some airlines have a special student offer allowing them to carry 3 pieces of checked in luggage. So, I need to plan well and organize my stuff to fall within the weight and space restrictions.
I think that's it for now. I'll keep posting under this topic more often as the day gets closer. Have you moved away from your hometown ever? How was you experience? Do let me know in the comments!
Until next time!
Bye! :D

The day after an exam

Hello everybody,
I hope you're having a great day! As I mentioned in my previous post, I had an important exam yesterday. It went well and it feels like a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders. Before an exam, I feel exams are the worst things to happen to students and life would be much better without them. But actually, the joy you feel after finishing an exam is much more than when you don't have an exam. Any form of relaxation or enjoyment that you indulge in after an exam feels justified. Today, I woke up at about 9:30 am, switched on the TV and sat in front of it till about 4 pm! ( I did shower and have breakfast and lunch in between.) If I had done the same thing on any other random day, I would have felt really guilty. But since I had been working really hard for quite some time, I felt completely relaxed and happy wasting an entire day.
I think this is the reason we need goals and desires in life. We all love the sense of accomplishment that we feel after working towards a goal and achieving it. Living life as it comes is like the joy you feel when you have no exams. It is simple, uncomplicated and happy.
I think it is just a matter of choice. Both the options seem valid ways of living a happy contented life.
Woah! That turned philosophical very soon! I had a really nice day and wanted to do a post on how awesome it feels after an exam. What do you prefer? The day after an exam or a day when you don't have an exam approaching? Do let me know in the comments!
Until next time.
Bye! :D
P.S. I still haven't finished my exams. The next one is still about 5 days away so took a day off.

My first admit!

Hello everybody,
I'm excited to announce today that I received my first admit to pursue my Masters at a reputed university in USA! As I mentioned in earlier posts that this year would be a year of change for me, this was what I had in mind. I wasn't sure earlier about how things would turn out and hence hadn't told you that I had applied. But now that I've received an admit, I'm pretty sure that I would be taking up the seat if all other things fall into place.
The application process to US universities in a very long process and is quite complicated. When I joined my undergrad college, choosing a college was so simple. Where I live, admission to (most)undergraduate colleges is based on a board exam. Once the ranks are announced, counselling is conducted in 5-6 centers (in different cities) and there is a central system that displays the available seats. Students are called to pick their seat in the order of their ranks. If a seat you wish is available, you pick it up. Its simple and straight forward.
But in the US, the application process itself involves a long procedure. You need to take up the exams, fill in the application forms, write a statement of purpose, request letters of recommendation, pay the application fees and then apply. And even after applying, it takes close to 4-5 months before you get a response. Waiting for a response is quite scary especially when you see others receiving multiple admits. However, I wasn't really nervous as I already have a job in hand; but still, I was a little anxious. Every time I logged in to my mail I would cross my fingers and pray that I hadn't received a reject. Getting no response is better than getting a reject I feel.
Yesterday, just before leaving for work, I checked my mail on my phone. I saw a new mail with the subject 'Update on admission status' and I could see the word 'Congratulations' in the preview line.I was super excited and skimmed over the important details and read it out to my parents who were equally thrilled. I received my first admit from the university I was most keen about.
I still have to finish a lot of procedures that are required before I can be admitted. I still can't imagine moving away to a new country and living away from my parents. I will write more about this in my future posts. Do let me know if you have any thoughts about studying abroad.
Until next time,
Bye! :D

Survived Exams!

Hello all!
I'm finally done with my month-long exams. They started on 24th of December and got over yesterday! Phew! Now I can devote all my time to my blog... at least for the next few days... and then I start off with my final semester. Trying to concentrate was SUCH a hard task! I kept thinking of how I could make my blog better, what kind of layout would look better etc. I actually created this blog in between my laboratory and theory exams. :P I don't take exams too seriously. I put in my effort, try my best and I think that is all that should matter. My tip to anyone who is stressed about exams:
If you find yourself nervous even after putting in your best effort, try and think about how insignificant your exam is when compared to the universe. Exams are mere human creations! Humans are just 1 species among 8.7 million species that exist on earth. And one exam isn't even the most important thing for humankind! You see how unimportant it is. So relax! :)

I spent the whole of yesterday evening creating new accounts for my blog. I finally have a new Twitter account a Facebook page and a new Google+ account. It feels like I had a virtual re-birth of sorts. It feels very unfamiliar and empty. I'll personalize it and customize it soon. I have added links to each of them and am trying to make them look better using CSS! CSS is a lot of fun. We spent days trying new styles for our projects and now I can use it for my own site! Excited!

I have holidays for the next week. Next semester I don't need to attend college much... only 1 day a week or so. I will start working as an intern from February! This will be my first actual work experience. Excited and a little scared. Will share my experience once I start. Do let me know if you have any tips for the first day of work!

Bye!

See you soon!

The dog that wanted to become an engineer

There is a stray dog that lives on our college campus. He is a black and white dog (mostly black). Although a stray, his coat is always clean and shiny and he looks well-groomed. The most noticeable feature of this dog is his expression. He seems very wise and is somehow different from other dogs. A lot of people feel the same way. There were rumors that he was born the same year that our college founder died and that he too was very fond of him! Students, watchmen, maintenance staff etc have a soft corner for him and never shoo him away.
During our first year, our classroom was on the 3rd floor and there were multiple halls and corridors through which one would have to come through to reach our class. Also, dogs aren't allowed inside buildings. One day, this dog had come up to our class (on the 3rd floor) and had slept under a desk before students arrived! We were all surprised, but no one minded him as most people liked him and he was sleeping peacefully. He stayed there for the entire length of the class and just after the teacher left, he left! He stayed there just for that one class!
We had that particular class (Engineering Drawing) only once a week. Through the week he never came back. Interestingly, the next week he was there again! Sleeping under the same desk for the same class. We were all truly surprised to see him there again. He did the same thing... slept through the class and left at the end of it. This repeated five or six times during the semester (not consecutive weeks though). But only for that one class. The teacher was as surprised as we were and said that he had never fed him or spoken to him at any time. We never got to know why he used to come there and it never repeated. Maybe he was interested in learning Engineering Drawing!
I thought I'd take his picture for this post, but I haven't been able to find him in the last couple of weeks. I hope he's fine and has just decided to move away to another part of the campus. 

10 tips to make the best use of college life

Now that I am in my final year of college, I have a few tips to share that could help you avoid the mistakes I or some of my friends made. Hope this helps!
1. Talk to people
 On my first day in college, I introduced myself to a complete stranger who sat next to me during orientation. It turned out, we had a lot of common interests. Till date she has remained my best friend! But, you probably will take a few weeks to find friends. So, don't take too long to say hi to someone. Talk to people. Only then will you be able to see if someone could be your friend. College is no fun without friends.

2. Have more than one set of friends.
It is nice to hang around with a friend(s) you are comfortable with. But don't limit yourself to just your circle of friends. It can get very boring. Also, it is nice to spend time with different kinds of people. College is the best time to discover yourself. You can understand what you like and don't if you spend time with different kinds of people. It is always helpful to be comfortable with a large set of people. You never know when you'll be forced to do a project with someone from outside your group.

3. Do your own projects!
Through college, you will have to do multiple projects each semester. Borrowing or buying a project could seem like an easy alternative especially when you have a ton of submissions with very little time. DO NOT do it. The amount of joy you get when you get something to work is immeasurable. You will struggle and curse when your code is not working (which is at least 70% of the time) but the 30% when it works, more than makes up for all the effort. Also, since most projects are team projects, it is a great way to bond with friends and learn to co-operate. These skills are essential when you start working. So, why not build on them when you can. Moreover, the amount you learn when you do a project, is no where close to what you do by reading a text book.

4. Travel.
If you are anything like me and enjoy sitting in front of the TV on a holiday rather than getting out and doing stuff, please take note of this point. This is a piece of advice, I hope someone had given me earlier. Traveling with friends is a completely different experience than traveling with parents. When you are with your friends, you learn to be responsible, take care of your things, manage your money, take decisions, etc. But at the same time, you have your friends who will help you if you need them to. It will help you gain confidence. Also, you gain experience by seeing how your friends react in different situations.

5. Set your rules and stick to them.
In continuation with the previous point, it is essential to identify your boundaries and stick to them irrespective of whether your friends approve of it or not. College is the ideal stage to find out what you think is right and what is wrong. You must learn to set your rules and stick to them. It could be simple things like not making fun of others behind their back, not smoking etc. Stick to your rules and beliefs and others will eventually respect you. You can always change your rules; but think before you do.

6. Talk to your teachers
Teachers can be helpful for a lot of reasons. Building a good rapport with teachers can help you identify which teacher you are comfortable with. You will need to select teachers as project guides, ask them to provide references when you apply for internships, higher studies etc. So knowing them (and letting them know you) can be very helpful.

7. Confide in an older person
Sometimes, you may be faced with situations where you don't know how to react. This applies especially if you live in a hostel. Being surrounded by the same set of people can get overwhelming sometimes. Keep in touch with an older person. It could be a friend, sibling or your parent. Sometimes, a new perspective is all it takes to get you out of a foul mood.

8. Don't over stress about exams
I don't think I need to mention this point as a tip. Doing badly in exams are such a recurring feature in college, that you automatically learn to take it in your stride. Try to keep up with the class average, maintain a decent GPA, but don't over stress about being the topper in every subject. I may be wrong about this, but from my experience, at the end of the course, people with exceptional GPAs didn't have much of an edge over people with above average GPAs.

9. Volunteer, participate
This should probably have been the first point. There are plenty of festivals, events that keep happening in colleges. Participate! Chances of winning are very few unless you are really good at something but don't let that stop you from participating. Also, become a volunteer in such events. It is a great way to make friends. Also, you learn a lot of stuff while doing so. A lot of people tend to stay at home or "chill out" with friends somewhere else. Don't do that! Be where all the action is happening. If nothing you'll have a bunch of cool pictures (and memories) that you will cherish later.

10. Explore careers
This is the ideal time to decide what you'd like to do after college. Talk to seniors, read about things that interest you and try your hand at different things. You will be better prepared to choose your career at the end of four years.

Most importantly, enjoy! :)