It all started with the orientation day with everyone sitting in a packed room. You could see the anxiety on everyone’s faces as they eagerly waited for their turn to see which branch they were going to be a part of. At the end of the day everyone was happy with their choices and went to attend the first class. As I walked into the Kashmere Gate campus I felt great to be studying at such a historical place. The campus had a classic feel to it from the outside but as we entered the classes and our labs it was a completely different experience. The classrooms and labs had been updated with the latest equipment; they were clean and presented a fun environment for everyone to learn in. As the days progressed we gradually started to get to know our classmates through assignments, cricket and outings such as movies, food and so on. Studying together for exams, completing assignments and lab projects all helped in building the foundation of the friendship we all share today. Little did I know that some of the friends I make in college will be the ones to be with me during the difficult times in my life.

As some advice for new students I would recommend just following one simple rule, “Enjoy every moment to the fullest”. What I realized by attending USIT was that along with academics it is really important to have fun. This time is never going to come again in our life. Every moment that we spend with our friends and teachers will serve as memories for us for our lifetime. This is the time that you should take to explore opportunities not only in your field of interest but also beyond it. The college helped to build life skills and interaction skills that you will cherish for life. Having classmates from different parts of the country allows you to learn and interact with different cultures and also build relationships with a diverse set of people. The other thing that I would recommend everyone is to try and develop core understanding of basic concepts in computer science. This serves not only for students pursuing computer science but for everyone attending USIT. Having this knowledge allows you to gain analytical ability as well as develop a sense of admiration for how technology functions today. We all make mistakes when we are experimenting and exploring things. But the bigger takeaway from making the mistake is to learn why it happened and how not to repeat it in the future.

USIT has a great curriculum which if followed diligently allowing one to develop into a good researcher and engineer. Aim to work with your professors and do not be afraid to question. One of the biggest mistakes I made in college was to not question something that I did not understand. Every time you feel shy or scared to ask a question just try and tell yourself that there is “no such thing as a stupid question”. We loved to participate in our fests as it helped us meet new people and also organize funky competitions.

As I approached the third semester I made a decision to pursue Masters in Computer Science. I started preparing for GRE along with some of my classmates who shared similar ambitions. To understand the rigors of pursuing a masters’ degree I contacted some of our seniors (Siddhartha Sengupta and Nipun Arora) who had joined universities such as University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. Our seniors were quick to respond and helped answer any questions that I had about studying abroad. I worked with Dr. Anjana Gosain to complete my major project and publish it to build a strong profile when applying to the universities. The professors were really helpful in filling out recommendations and also providing advice about universities and their contacts. Soon, after the application I was accepted into University of Pennsylvania.

During my masters, I undertook some amazing projects such as building a search engine and designing a multipath routing protocol. I also got an opportunity to pursue an internship at the Bloomberg Corporation. I completed my masters in 2013 and joined LinkedIn in Mountain View, California. This was one of my dreams to work in the Silicon Valley alongside the most talented people in the world. Getting an opportunity to work on problems whose solutions help millions of people to become more efficient is truly amazing.

In the end, I would like to add that USIT is an amazing place to explore and grow. The university can do as much as getting you to the placements and other universities, but at the end of the day it is your knowledge and desire to succeed that will help you grow. Never stop learning and never stop exploring and always remember to have fun.