Branch: CS
CGPA: 9.55
Current Job: Software Engineer, Indio Technologies
What am you currently doing?
I'm currently working as a software engineer at Indio Technologies in San Francisco. I program
for a living, and in my spare time, I volunteer for a social impact organization, YCore.
How did you choose your career path?
I'm always a little uncomfortable answering this question because, unlike many of my peers who I greatly admire, I didn't head into my college experience with a certainty that I loved computer science. My father's career was in IT, and he suggested I take a similar path given that the work is intellectually stimulating and a financially stable option. In the absence of a passion for a different field of study, I followed his suggestion. Luckily, I enjoyed my coursework and now enjoy working in the programming industry, but I chalk that up to fortune rather than any calculated choices on my part.
In what ways has college helped you?
I deeply enjoyed the experience of living away from home with a group of highly motivated peers. I've made lifelong friends on campus who I still keep in touch with daily. I got the opportunity to explore different interests in a forgiving environment and am deeply grateful to the wide variety of extracurricular organizations present on campus.
I remember that during my time there was derision of these organizations (of fests in particular, and those who worked for them) of being a waste of time, taking energy and effort away from what truly mattered most, academics. Now that I've graduated and have spent a year working in the industry, I can say with confidence that I learned just as much, if not much more, from my activities outside the lecture hall as from those inside. The world spins on collaboration, and if you don't learn how to do that effectively, you will quickly sputter in the real world. Ideas and opportunities flow faster through people you know than any other mode. Learn to work with others as part of something bigger than yourself and to do so with confidence.
On building a profile
I started with a CG of 8.5 and gradually improved it in every semester to a final CG of 9.5. I'd say it was the result of a gradual process of learning from my mistakes each semester and becoming more familiar with the college grading system. As I'm writing this right now, I'm struggling to remember which semesters I had gotten an SG of 10.0, which probably goes to show that grades aren't the make-all break-all in life and won't matter to you as much to you once you graduate and move on. You should take heart in that. Life goes on. I spent too much time stressing over my grades, I know that for sure.
I did two projects at BITS, the details of which now escape me, but which were useful in firmly indicating that a career in research was not the best path for me. As for positions of responsibility, I was Joint-Secretary of ELAS, and in that role, I helped organize Verba Maximus 2017 as part of the FOB. I'd say that this was one of the most useful experiences that I had in my college life and strongly encourage at least some participation in extracurricular activities in addition to academics.
I did not optimize my profile for graduate studies in my field, as many do beginning in their third or fourth year of college. It didn't negatively impact me in any way (yet) as I came to the conclusion that I did not want to undertake a Master's degree in Computer Science right away. To me, getting some industry experience was important, as was getting some time to explore my interests outside of my career. I worked for a short period of time in Bangalore after graduation and then moved to San Francisco for a new job. I am lucky to not require a visa to work in the United States, which is not the situation of most of the college student body, so my advice may not directly translate to everyone's situation.
In my job hunt post-college, little of this mattered in my case. You'd be surprised at how little of your resume a potential employer reads. Objectively-measured programming ability was most important and grades, PORs and projects took a back seat.
On the GRE
I studied for the GRE over a span of 3 weeks and scored 340 with a score of 5 in writing. I do not recommend my compressed study plan at all. Start studying at least 6 weeks away from your date, if not 2 months. If vocabulary is not your strong suit, I urge you to start reviewing word lists as soon as possible, maybe as soon as you finish reading this article.
Official study material from ETS >>>>> any other study material. Other study material is often not able to replicate the style and rigour of the original test. Studying with other study material often leads you to optimize your problem-solving skills to a style that is inconsistent with what the actual test looks like. Use them as a secondary source once you've exhausted the official material.
Take an official practice test to gauge your weaknesses and then determine a plan to address them specifically. There's plenty of guidance and articles online to help you. In my particular case, I struggle to think of interesting points for my essay when faced with a prompt, so I systemically went through the essay prompt bank on the ETS website and brain-stormed what I might write for each side of each prompt.
I used the Manhattan 5lb book for math practice (highly recommended), all ETS study material, and a bit of Magoosh (not as good as the others). For essay writing, I read advice online and practiced writing essays until I felt that I had improved.
Advice for you
Resist the urge to optimize your college experience solely for career purposes. The latter is obviously important, but looking back, I can easily say that the most enriching courses that I took in college were the five humanities courses on my transcript. I'm not sure if this course is still offered, but Literary Criticism (which was reviled as being horribly difficult) was, in my opinion, the best course that I took in my time there. I understood perhaps 20% of it, but it introduced me to an intensely challenging subject: philosophy and what it means to think.
Learning how to think critically is far more important than all the technical jargon you will learn. Educate yourself on social causes and convince yourself of their importance so that you can convince others. There is no purpose in making money if you do not have a society that is safe and secure for you to enjoy that money in. In the uncertain times ahead, we have to take an active role in shaping the world we want to be a part of.
Disclaimer: The points given above are the views and steps taken by the individual. They are not fixed steps and guideline to base your college upon. Our hope is to inspire students so they can take the necessary steps here after. We hope you like it!
Written By: Eishita Tripathi
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