Education has been an important part of my life. We all learn in the school of life through our experiences, but today I want to talk about formal education -- the one you get at academic institutes. My parents have always emphasized the value of formal education. I still remember how my mother used to spend a lot of her energy and effort to ensure that my sister and I excelled at studies. She used to wake us up early in the morning and work with us on our school assignments. Those early years, with the discipline and strong work ethic that my mother instilled in us, have been a solid foundation for me in my future academic pursuits.
After finishing high school, I was happy to get into a good engineering school. The new school meant a beginning of a new chapter in my life -- new environment, new medium of instruction, new classmates from different parts of Bombay, and new experiences. The four years of school went by quickly, and I graduated with a degree, an average quality of education, and no deep friendship or memorable experiences. I wish I had done more to get more out of those four years.
After finishing engineering college, I sought another opportunity to continue my formal education -- this time in the US. Almost every graduating student in my class was going to the US for further studies. So it seemed natural for me to pursue that path too, even though I did not have enough financial resources to pursue an education in the US. But I took a leap of faith and applied to a few schools. Then came the acceptance letter from Arizona State, and through some good karma of my father, I got funding from one his friends, and that is how I came to the US.
The two years of graduate studies at Arizona State were fantastic. I met so many students from different parts of the world. I consider myself fortunate to have experienced a deep, genuine friendship with some of those international students, especially a few from Germany. The German friends gave me a taste of a European student life -- coffee shops, pubs, bars, parties, debates, and good conversations. I felt I finally blossomed into myself in Arizona -- a desert flower! I got an excellent education, both formal and informal, in Arizona.
After two short but fulfilling years in Arizona, I came to Austin. After working in Austin for a few years, I started to get an itch to pursue a formal education again. I had been thinking about getting an MBA for a number of years at the prestigious University of Texas, but due to some reason or the other kept postponing the plan. I finally scratched that itch by joining the MBA program at the University of Texas.
I hope to write about my MBA experience in future posts...
After finishing high school, I was happy to get into a good engineering school. The new school meant a beginning of a new chapter in my life -- new environment, new medium of instruction, new classmates from different parts of Bombay, and new experiences. The four years of school went by quickly, and I graduated with a degree, an average quality of education, and no deep friendship or memorable experiences. I wish I had done more to get more out of those four years.
After finishing engineering college, I sought another opportunity to continue my formal education -- this time in the US. Almost every graduating student in my class was going to the US for further studies. So it seemed natural for me to pursue that path too, even though I did not have enough financial resources to pursue an education in the US. But I took a leap of faith and applied to a few schools. Then came the acceptance letter from Arizona State, and through some good karma of my father, I got funding from one his friends, and that is how I came to the US.
The two years of graduate studies at Arizona State were fantastic. I met so many students from different parts of the world. I consider myself fortunate to have experienced a deep, genuine friendship with some of those international students, especially a few from Germany. The German friends gave me a taste of a European student life -- coffee shops, pubs, bars, parties, debates, and good conversations. I felt I finally blossomed into myself in Arizona -- a desert flower! I got an excellent education, both formal and informal, in Arizona.
After two short but fulfilling years in Arizona, I came to Austin. After working in Austin for a few years, I started to get an itch to pursue a formal education again. I had been thinking about getting an MBA for a number of years at the prestigious University of Texas, but due to some reason or the other kept postponing the plan. I finally scratched that itch by joining the MBA program at the University of Texas.
I hope to write about my MBA experience in future posts...
