As I bid my final goodbye to mom and dad at the Mumbai International Airport, I feel this jolt of anxiousness, excitement, and everything in between. My heart splutters with a million different thoughts, while my brain guides me through the beautiful Terminal 2 of the airport. I’m alone – an independent individual.
Travelling alone 7660 miles away from my hometown in India never came to my mind until 2 years ago. I was always in the race to get admitted into IIT – the most prestigious engineering institute in India. How do you get into IIT, you may ask? One 3-hour-long exam decides this. Marks matter, and that’s the end of it. But I was more than just numbers on paper; I was always a part of the community, I learnt by practice and I loved showcasing my talents and knowledge. That’s when the idea of going abroad for studies really started to shine. (Please visit my ‘About Me!’ page to read about me and my work.)
Forward one year: in February 2016, I received the big news. I was accepted into The University of British Columbia, into the Faculty of Science! That’s exactly what I wanted, and that’s exactly why I’m here, writing this blog post. UBC always had a special place in my college list, thanks to personal connections with some university professors and love for Vancouver as a city. I knew I would fit well here.
And as I flew from Mumbai, I had a singular aim: work hard and earn it. I have lifetime goals, and UBC is a step in the journey towards achieving them. From blogging techniques to working on driverless cars, there is so much I want to learn and explore. And I can’t wait to make big progress in the coming 4 years at UBC!
Now that I’m on campus, I see spectacular opportunities. I’m already involved in my Jumpstart Learning Community, I have many many friends (who are now family, really!) and I have a platform – this blog – to convey my ideas and experiences. I also know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, and so many new things are heading my way.
With that, I’d like to say Hello… Namaste! Welcome to Under The Hood!
Stay tuned for some very interesting posts in the coming weeks. Also, remember that you can be the influencer – contact me and tell me what you want to talk about!
Stay #involved!
#UnderTheHood
#IAMUBC