I came to the USA precisely 1 year, 8 months, and 15 days ago for my Master's. If you had asked me about doing a Master's 2.9 years ago, I would have laughed and said, "Not in this lifetime." But 2.9 years ago, I felt let's do something different in life, something painstaking, which hindered my peaceful sleep for 2 years. And I thought of doing a Master's from the USA.
I got into New York University. I applied for Computer Science but instead got Computer Engineering. But when I checked the syllabus of Computer Engineering, I did not see much difference between CS and CE and then NYU it is. I wanted to do a Master's for three reasons: to earn loads of money, to learn more about Computer Science, and do something different in life.
"Wait a minute, are you saying we just have one life? What!!! Are you serious! So you are saying a Human Being has to finish all the things they want to do and frame their whole life in just a few years. That's ridiculous", I said. And that's how I ventured over to the journey of the Masters from the USA. True Story!
Just to clarify, I had no intentions of living in the USA permanently, and I don't want to live here forever. My sole purpose in coming to the US is to earn money and experience and move back to my Bharat. But I don't know when it will happen.
Doing a Master's was more challenging than the decision to do Masters(I used to think vice-a-verse). I struggled a lot in the first semester and got ridiculous bad grades. I worked harder from the second semester, and then the sole purpose of survival was to get straight 'As.' It was challenging in the first place to start studying again after working for 5 years, and that too under NYU's demanding professors and their courses. After almost 2 years of hard work, when I say hard, I really mean it, I completed my masters. 1.8 years of struggle comes to an end. We had two ceremonies for convocation; one was for NYU Tandon, and another was for 'All University.' On 18th May, I graduated from NYU in a Yankee Stadium. Fun fact, I graduated along with Taylor Swift, who was awarded an Honorary doctorate by NYU. Her speech was good for the first 15 mins or so, and then I was yawning to my every breath,
"All's well that ends well", is a relatively simple and prominent phrase but immensely profound. Aren't we all struggling just so that our future gets merrier?
Now the question is, am I happy? Have I achieved what I wanted to? Well, yes and no. I am certainly happy and proud of myself, but I don't think I achieved what I wanted. I actually don't know what I want from life anymore. It seems like my expectations are changing on a whim. Sometimes I want all the money in the world, but at the same time, I just want to ride my motorbike and wander the roads of Bharat. Everything has become so gray to me now.
Anyways, I am a proud, happy man!
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