TL;DR
I came, doubted, had a wonderful experience, graduated, and now I am excited for the future.
I have just completed my Master of Science in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University! The journey was shorter than I imagined, yet I accomplished more than I ever thought possible in just two years.
I had a bumpy start; shortly after beginning, I doubted whether the program was the right fit. Although I had a clear sense of my goals, I was unsure if I was in the right environment to achieve them.
However, somewhere along the line, I surrendered to the sunk cost fallacy, cast my doubts aside, and decided to do what I love - to do my utmost best. That is when the fun began.
Along the way, I had all sort of experiences, and in hindsight I am more grateful for the painful ones; they helped me to very quickly be clear about what I do not want and brought me closer to the appreciation of what I want.
As I look back, I am grateful for conversations that shaped my life, especially those with Prof. Kathy Lachenauer. It has been my experience that the out-of-class conversations during which a teacher (in their capacity as mentor) bases their counsel on a deep appreciation of the student as an individual can be more impactful than any lecture, and I am glad to have lived that in many ways over the past two years. My friend Satish Kumar has also left an indelible mark on me with his wit, candour and intensity.
When someone asked me what the most fulfilling thing was over the past two years, I had an instantaneous answer.
Leading the Research Club has been the most fulfilling thing I did, and I will forever be indebted to Natasha for challenging my desire to be uninvolved and inspiring me to take on the position. With an incredible team of executives, including Galane, Farida, and Hadiza, we accomplished goals that we will proudly remember for years to come.
The most consequential things I did in the past two years were outside the classroom: leading a club, working in a research lab, collaborating with several professors, participating in an exchange program, and briefly being part of a startup.
Would I hope to have it different if I were to restart my Master of Science program?
My response echoes Tolstoy’s Pierre: ‘They say: misfortunes and sufferings … yes, but if right now, right this minute they asked me: “Would you rather be what you were before you were taken prisoner, or go through this all again?” For God’s sake let me again have captivity and horse flesh! We imagine that when we are thrown out of our familiar rut all is lost, but that is only when something new and good can begin. While there is life there is happiness. There is much, much before us. I say this to you.’
These two years have been the beginning of many new things, and there is indeed, much before us. Per aspera ad astra!