There’s something undeniably alluring about the “Land of the Free.” This was my take-home message from my first visit to the United States. I was in my early teens then.
While pursuing my bachelor’s degree at Sairam Engineering College in Chennai, I learnt a lot about and from the people who had already tread the path I had chosen — a master’s in the U.S.
As a master’s student at the University of Texas at Arlington, I studied quality control, production and inventory management, advanced regression analysis, engineering economics and logistics among others. But alongside the independence I had was the daunting task of managing the daily chores and being responsible for my finances. ‘Things are easier said than done’ was the first lesson in values that I learnt in my struggle to fit in. The only thing I had in common with other students from India was that we were all away from home. As arduous as it sounds, the settling in phase passed sooner than I realised which blazed a trail for the next big thing — embracing the new culture. It opened opportunities to meet like-minded students from all over the globe and getting a sneak peek into their culture. Amidst all this I emerged with a new found identity brimming with confidence.
I took up a garcon’s job on campus to support my rent. While it may be taboo in India, it sure isn’t the case here. Not only did I learn the value of hard earned money and life lessons on dignity of labour, I also made some really good friends.
The highlight of the entire experience was the school system — professors, experiential system of education, and facilities. The courses that I had opted for had amplified the scope of engineering and expanded my circle of opportunities. My unique combination of a bachelor’s degree in electronics, electrical and communication engineering and a master’s in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering equipped me for a job that required both skill sets. As a result, I was able to land the job of industrial process engineer at Metal Coaters of California. I was easily able to grasp the manufacturing nuances using motors, PLC, and so on, while also understanding the management side of the equation.
U.S. universities prepare you to see the larger picture. Though it was a mere two years of post-graduation, in terms of experience, it seemed like a light year. I erred, I learnt, I moved on... I persisted and succeeded in proving my skills, and continue to do so every day.
Yusuf Durbar Shabbir, an alumnus of Industrial Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, is currently working as maintenance engineering manager at NCI Building Systems, California.
