Pursuing a master’s degree in the U.S. had always been my dream. This fascination later became my ambition. I graduated with my bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering from a private university in Chennai, and this made me aware of diverse fields and provided me with multi-disciplinary skills.
Combining these with my long-term goal of improving lives through technology, I decided to obtain a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.
Based on my extensive research on universities in the U.S., I chose to study at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. This university is well established in the field of research and development and has world-class resources and laboratories. Initially, I struggled to cope with the course, as it was structured differently.
Over here, independent exploration of concepts taught in class and thinking outside the box are encouraged. Professors are approachable and willing to help. USC has an endless number of study-aids — libraries, digital papers and journals, advisors and mentors. While pursuing master’s, I gained experience in voluntary research work, learnt about biomedical concepts in depth and about the latest innovations and developments in the field.
Campus lifeHunting for a campus job was as tedious as applying for an actual job position. I ended up working in one of the libraries on the campus. Through this campus job, I got to interact with the locals and, most importantly, understood their way of life and culture. One of the major perks of my decision to sudy at USC was living in Los Angeles.
Famous for housing Hollywood, Los Angeles definitely lives up to its reputation of fun and glamour. Disneyland and Universal Studios, nightclubs and high-end restaurants, hiking trails, mountain parks, beautiful beaches and lakes — never did I run out of things to do.
Living in the U.S. has made me confident, independent and given me a sense of freedom. The two years at the USC were the best of my life, both within the world of academia and outside.
The writer recently completed her master’s at the University of Southern California. Email: teekay0901@gmail.com
