‘Accepting failures, becoming independent’ Columbia University student shares what she learned in US

I always wanted to pursue a master’s from abroad as in India the courses were very limited. Plus, my father always wanted one of his child to study at an Ivy League college. So, after completing my graduation from Mithibai College, Mumbai I applied for post graduation at the London School of Economics, University College London and Columbia University.

Ananya with her father during her graduation

Covid hampering plans

However, things didn’t fall into place as I graduated in 2020 and Covid happened. I did not want to pursue the course remotely. In the meantime, I worked on my application and pursued a diploma from NMIMS.

After the applications were reopened, I applied again. Though I really wanted to get through Columbia University, however, I wasn’t confident as the acceptance rate is low and it is an Ivy League college. But my father had full faith in me and I finally did get through.

Collectivist vs Individualistic societies

I studied Master of Arts, Social–Organisational Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. I graduated in May and I am due to start my job by next month. Studying at Columbia University has been a very transformative experience, it helped me know myself in a country with completely a different culture. I learned more than I expected. It has also been one of the toughest experiences.

Growing up in India you are a part of a very collectivist culture, surrounded by people who truly care about you even though they aren’t necessarily your family. But here in the US, people are more individualistic, especially in New York. I didn’t have any family or acquaintances here. I had a hard time adjusting initially so much so that I was ready to drop out in the first two months. But, then I decided to finish off what I had started as it was a commitment I made to myself.

Ananya with her friends

I was lucky to find two really good friends in my first year. One of them is from India so there wasn’t much difference culturally and the second person was from Puerto Rico and is Spanish. Both of them came from collectivist backgrounds, so it became easier for me to bond with them. The first semester was difficult but things became better after that.

I am the youngest person in my programme, some of the people are in their 30s and some are even in their 40s. Since it is a master’s programme, the students can manage their jobs with their studies. I pursued Business Psychology, which is like an MBA but from a psychological perspective. We work on making companies more productive and profitable from a people’s point of view, transitions around mergers and acquisitions, and run surveys to figure out where the company stands today.

How I chose Psychology

As a child, I wanted to be a baker. My interest in Psychology was invoked by my teacher in school who was so good that I decided to pursue it for undergraduate studies. For my master’s I was confused between event management and psychology. I decided to pursue psychology as it offers more options.

Ananya with her family

For applying to Columbia University, I was required to give GRE (I am not sure if that is required right now or not), my transcripts, 2-3 letters of recommendation by my teachers and employers, a Statement of Purpose and an academic resume. An academic resume is different from a job resume, it has your education first, followed by work qualifications, research experience and papers published and lastly extracurricular, basic skills and interests.

How I live in New York

During my first year, I was living on campus. For my second year, I lived in an apartment by myself. The university is in uptown New York and not the safest place to live. So, I feel it is better to live in places where there is a population. Moreover, my apartment is more affordable than university housing.

I cook on my own. Generally, I order groceries from Indian stores online. On the east coast, there are a lot of Indians living in New Jersey and Long Island. I got all my spices from India and whenever anyone is travelling from India, I ask them to get stuff in bulk from there.

Want to come back to India some years down the line

I don’t see myself living in the US in the long run. I would like to come back to India some years down the line. I would have come back had I not got the job. The job market here is very bad due to the recession and there are many limitations on visas as well. The cherry on top is that the university does not have placements like other institutions. The attitude here is that students will get the job as they are from an Ivy League college.

Ananya Sood

I have a STEM OPT visa. The first year after you graduate is OPT and as per regulations, if you are unemployed at any point you have only 90 days to find a job else the entire visa is cancelled. You can apply for an extension but that is also for 60 days only.

Glory and struggle go hand in hand

I have learned and grown a great deal since I came to the US. There are many things that I have learned, such as accepting failures and understanding that sometimes things are not in your control. If anything that fails is expectations, not you. Initially, I was finding it challenging to get a job but I realised it’s not me but other factors that are driving me towards failure such as the downfalling economy. I have learned to be more independent, however, I am now a bit tired of being so independent as well.

While applying abroad, be very careful of the choices you’re making. Don’t come with sky high expectations. The idea of studying abroad is glorified but it has equal struggles as much glory. Be prepared for both and don’t let the competition scare you.