It's been a long time since I blogged last and that is'nt only because my ass was too lazy to scrawl pointless stuff on this page. During that considerable amount of time, I was busy doing nothing for the most part, except for a lot of networking on the net in connection with my imminent departure to the U.S to do my masters at Georgia Tech. Oh! Yes. I know what you are thinking - "Here goes another westernized desi (read country-deserting asshole) to pour his money and blood into that all powerful (but still wanting more power) super country - The united States of America". Now that I 've allowed all the resident indians (employed or otherwise) a nice little poke at me, I implore you to atleast listen to my side of the argument.
My choices after my Undergrad at PSG Tech, Coimbatore were pretty simple - Take up the job offer from ITC Limited at 4.85 lpa and join the CAT bandwagon, or join the "2 years work then M.S." bandwagon, or just take the next fully desi loaded airplane to the land of opportunities. The first choice is the most lucrative, and sensible choice given the job scenario in India and my fellow indians who are out of a job will probably kick my butt for skipping that choice. Yes, ITC is a swell company that showers employees with money. Yes, in two years my pay will be up further. Yes, I can always write the CAT and hopefully get on the IIM bandwagon. So why din't I go for it? One, I don't want to end up in a Tobacco firm for the rest of my life. Two, I dunno if I'll really love the job. Three, I have no illusions about the CAT - there is no chance in hell of me getting into IIM although I preferred doing an MBA as opposed to an M.S. Four, I somehow feel that I've not yet found my true calling in life. And further study seemed warranted to overcome all these short comings.
I am not ashamed to admit that I wrote the GRE cause it was easier than CAT and chances of getting into a good Master's school is better than landing an MBA at a reputed school. And there was this small thing in our family - Almost all engineering graduates in my family did or are doing their master's abroad and I din't wanna feel left out. No doubt you must probably be wondering what kinda person would base his career on such excuses but hey, every average person thinks and acts like how I did in this situation. All students have this basic neccessity to fit into the social fabric, to be in the flow of the crowd, to be in a comfort zone. It is the eccentric and the very ambitious who buck the trend and swim against the current and I am most certainly not one. And all I want to do in the U.S is study, work in a reputed firm for 3 years or so, gain experience and then use that to land a nice management job in India. No, please don't lambast me for sounding cliched. Iknow what you are thinking - "they all say the same thing - that they will return. But every single one settles down and forgets his country". I assure you that I can never ever settle down in the U.S. It's gr8 to be here for on a vacation or for study or to just get to know the world better. But, settling down here is not my cup of cake. And I most certainly wouldn't dream of starting a family here. No, dude, I am going back to India even if it means a lesser paid job at the end of five years.
All said and done about my personal stuff, I wanna put some questions at the Indian Education system. I obtained 85% in my 12th grade exams. In India that wasn't enough to get me into even a mediocre undergraduate college. I had to pay 6 lakhs to join a good college. And despite being declared "unfit" by the indian education system to study in that college, I passed out with distinction and a gpa of 8.53. I think that essentialy highlights the fundamental flaws in the Indian education system. Now this gpa and a decent score ( by no means a gr8 score) in the GRE got me a place in no less than7 reputed U.S. Universities (out of the ten I applied to) including Georgia Tech - The university which ranks no.4 in the u.s and no.8 in the world for the Engineering Field. Now, I dare anyone to tell me why I shouldn't have taken up this offer and opt to struggle for opportunities in India. As long as students with good scores are denied quality education in India, the so-called brain drain will continue and the indian education system and its pathetic "quota system" is to be blamed. To a lot of people this may sound like shitty excuses of someone who just din't have it in him to shine in India and had to run to the States but believe me, there are tons of students who feel just like me. And by no means am I betraying our beloved country (even with its numerous flaws), just because I am going to study in a different country. There is truly no place like home.
