The Calm after the Storm

Several months ago, I wrote about the painful life of an EECS grad student at Michigan. That battle has since been won, and now I will write about my nice and easy downhill slide. In the first half of 2007, I was looking at spending all my savings, in addition to taking help from my family, and an additional $50,000 in loans to fund my graduate study at Michigan. This would put the total cost very close to about $70,000. And this didn't even include opportunity cost or the cost of applying to schools.

In my first semester here, I worked in a cafe. Stocking supplies for the day, brewing coffee, cleaning and making food. Waking up at 5:30AM and walking the mile to work everyday for USD9/hr was a very humbling experience. But, it also stoked a fire in me, a fire to get out of there. And in a few months I did just that. My next job was a computer consultant for the university. That was my story for the first term. My first term was by far the worst. The hours were gruelling, the courses were beyond me. I felt battered by the end of it. I did get one break. An internship with NVIDIA. I was one of the very few to get an internship as early as that. This was, by and large, attributed to my prior experience.

Then I went home in December, and married Tina and I ran into a stream of good luck! I flew into Ann Arbor on 7th January and met with Prof Najafi, who asked me to work for him as a TA. Wow! Out of nowhere! TA for a 400-level MEMs course. I am deeply indebted to him for the opportunity. It was such an awesome experience, I learned so much. Here is a video of the student's projects. This also made me USD 25,000 less in debt.

In the following summer, I worked at NVIDIA, I was made a full time offer. When I came back, I found surprise last minute funding again. Thanks to Prof. Islam's trust in me, I got another USD 22,000 in debt relief, working as a TA. Essentially, when I graduate in december my outstanding debt would be negligible. My cost of doing an MS in US was lesser than the cost of an elite business school in India like IIM-B, and almost half the cost of ISB, which was my other choice. Of cost is not the only criterion for going to grad school. But given the financial basis of my family, it was a very important one.

This term, I have had a very relaxed life. I work not more than 20-25 hours in school as compared to the 100+ hours last two terms. I work an additional 20-25 hours at home. I still have three course and a TA appointment, but I have always maintained that there are courses at UofM, and there is EECS427/EECS627. So I have managed just fine so far, nothing stellar, but not below average. Now I was lucky once more to recieve my EAD card very promptly and my driver license despite perilous mistakes during the road skills test.

I spend my free time playing music, reading history, cooking and sometimes even working out. I feel Michigan gave me as much as I gave her. I am proud of her, and proud of myself for surviving her rigorous curriculum. Come december, I will take a two month long vacation, travel in India and just relax. Then I will live out my dream of many years, live and love in the the United States of America.