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Do you suffer from academic anxiety? Then this hilarious video is for you!

2 Dec

The good folks at Arizona State University understand that college students suffer from anxiety due to a number of reasons. That’s why they made this, uh, totally scientific and informative video. Millions of students experience stress, sleep deprivation, academic status report denial, and a host of other symptoms. If you have any of those symptoms, […]

5 ‘facts’ about engineering students

25 Nov

When it comes to STEM fields, many people rely on stereotypes that don’t always match up to the reality. We take a look at 5 ‘facts’ about engineering students, and see whether they are true or false. 1. They’re nearly all men Not quite all. The number of women enrolled in engineering colleges has doubled […]

Why Are Indian Students in Pursuit of a Western Education?

22 Nov

Being one of the growing number of CBSE students opting to go abroad for higher studies, I have been questioned on the same often. Questions like ‘Why abroad?’, ‘What is so different there?’, and ‘Is it not a wasteful expense?’ are staple in such conversations. The answer, however, is not something everyone can easily understand. […]

The dilemma of switching majors from undergrad to grad school

8 Nov

Photo of journalists with cameras by UNclimatechange

As an 18-year-old, stepping into college was one of the most awaited moments of my life. I majored in the sciences in 10+2, and enrolled in an engineering school soon after. What happened since then has dramatically changed my life. Undergrad school kicked off with some intense pressure for me right from the first semester. […]

Libraries infuse magic into studying abroad

29 Sep

When we go abroad to study, of course we do so for academic reasons. But however serious you are about studies, the rest of life does not grind to a halt. Life can enrich your studies, and your studies can enrich life. And my experience has been that libraries enrich both. I went to graduate […]

How a homeschooled Mumbai teen won a scholarship to MIT

20 Sep

A 17-year-old girl from Mumbai with no formal schooling for the last four years just started her first semester at MIT. Her credentials? A-grade programming skills and three medals at the International Olympiad in Informatics. Malvika Raj Joshi’s story is an extraordinary one. Her story is about the happy coincidence of rare talent and good […]

KWHS Global Young Leaders Academy – An Incredible Experience

21 Jul

So yesterday someone asked me to describe my experience in the KWHS Wharton Summer School. My reply was “extraordinary”, but now contemplating my reply, I realize that it cannot possibly be summarized in one word. Yes, the experience of staying in University of Pennsylvania and studying in the Jon Huntsman Wharton Building would be overwhelmingly […]

Word Nerd: 5 Famous Misquotations (What Wasn’t Said and Who Didn’t Say it)

18 Jul

“(I)t is not desirable to confine knowledge to whatever can be put into a useful shape for examinations, drawing-rooms, or the still more pretentious modes of publicity.” —T.S. Eliot, Tradition and Individual Talent Quotations are a natural intellectual currency. Whether you’re a literature major, or a movie buff, an amateur historian or a sci-fi nerd […]

Two Weeks at the Oxford Scholastica Academy’s Summer School

29 Jun

In 2015, I attended the Oxford Scholastica Academy’s summer school. It was a two-week summer programme for 13-18 year olds from around the world. I came across the summer school on the internet. It was one of many choices, but I liked this one the best as it had a balanced mixed of academics and […]

Day 1 of the Knowledge@Wharton High School summer program

2 Jun

Group of students on UPenn campus for KWHS summer program 2016 Session A

May 29, 2016, 9 a.m. A Sunday and a sunny day. Soft landing. Rapid baggage claim. Great weather outside JFK Airport. When we left Abu Dhabi airport, we were all excited to see the dual-deck Airbus 380, with its spacious seats and delicious food.  But after the 14-hour flight to New York, everyone was tired. […]