New Life: few weeks down the line

Hi all,

Seems like I am settled and transitioning into Carnegie Mellon culture. Today afternoon, someone cracked a joke on life of grad students. It goes like this:

“you know you are a grad student if you start your assignment on the day it’s posted rather than the day it’s due!!” :P

And I hear a lot of jokes on phd’s: most of them (I guess all of them) reiterates about the “Patiently hoping for Degree” part…..:D — well that’s true!!

Let me write about what happened/changed in last 6 weeks or so:

- I became old (turned 24 recently!)

-Started to like “regular” coffee’s here, with 3-4 sachets of sugar! {yuk!! plane coffee sucks, extreme bitter in taste) (number of sachets should converge to zero as years’ pass by, expecting a slow rate though)

- Back to studying mode – feels good!

- Did many mistakes (in first 2 weeks) while solving simple operators like integration, multiplicaiton etc etc. (ab zyada muh mat khulwao..:P)

- Cooking: doesn’t deserve this down on list. Transformed into "the Chef"

- Intend to makes less jokes on people (I have absolutely no idea what happened to me!)

- Attended 100% classes (record till now)

- Chicks..lots of them (finally studying at an University rather than an Institute)

- Now, I don't get time even on weekends! so sad!


Also, I would like to focus on what haven’t changed (so far):

- Working hours at par with what I was experiencing at ZS (except that you can’t crib on your work!!)

- Lots of work, daily task plan, weekly meetings, conference calls and cisco vpn – all the same.

- salary (now in $$)

- Nokia e71….still there..:)

Going to sleep now….will write soon about studies, lab and research!

when I am lost......

Nice lyrics from a song from movie "Patiala House"

"मुजहे युहीं करके ख्वाबों से जुदा
जाने कहाँ चुपके बैठा हैं खुदा,

जानु न में कब हुआ खुद से गुमशुदा
कैसे जीयू रूह भी हैं मुजसे जुदा"

Careers et al.

Today I have got one of the best career lessons of my life. This will certainly influence that way I think about my future goals and hence the career decision that follows.

This new "Job life" has presented a completely different picture than what I have imagined during my college days. Nevertheless, I look forward to take it on because I don't have much choice in this regard. I have some suggestions which could make this life a little better.

1. Write to 100

Prepare a spreadsheet consisting names of 100 people and divide these into 4 groups based on the following segmentation:
A) First 30:-
These are the people in your life who can drop all their work and come to rescue you immediately.

B) Next 30:-
These are the people who will respond to your call and will come to help you.

C) Next 30:-
These people will give their advise, support/comment on your thinking and ideas.

D) Remaining ones:-
These are your well wishers, after all you need some positive waves to be able to lead a happy life.

-- These 100 people are the people that take your career to heights. Always keep relationship with them. Help them to get back the same.

2. Find MENTOR

Find yourself a mentor. They can do something that you can't. A mentor will be willing to spend time with you to understand your issues. We generally filter out things that we are not aware of and there is no way for us to see those things. Mentors are the people who help you to see them.

- Open up with him/her
- Tell completely stupid things/different things
- Career breakthrough happen through them only - Go Find Them!
- If anyone is going to teach me - Say to you - I am open - Be grateful

3. Create Reputation

- Be good, do good
- Work on your strengths, never ever loose them
- Make your personal brand

Career is non-linear, you cannot predict what comes ahead. So, believe in present. After all, good things happen when something different happens