On November 6th, I received a full-time offer from Facebook for the Data Engineering Position in their Menlo Park Office. While I was thrilled to get this news, a part of me went back to revisit the whole journey. As an International Student, we are always in the hustle. First trying to crack that one big Internship, hoping to convert to full-time and/or putting endless hours on LeetCode and Algorithms to crack those Technical coding rounds.

For everyone out there, who hasn’t yet gone through it and is planning to come for Masters in the US, here are my two cents for you guys, it’s not all the fun and glam it looks on the outside. Sure there is free food, clean roads, best Professors, and amenities that you rarely find in India, but it demands you to be at your best. To accomplish something here, to make a mark, you have to prove yourself.

I do not feel like I have done anything substantial in my time here, but I see people around me who have gained so much, they have taken up Leadership roles and still managed to score good grades and get the best job offers. This requires a lot of drilling down, late-night study sessions, laser-sharp focus, and self-motivation.

PS. In spite of trying my best, I end up taking months between my consecutive articles. I hope to write a couple of good pieces in the next few months, that can be helpful to everyone. I am planning to write articles on my insights into Master programs in the US, Tips to crack the Technical and Non-Technical Interviews, and many more. I have been getting a lot of messages on LinkedIn from Students asking me for University and Program reviews, hence I will also write an article on my Life @ USC. So, stay tuned.