The First Seven Years

July 11 was the day I landed on this continent - seven years ago. Before arriving, I had corresponded with a friend who had done a stint at Tech and was in NY at the time. "Which you must visit". Who would guess that I would have exactly two months before the skyline would change forever? Anyhow, I've met more than one Rachel and Leah - not an important fact, but I just mention that because of my choice of title.

Would I have done anything differently? Plenty. First, my approach was wrong. When I got here, I expected a wholehearted reception into something I felt deprived off in India - wireless systems. I felt I could leave the analog stuff behind. What I've since learned - you enjoy what you you're good at. I should have built on my knowledge and kept my eyes open for opportunities. Then, don't gamble. When I had saved up $10k of my own money in 2003, I went into stocks and lost a whole bunch. At that time I realized how well spent it would have been on trying to acquire hard to find knowledge by attending specialized courses. And, what about the vacations I could have taken. No, what I should have done was immediately sharpen my saws and practise what I already knew. In my profession, numbers are everything - knowing how to extract the numbers that matter is a big deal. That's the "tools" part. You can be a great architect, but, without someone who knows the tools - to do the building, you're never leaving the desk. In my profession, architect and mason are one. I should have set up my tool suite as soon as I could, and the ideas would have come for the designs. Then, I could have published my way to greener pastures in no time.

And the hardest one, planning is everything - one hour of planning is worth three hours of execution. EXPECT THE BEST ALWAYS - because that decides your attitude. BUT, always plan for the worst. And, you'll be the more confident knowing that you have every scenario covered. Offer to work for free - with the intention of learning. When you're scouting new opportunities, don't make the approach looking for what they can give you - first think about what you can offer. YOu're obviously doing it to learn something new. If you're in the university trying to earn income - you better have a serious talk with someone. If you play your cards right, you have a chance to meet great people in a laid back setting, have a great gym, look at cute girls all the time and learn. Do it wrong and you'll be running from pillar to post wondering why it's all happening to you.

Plan, plan, plan. Know that you have a hard time getting to an 8 O'clock class and plan for that. SAving is important. But, if you can get extra value from an extra $100 a month invested smartly, consider that money well spent. If you start off $5k extra when you leave school, who's going to dispute the couple of grand you invested in being more productive?

Plan, plan, plan. Visualize scenarios ahead of time - that way, you will be able to seize opportunities when they arise. If you don't, you'll realize hours or days later what the person actually had in mind. For example, if you have a meeting with a professor whose research interests you, spend some time the evening before thinking about what you plan to ask and what his responses might be.

Make use of your mentors and advisors. I just realize now that it's not a pleasant prospect for me to sit down and think about how the next couple of years might turn out. But, that's what I must do. And, quite honestly, I've never done that before in my life. But, if I had done that 7 years ago.... foooh.

Use tools! Who said laptops are for geeks? Maybe you don't need one. Maybe you can keep your data online in your email account or on your blog. But, find out what's available and how it can benefit you. The return I've got from the $1k I invested in my desktop has been atleast 10x if not more. Same for my car which cost me $3.4k. One tool that I didn't know about was dashboarding - which I've recently started using. Know how comforting it is to have vital information available readily on the dashboard of your car? Likewise, you should use tools - wall planner, Excel spreadsheet, whatever works for you to keep an eye on the important goings-on in your life. Is there going to be an important meeting on Wednesday? How about you try to get ready on Monday and, while trying to get ready find the ten key questions that you can try to get answered on Tuesday? I used to be a huge fan of text-journaling, but now I'm into spreadsheets.

Summing up very quickly my advice to the next generation of grad students : manage your energy religiously - spend what you need to - if you need a parking permit, think about it, good food, energy drinks, carry a bottle of cold water always,...
Start looking for jobs and internships from day one! Things happen in cycles and it's a good idea to be ready when the tide turns. There are easily 30 companies out there, each one doing something that you'll find interesting. Keep your eyes open, read Yahoo and watch for press releases. When you see a name, try first.last@company.com and say you like what they're doing; are they looking for people? I once got an all-expenses paid trip to California this way. They later said I wasn't a close enough match, but they folded up a year later anyway:)

Above all, be grateful. You live in a time of unbelievable opportunity. This has come about because of the organized effort of great people, and great vision. Realize that and resolve to always play by the rules. You count on other people. Make sure that you will always be someone who can be counted on. Volunteer your time and skills - think of it as sacred. Appreciate the love and help you give and receive. The best to you all and god bless all of you.