I was born in rural India to modest parents. My father and mother were primary school teachers, until my mother gave up her teaching profession after she had kids. I wish there could have been better family-friendly maternity/paternity laws back then!
I did my schooling in a Christian missionary school and turned out to be an atheist! Perhaps a disappointment for fathers and sisters of the school whom I deeply admire. I was mediocre in academics but was an active kid in sports, organisation, and leadership. I served as a cultural minister, and a school people leader. Perhaps two high-profile portfolios in my school back then!
After high school, I joined a local college to take up maths, physics, and chemistry for my intermediate studies (plus two studies). This is where my struggle with academics began and perhaps still continues today!
First of all, I could not survive the heavy competitive environment in the college. Our classes started at 7:30 am in the morning and ended at 7:30 pm in the evening. College was all about getting highest grades and clearing competitive state and national entrance exams. I did not do well in intermediate college but somehow ended up securing engineering for my bachelor’s in Hyderabad.
Moving from a small town to Hyderabad, a city in southern India was a big move for me personally. Engineering college days were fun, but the quality of education really sucked. I did my own readings, sought help from friends, and from couple of good professors. My engineering days were very uneventful. But I really enjoyed the flavor of Hyderabad!
After my engineering, most of my friends flew to the US or UK for a master’s. Because of few financial commitments, I decided to take up teaching and prepare for the entrance exam to study for my Master’s in India. I spent three years as a teacher, and then finally secured admission for my master’s program. I moved to Bhubaneswar, a town in central east coast of India for two years. I did well in my masters both in academics and personal life! I also met my future wife during my master degree.
Luckily, we both secured PhD positions in Germany! I moved to Frankfurt while my future to be wife moved to Hamburg. Our experience in Germany is a big story in itself! After 7 years of intense struggle, we made through our doctoral examinations. Currently, we now live in Zürich.
Im this blog post, I shared many interesting stories throughout my journey. I plan to share more, specially our experience in academia, and our experiences in Europe. Stay tuned.
