Beyond High School - March Edition [Final]

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“Where you live for the next four years is an extremely

important, oftentimes, an underrated choice!”

One of the best and the busiest times in my life was

when I was applying for undergraduate programmes. I

was clear I wanted to apply within India exclusively, for a

multitude of reasons; but I was also clear that I did not

want to restrict myself to one discipline that early on in

my life. For instance, I had a fair idea that I wanted to

study Political Science, but didn’t realise that I also loved

International Relations till I arrived at Ashoka. There are

things that everyone thinks you should figure out —

which between you and me, aren’t that important — and

something you should definitely know beforehand.

I won’t go into what other people find important (I’m sure you already know!) but one

question that you should definitely ask yourself is about what environment can make you

feel excited and intellectually stimulated.

It’s convenient to get swayed by your peers applying for specific, fancy sounding

programmes to highfalutin colleges but you must sit and research each of your options.

For instance, I only applied to four universities in India including Ashoka; but researched

three or four things which were the most important to me: the faculty, the environment on

campus, the extracurriculars and the placements. In fact, the excellence of the faculty was

my primary motivator for choosing Ashoka. Further, because I was based out of India,

visiting campuses during my break was easier. Where you live for the next four years is an

extremely important, oftentimes, an underrated choice! I even discarded one of my

applications because I felt like the campus wasn’t for me.

Lastly, make sure you pursue a program that you know you will benefit from; especially

something that caters to your interests and feels closest to you. Everyone has different

needs, behaviours and expectations — your choices are completely your own. Don’t feel

compelled to do something everyone is doing: if it’s not for you, don’t do it. And not

everyone has a dream college! I only realised Ashoka was the perfect choice for me when I

actually started attending university. Finally; if I could go back in time, I’d definitely try to be

less harsh on myself. Yes, boards and admissions are important — trust me, I get it — but

don’t overwork yourself.

FROM AN ASHOKAN

Beyond High School | Page 6

Ritikaa Kaila

4th Year, Political Science,

Ashoka University

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