Student blogs

The moment when you press the “Submit” button on the online thesis page your heart does surely skip a beat. After the submission I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. Although it was a big step I never felt that it was the end of a journey, rather a new beginning. What KI has taught me is immense. It was not to be content with what I have but to use what I have learned to tackle those global challenges with a strong heart. When I graduate, I am walking out into this world wide eyed and curious.

How did KI prepare me for this world?

This masters programme has equipped me for a professional life stacking my bag with skills. Karolinska Institutet has subconsciously taught me some of the important aspects while preparing me for the real world. These are the four things which changed my life:

There are no wrong questions!

When I joined this course I was in a class filled with students from all over the world with different levels of experience. As a matter of fact, I was shy and completely unprepared for such an international sphere. Whenever there used to be something which I did not understand during a session I was little skeptical to ask the questions. But then over the days, I started getting confident and was asking those questions. The reason I got comfortable was because of the simple idea that asking questions was how we learned. You question those theories and you get to pick the brains of some of the best minds. They encourage you to ask questions thus pushing our boundaries helping us beyond our comfort zone. The first thing that is taught in the courses was that there are no wrong questions. I just unconsciously got pulled in to the frenzy of asking questions. Oh Boy! wasn’t that fun 😉

Research, research and research

My research skills at one point of my life was limited to googling random questions. In the beginning of my course I was even struggling to write a one pager assignment in two days. And now two years later, writing assignments, attending workshops, and analysing data have become a daily routine. The cherry on the cake was finishing my master thesis project successfully. Yes, there was expert guidance involved. But, I do get to brag a little. As I had to use every skill I learnt to conduct such an advanced research of great quality, the challenges were herculean. Thanks to the previous courses and the teachings, the way I look at research has changed or I would say improved. I am more confident and capable of enjoying research without it being monotonous. The key to surviving research in Sweden is coffee, people do not forget to carry a big thermos.

Staying humble

I never understood the importance of staying humble until I met some of the greatest minds here. As a digital ambassador working for the Youtube team, we had some of the best opportunities to be part of high profile events. While you might be in the presence of people who are in the forefront of changing the world and healthcare, the funny thing is they never talk about their achievements even in long conversations. This helps you realize that staying humble is something which won’t come naturally to you until you genuinely practice it. This made me realise the importance of staying true to yourself by staying grounded.

Always hopeful

This I would say is my biggest take from my educational journey at KI. No matter the time of the day and year, I have noticed the genuine manner in which everyone at KI approaches the needs of the students. I had the opportunity to experience the care with which KI handled the needs of the students while I was part of the student union. Whenever we approached the various departments of the university, they always listened and helped. This gives you utmost hope and safety net as student. You learn to be independent and capable of choices and this was the driving force for most of my learnings. I definitely think this is one of the most important values I will practice in my life, both personally and professionally. Keeping a hopeful outlook!

With the graduation around the corner, this feeling of happiness and pride of completing two beautiful years in this university is immense. I wish to cherish this memory and move forward in life with these learnings. Only if words could display my emotions. It is truly an honour to be graduating with some of the brightest and most talented minds. The experience to study in this prestigious institute and to call myself an alumni of KI is in itself the most valuable asset I could have.