According to data available on the website of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, a total of 9,904 students enrolled in graduate programs offered by NC State in 2015. The number of graduate students enrolled at the university was 9,140 in 2014 and 9,473 in 2013.

Because the graduate programs are intensive and my classmates are numerous, I felt that I should share my experience and provide a few suggestions to graduate students and undergraduate students who are planning to pursue graduate education at NC State.

Graduate students should choose their subjects wisely, based on their specialization and interest. Graduate programs like electrical and computer engineering and computer networking are very intensive and require a different approach than undergraduate disciplines. The computer networking program is especially internationally renowned and is perhaps one of the most intensive graduate programs in the country. The research-oriented nature of graduate programs only adds to their intensity.

This means that if a student does not choose their courses wisely, they are going to be frustrated, because no graduate-level course is superficial or can be taken lightly without affecting the overall grades adversely.

Essentially, the courses must be aligned with the trajectory that a student has planned for their career. Otherwise, the entire effort will have no practical use for the student.

Furthermore, communication with professors is absolutely essential to developing an understanding of the way the system works and gathering knowledge about the research interests of the faculty. This will help a student in many ways.

Firstly, it will enable the student to establish a rapport with the professors. Not only that, but if the student has done some research at the undergraduate level in the field of the professor, they may get a research assistantship under the professor. If the research interests of the student align with that of one of the professors, they can convert their M.S. to an M.S. with a thesis, which is a good option for prospective Ph.D. students.

For example, I wanted to take a course, but I was waitlisted because it is quite popular among graduate students taking classes in electrical and computer engineering, computer networks and computer science departments. I emailed the professor to convey my keen interest in the subject. After some persuasion, I was allowed to take the course. Our professors are experienced people who know the system very well and are ready to help us if we take initiative to communicate with them.

Graduates who want to join an industry after completing their graduation must keep an eye on the internships. We are blessed to be in the Research Triangle Park area which has offices of technical giants like IBM, Cisco, Lenovo, NetApp etc. Their presence provides a lot of opportunities for internships and jobs for STEM students like myself.  

You can apply for internships either online, by talking to professors (for research internships) or attending career fairs organized by the university. Internships are a very important part of graduate study because they provide the requisite exposure to the students.

I also advise graduate students to take part in extracurricular activities. Graduate students sign up for some of the international student organizations on campus, share their culture and do volunteer and service work for society. You can also take up writing in one of the student newspapers or join a music band depending on your interest. For instance, I love writing so I joined the student newspaper, Technician. There will be time constraints, but I don’t think it will be so unmanageable that you can’t pursue your interests.

Not only will such activities be stress-busters, they also develop the overall personality of students because the university has the resources to provide global exposure to students in all fields.

The international graduate students may also feel homesickness and cultural shock. We should not deny these in a bid to appear tough. There is absolutely no way to avoid the cultural shock; however, the feeling of homesickness can be tackled to some extent by developing relationships with individuals of the same or similar nationalities. Over 3,500 NC State students are international students, from more than a 120 different countries.

You can develop relationships with people by signing up with student organizations, such as the Bridge and the Office of International Services. For example, to better understand American culture, I have signed up for the Breaking Bread Program wherein I will get to dine with an American family to understand the culture. I also attended two programs organized by the Bridge and made lot of new friends.

It is best if homesickness and cultural shock are recognized and taken care of in the first few weeks, because once classes start in full swing, you do not have time to think of anything else.

Last but not least, enjoy your graduate experience. You only live once and the graduate life never comes back. Make new friends, go on trips and develop your skill set, but while doing all that do not forget that the ultimate purpose of any activity is acquiring happiness. So with that in mind, just go for your goals fearlessly and make the most of the time you spend in graduate school.

Go Pack!