BS (Data Science)
Everyone has felt the suffocation of being stuck in the cyclical routine of 9 to 5, how it clips one’s wings and relegates them to mindless tasks. Prachi Trivedi found herself at the edge of entering such a world and could only imagine the color that would be lost should she choose such a route. Being someone catering to many domains, fields, and interests, the chance of losing that variability was a fear factor, and the opportunities lost as a result would only exacerbate it. But all those anxieties were dispelled when she heard about the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications program from a cousin and despite her initial hesitance due to its virtual nature, she registered anyway
The prospect of having flexibility instead of a traditional college schedule could be a gateway for greater things and with that belief, she continued.
If adjusting to the new format wasn’t enough, the challenge of self-discipline was prevalent. No one would be hawking over her for progress; procrastination was a slippery slope she faced many times. However, with grit and tiring effort, she got a hang of the schedule and could embrace the allowances in the Degree. Alongside that came the fear of missing out on campus life. However, this was not a trade off for her as the houses, societies and the amazing people within them made up for it. Everyone is shy at the start, but their inclusive nature allowed her to open up and opened up gateways.
From NASA and UC Berkeley conferences to a program in BRICS Nations, these amazing ventures would not have been possible otherwise. It was here that she got involved as a manager under the Center of Innovation at campus and met people from varying fields, ending up taking part in a “Capture the Flag” (CTF) competition in the Cybersecurity Excellence Center and found her love for the subject. Thus began the journey that led her to find her true calling, possible through the BS Degree and its incorporations in Cybersecurity, leading her to embark on multiple projects, CTFs and ended up partaking and continuing in a research project at IIT Jammu.
The social sphere was unexpected to her, as studying was her primary expectation. As such, she has been a part of extracurriculars, becoming the secretary of Akord, the Music Society. This experience taught her about people, managerial roles, and meeting and talking with new people. Such paths led her to Sahityika, the Literary Society where she could lay back and let the writer in her flow and be met with genuine feedback and interest.
Paradox, for her, is paradoxical; while it is a chance for friends thousands of miles apart to meet, it is also tiring, especially being on the organizing side. But even then, the prospect of meeting them was enough to have her come year after year.
Now in her last year, she plans on having a few co-authored research papers and getting into a direct PhD in Cybersecurity, hopefully in an Ivy League University and standing so close to the finish line, her ideals ring clear. The BS Degree offers a level of freedom others cannot and should one learn the loop of self-discipline, it is both an academic and lifelong blessing.
It will lead to meeting amazing people; who’s mere presence will make us want to be better people.
It’s a chance to go out there, do internships, learn the world, competitions, hackathons and live the life that is possible, all the while becoming educated beyond a limit.
– written by Krishneal Dutta
