Avneesh Newar (Brandeis ´16) talks about his freshman year at Trinity and his transfer to Brandeis

Tell me a bit about when you started thinking about going abroad, in high school ?

I was clear on a liberal arts education. My priority was studying for the SATs. That was my priority.  Later, you helped me with the colleges and essays. The essays made it a lot more clear for me.

How did you learn about the US system through this application process?

The US system, I learnt mostly through the SATs. You have multiple choice exams. It's kind of like the preparation of how the education is going to be like in America. It's very different from the 'mugging up' type of learning in India.

How did you learn about yourself through this application system?

I got to know more about myself in America. Staying away from family helped me get to know my true personality. I got to know more about my likes and dislikes. That's why I made the choice to go to Brandeis. I fit in perfectly. Studying abroad has definitely helped me a lot.

Tell me about a defining moment about college?

In college, you have to do all your work on your own. You don't have tuitions there, like you have in India.
You have professors there. You can meet them whenever you want. I met them very often. Three or four times a week. It was a fresh change from my normal preparation procedure.

What was the Freshman writing seminar?

My topic was, "Do you think college is worth it?"
I gave the example of my great grandfather, who didn't go to college but still became a successful businessman. Steve Jobs was another example. In America you have to research on topics and have to write detailed papers. My instructor was very very helpful. I met her many times and she helped me a lot.

How big was the class?

Very small. 15 people in a class. We had a lot of reading and writing. We had a course syllabus with dates.

Did you get notes?

We used to make draft before final essays. We submitted the drafts and she corrected them and we improved on them. It was very organized and I liked it very much. It was a lot of work but it was great.

What are good things about Trinity University (even though you're taking a transfer)?

Trinity had very friendly and motivating professors. The professors have been the best part of my experience at Trinity.

What's great about Brandeis?

Brandeis is very close to Boston. It's great to have a big city nearby. The classes are small and you can talk to professors. It has a very good business school so that is why I applied there. There are many Indians there. They had great food though I had a tough time earlier because everything there was non-vegetarian.

What are your sophomore courses?

I register in July. I will obviously choose business. I will pursue my passion for music. Like last year, I pursued theater too, as it is one of my passions.

What do you advise school students applying abroad?

Be ready for hard work. Be ready for exams. You have to be in line with your work. Don't expect too many parties. Never forget your culture and your identity. Keep in touch with family and friends. You realize how much your culture means to you when you get there.
The US is great, but be yourself.

What do you think you will discover about yourself later?

I'm trying to take up different form of subjects to see what I find most interesting. In the next three years I will be clear on what I want in life and that excites me.