Sanskar G
University of California, Irvine
B.S. in Computer Science
What has been the biggest overall lesson that going to college has taught you?
There are many ups and downs in life, but you always have to keep moving forward.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that I get distracted very easily. When I was hanging out with friends, I would sometimes forget that I had assignments due because I was having fun.
Rate your experience
at college:
2020 & 2021 were extremely challenging under the confinement and constant menace of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully there were some silver lining and lessons learned.
Tell us about the highlights or accomplishments of this academic year 2020/21, in spite of all!
I feel like I was not very efficient during the pandemic. I however was able to hang out a lot with family, and travel during it. I was also able to do well in my classes no matter how tough and difficult the transition was. I am just happy that I was able to graduate.
Thinking of the whole 4 years, what were the greatest challenges you faced? How did you overcome them?
I would say the greatest challenge was to focus on school during the pandemic. Online classes weren't it for me. I hated watching videos and got very distracted while watching them. There was no interaction with other people, nor going outside. This made it very hard for me to adjust. However, I wanted to change that. So, I started going biking every other day so I could get some fresh air. I also started working out in my room just so I could feel active. I also started talking to friends online and also made new friends through Discord. This helped me a lot to overcome the challenges I faced.
What were your proudest accomplishments or highlights from attending college?
Some of my highlights include attending the school concerts with my friends, having thanksgiving dinner with my roommates, making an IOS app with my friends, learning multiple programming languages, exploring Irvine on my bike.
If you could go back in time 4 years ago, what would you tell your 18 year old self? If you could do-over, what would you do differently?
I would tell myself not to waste too much time. I would tell myself to participate in lots of clubs and activities. I would also start networking with people from different clubs and groups. These were the things I regret not doing.
What advice would you give to an incoming freshman?
I would suggest them to not waste too much time as I realized that time is very important. I would also suggest to start looking for job/internships in their fields very early (summer after freshman year) as it will help them a lot in the future.
Now that you have graduated, have you formulated any new short term / long term goals?
My short term goal would be getting a good job and start to make some money. My long term goal is to buy a house for my parents as they have done a lot for me and this would be a great way to thank them.
How did being a Bella Scholar contribute to the success of achieving your goals?
As a Bella Scholar, I was able to fully pay my tuition without having to take out any loans. My parents would not have been able to pay for my tuition as they do not make much. Therefore, the scholarship helped me pay for my tuition without having to worry about taking any loans. Due to this, I was able to focus a lot on my education rather than having to worry about my financial situation.