Interview: Priya — Master’s in CS at UMass Amherst
Q1) StudioAbroad: Leaving India for a master’s degree, was it worth it?
Priya: If you are someone who wants to learn, if you are interested in research, then definitely it’s a good choice. But if you’re looking for jobs right now, the market is quite tough. If you are really focused on jobs and not on the subject, then it’s different. For example, in computer science—I came from a mechanical background in my bachelor’s, then shifted to computer science. I didn’t have that CS base before, so for me the shift was worth it because I was learning something new.
I also got very good research opportunities at UMass, which was great in terms of learning. But right now I’m searching for a job. People are getting jobs—not saying it’s unreachable but it’s harder than before COVID. So yeah, it was worth it from the learning perspective, and once I get a job I can say more about how it works in that environment. According to me right now, it’s good, especially since AI is booming—it’s going to change the job scenario.
Q2) StudioAbroad: After moving abroad, was there one skill you wish you had learned earlier that’s hindering your growth now?
Priya: Not really. It’s more about being independent here—you learn that once you come. Subject-wise, I don’t think it’s a problem. But compared to what I studied before, in India there weren’t many experimental or practical studies. Here you do a lot of experiments, assignments on your own, which is tough at the start, but you manage with time.
Q3) StudioAbroad: AI has been booming the past 3–4 years. Where do you see yourself in this wave?
Priya: I think you have to keep constantly learning. You are never “enough.” Every semester there’s some new trend—recently it was LLMs, now it’s RAG agents—it keeps changing. You have to talk with people, keep learning, and keep updating yourself. I see myself in this field, adapting and learning constantly. Maybe four years down the lane, I imagine myself in a good position in AI/ML. I want to keep my career in this domain, so I’ll keep updating myself and networking, which is very important. Adapting with learning—that’s the key.
Q4) StudioAbroad: Now that you’re studying abroad, how much of an edge does it give you compared to someone studying the same subjects in India?
Priya: What I really like here is the way they teach. The edge is practical implementation. Even in India, if you focus on building from basics, you’re on par. But in India, we mostly solve assignments, not build projects. Here, projects are core to the course. You practice everything you’ve learned. That’s the biggest difference—hands-on application.
StudioAbroad: Yeah, obviously. Here in India during bachelors, projects only come in the last year. Before that it’s all theory papers and assignments, no skill building.
Priya: Exactly. It’s more on learning the subject rather than applying it. I had a similar experience.
Q5) StudioAbroad: If someone in India is dreaming of a CS master’s in the US, what’s your one line of advice?
Priya: Do your research properly. Research the job market, research the university—what benefits you get, like TA/RA opportunities. Some universities have them, some don’t. Network—reach out to people studying there, ask about their experience. Don’t just talk to one person, talk to many, from different backgrounds. The US is all about networking, and that’s how opportunities come.
Q6) StudioAbroad: We met a student from Michigan who got an internship at a conference. Have you been to conferences?
Priya: No, basically I was in Amherst. That area wasn’t very welcoming towards conferences, so I had to restrict myself. But in areas like California and Seattle, there are a lot of conferences. Place matters. UMass Amherst has career fairs, but they’re average. Few companies sponsor visas, so the opportunities are limited.
StudioAbroad: Okay, so more of a regional thing.
Priya: Yes.
Q7) StudioAbroad: How long has it been since you moved abroad to study?
Priya: I came in August 2023. It’s been two years now.
Q8) StudioAbroad: Before moving, we have an image from Netflix about how college life looks there. How much of that is true? Any myth you want to break?
Priya: Basically, people here give a lot of importance to sports. I’ve been in master’s, so not many around me are in sports, but whoever is, they are treated like celebrities. I’ve seen people take autographs from basketball players. So yes, that part is true.
Q9) StudioAbroad: What’s harder for you—coding in Python or cooking your own food?
Priya: Living here, you get used to it. First semester cooking was very difficult. Coding was easy. But later cooking became manageable. So now both feel similar.
Q10) StudioAbroad: What does a day in your life as a UMass CS student look like?
Priya: Mostly studying the whole day. Some days I had part-time work, then classes, then library. I used to cook once every two days and eat leftovers. UMass library is really good, so I studied there. At my part-time job, I returned home late.
Assignments take a lot of time, especially in 600-level ML courses (PhD-level). In my first semester, I took two 600-level courses—it was a lot. No time for part-time or cooking properly. Later I got used to it, balancing cooking and studying.
StudioAbroad: Yeah, struggles of a CS student.
Q11) StudioAbroad: After studies and job opportunities, what’s your dream—OpenAI, Google, or your own startup?
Priya: If I have to start a startup, I first need experience in one. Right now I’d like to work at Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft—dream companies for me. I want to work as a machine learning or AI engineer.
Q12) StudioAbroad: Do you have hackathons there?
Priya: Yes, UMass has hackathons, usually one every semester. They’re weekend-long, like two days. But I never participated myself, so I don’t know the full inside experience.
Q13) StudioAbroad: Tell me something about party life or extracurriculars—you can’t study 24/7.
Priya: Sometimes we played badminton, sometimes gym, or went for walks—Amherst is very beautiful. I had good friends—we used projectors to watch movies together, celebrated festivals with pujas and potlucks. That’s how we balanced studies and leisure.
Q14) StudioAbroad: Do you have a mixed circle of friends or mostly Indians?
Priya: Mostly Indians. At UMass CS master’s, around 80% are from India. Many of my friends are people I knew from before, or mutuals. It’s common to keep seeing the same people. So yeah, mostly Indian circles. Other universities are more diverse, but UMass is like this.
Q15) StudioAbroad: I’ve heard of exchange semesters—do you guys have that?
Priya: I didn’t use it. Not sure if UMass has an exchange, but I’ve seen transfers. I haven’t seen UMass students go out, though, so I’m not sure.
Q16) StudioAbroad: That was all my questions. Thank you for your valuable time. What’s the time there now?
Priya: It’s 1:24 p.m. I’m in California right now. I came here for job searching since California is the IT hub. Companies prefer locals for interviews so they don’t have to pay relocation bonus, so being here helps.