It January 12, 4:30 pm .I was still on my flight to DC ,5 minutes away from landing. I looked out of my window to a breathtaking view and a rush of emotions passed through my brain. How will stay away from home? Is it all going to be ok? I received a warm welcome at the airport by Kenny and two students from INTO mason program and all my uncertain feelings vanished and I was feeling positive and happy.
As I settled down and navigated around my classes I was getting comfortable by the day. Having to take 13 credits in the first semester was very overwhelming but very soon I realized it is a blessing in disguise. I learned how to effectively manage my time and gain a lot knowledge that would help me excel in my graduate studies. My first semester included 6 credits (TCOM500 and TCOM535) which was a foundational course for my masters degree.I also studied EAP 508 and learn a great deal about understanding the rhetorical elements of a research paper. I was part of a group where we presented a poster and a paper proposal titled “REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE USING SMART GRID WITH AES”. In INYO 504 I understood various elements of the American education system and helped me transition to the American way of life. Multiple sessions in EAP098 helped me a great deal in improving my writing skills.
Apart from studies I had very little chance to explore the areas around Fairfax due to COVID -19. I very much enjoyed going around the magnificent campus and really liked the positive vibe of the crowd. My favorite place on campus has to the Fenwick library, it is a combination of a modern infrastructure with a vintage touch.
INTO was a great place to start my masters, it was very vibrant environment with people from different backgrounds. I made some amazing friends who are very motivating and enthusiastic. I would like to thank all my teachers for being so patient, friendly and helpful.I made it! I am only a few days away from completion of my first semester. As I look back at my journey of the last 5 months I feel a sense of accomplishment. It has been a fantastic semester at INTO and I hope to matriculate and achieve deep learning in the coming semesters.