First Day at the Department and more...

Yesterday was my first day at the department. Since we have a credit system here, we can choose courses from any department as long as we complete a stipulated number of credits. This is very cool given the range of departments here! (Yes, I can also take management courses!) However, there is a committee of faculty who advises candidates on which courses to take as per their interests. Their recommendation are just that, however, you're not obliged to go by them. Given my background, the committee advised me to drop a few courses (too elementary) and take on other courses which are basically graduate level courses. So I'm done with the course selection, registration is still remaining. I've to take a compulsory math course, which is giving me the slight jitters, but the course is useful for research work. No courses have started as yet, they'll all start next week. My proposed load (3 courses) will take about 3 days a week leaving the rest free for labs and assignments and any other work that I may have.

I also met all the senior students, who're incredibly nice and have been very warm in welcoming me. Now I've have to meet the faculty individually to talk about their research interests and mine. Let's see how that works out.

I've also finally been certified medically fit, so all the running around in the last week before my departure was not in vain. That experience with Mumbai's Municipal Hospitals is worth recounting. But that in some other blog post.

And yes, finally I've established connection to my PC back at home. Lovely.