Back when I was a freshman in Engineering in Chulalongkorn University, I had a Java class with Prof. Atiwong Suchato. I had fallen in love with programming. The passion was so strong that I had decided to do everything I can to study further in programming. At that time I thought about pursuing PhD in computer science to become professor and hopefully inspire future students like I was once inspired. I started doing research on studying graduate degree abroad. I had considered many countries but I decided to go to USA. The main reason was its fame for great education.
I, however, couldn’t use English well at the time. I had been studying in Thai public schools for all my life and English classes in my schools did not provide me enough skills to be able to communicate in English even in daily life, not to mention studying in USA. This dream seemed impossible before it even started. But I would rather die trying than doing nothing at all. I was very fortunate to have supportive parents who immediately agree to do whatever I ask in order to chase this dream. I asked them to enroll in TOEFL class in summer in my sophomore year. I studied hard and did every exercises and exams in the textbooks in order to get high enough score to apply prestige universities in USA. I had successfully jumped over my first obstacle by getting TOEFL score of 103 from 120.
Taking TOEFL experience taught me that everything is possible. Next requirement for applying graduate schools in USA is GRE. GRE examination at that time comprised of math and vocabulary examination. I have always been good at math, so math exam was very easy for me. The hardest part was vocabulary exam and it contains of over thousand uncommon words in English that the test could ask. I decided to take another GRE class in order to get better at vocabulary exam in summer in my junior year. However, the key part was still to practice, practice, and practice. I made a pack of word flashcards and carry with me everywhere to try to remember every word when I happen to have free time. Every night before I went to sleep, my mother would come to my room and picked 20 random cards that I had studied and asked me to translate them. I did this for entire summer and the result was worth every second of it. I once again got high enough score to apply for graduate schools.
Although passing TOEFL and GRE was important, GPA and activities were as important. I had done my best to get high GPA in my college. After 4 years of hard work, I had everything ready to apply for graduate schools in USA. I did not know how to apply schools outside country at all, so my parents brought me to P’Purit. P’Purit was not only knowledgeable on applying schools, he was also my emotional supporter. As everyone may have guessed, what I had done to prepare myself in this journey was very stressful. I cried multiple times. I got frustrated and angry at myself when studying more than I could count. But no matter how bad I was, Dr. Purit from Torch Education always calmed me down and said that everything would turn out alright. He gave me advises on how to pick which universities to apply for. Finally, I got an offer from Columbia University.
Columbia University is in Manhattan, New York. One good thing about being in New York is that it is very similar to Bangkok. But no matter how similar it is, it is still very far from home. In the first week of arriving in USA alone, I had culture shock and almost couldn’t stay there. My advice to anyone who never leaves home before would be to arrive a little before school starts so you can adjust yourself. Also, always participate in events in schools to have friends. After having friends, culture shock will be gone. As Columbia University is an ivy-league school, professor expects more from students than I had ever imagined. 1 year and a half past by quickly because I had to work hard all the time only to pass courses. However, in this stressful environment, there was good thing that came out of it. That is, all my friends in Columbia University were very diligent, and this was the beginning of how I got a job at Microsoft.
When I started my master degree in Columbia University, I had a dream of pursuing PhD and going back home to be a professor. However, I quickly realized that I do not like researching as much as I thought I would. This was when I started looking at industrial job. It was my luck that my friends were very diligent and they had shared information on timeline I should apply for job in USA. At first, I wouldn’t even dare applying for big companies like Microsoft or Google, but as my mother always say that we will never know unless we try. I applied every company, big or small. Time past by and there was not a single offer from any company. One day, I cried to my mother saying that I would never get a job in USA in which she said “Well, that’s alright so then you come home to me.”It is irony that when I was looking forward to go home was when I got interview from Microsoft.
When I got a call that Microsoft wanted to fly me to interview with them in Washington, I already had been rejected by many much smaller companies and getting an offer from big company like Microsoft just seemed impossible. Thus, I went to interview without stress and didn’t expect anything out of it. That turned out to be a good move because I finished interview with flying color and they immediately offered me a job. Immediately that evening, I called my family to tell them I had landed a job of my dream; a programmer at one of the biggest tech companies in the world.
I moved to Washington and currently have been working for Microsoft for over 2 years. Work is always challenging as there are many genius people around and I need to run to catch up with them, but it is always fun and I always look forward to work. Looking back at when I first attended Java class in my freshman year and got really excited about how Java code could print out anything I commanded, I at that point of time wouldn’t have guessed where I would be in just the next 5 years. Although I did not become a professor to inspire students as I was hoping in the beginning, I wish my journey to USA will inspire people to follow their dreams. And never give up.
Columbia University in Manhattan, New York
สนใจเรียนใน NY แนะนำ NYIT
สถาบัน: English Language Institute, New York Institute of Technology
หลักสูตร: basic English classes และ English for academic purposes
เป็นหลักสูตรของมหาวิทยาลัย ที่ออกแบบเพื่อให้กับนักเรียนที่จะเข้าเรียนต่อระดับปริญญาและสายอาชีพในการ ทำงาน ซึ่งตัวหลักสูตรเองจะมี ให้เลือกตั้งแต่
- Basic English classes for beginning learners, as well as classes for beginner to intermediate.
- English for academic purposes สำหรับ advanced learners ที่มุ่งสอนเกี่ยวกับ reading, writing, listening comprehension, speaking, and American culture.
เพิ่มเติม http://www.torcheducation.com/?p=2707
สนใจกรุณาแจ้งข้อมูลเพื่อติดต่อกลับและเพิ่มเติม
Intensive english program in TOP U.S. University 2015
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