With the start of this program, I'm officially a part of TUM family, however, there was a time when I thought that my aspiration of studying at TUM will remain a dream.
The Dreadful Admission Interview
After applying to almost 10 German Universities and getting accepted in 4-5 of them, my confidence was sky-high. When I received the invitation for TUM's admission interview, I was quite assertive. I started planning for the interview and brushed up on a few topics, destiny had different plans for me.
The day of the interview came and it started at 1:30 PM and I was really optimistic about it. Everything was going well and smooth but 13 minutes into the interview and suddenly my laptop crashed and went into recovery mode (I updated the OS last night... please don't do it before a big day). Everything went downhill after that...For the first few minutes I was blank...I was in complete shock. Then, I quickly ran towards my phone... installed skype (yeah... another rookie mistake...i should have kept it ready), joined the call again and the interview started once again. I told the interviewers about the mishap...they were very cooperative, but my optimism took a hit and my legs were shaking now. They continued the session and I knew the answers, but I wasn't able to maintain cohesion in my answers and made a few mistakes.
After the interview, my confidence shattered and I thought, I won't be able to get a place in the study program. However, a part of me still believed.
Admission Granted!!
After the dreadful interview and nearly a month of sleepless nights... finally I received the admit. I was having my dinner when I heard a chime on my phone. I thought it was a WhatsApp message from one of my friends. I unlocked my phone and there it was...my eyes brightened and I jumped in excitement. I ran towards my father and mother. All of us were overly excited and happy.
But, when the dust settled, I realised, this is where the hardships begin. Getting the admit is just the stepping stone.
Rush for Visa Slots
After getting the admit, the rush for getting a visa appointment began. My city lies in the Kolkata Consulate's jurisdiction and in August they were not giving any slots to Master's Student. It was very stressful time for all of the aspirants belonging to the Kolkata Consulate's jurisdiction. But things changed in September and they started releasing slots for us. Luckily, I got 30 September 9 AM slot. I'm still waiting for my visa approval and if everything goes as planned I'll be flying to Munich after Diwali.
COVID-19 and other complications
Things are still complicated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in-person classes seems far fetched for this semester. Online classes and zoom lectures are the only options for now.
The number of cases has increased in Germany in recent times and as the winter progresses, it is plausible to avoid in-person classes.
I'll be posting more stories and experiences related to applying for German Universities. Once in Munich, I'll be posting about Life of an Indian Student in Germany, Life at TUM, European and German Culture.
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