Mystory@Sarbani Das: How my college education impacted my career

I graduated from Case Western Reserve University (USA) with a BA in Biology and English Literature in 2000. My college education has had a direct impact on my career and my personal development.
A variety of key factors that I’ve learnt in college has helped me do well in life.

The first key thing I learnt in college was how to relate to people from different backgrounds, countries, religions and languages as my university had students from all over the world. This came as a pleasant shock to me as although I’m an Indian born in the US, I had limited exposure to other cultures. Now that I live in India, I can appreciate the great diversity of our country. Exposure to an array of people has taught me that we are more same than we are different.

The second key thing I learned was how to balance home, work, education and a social life. I didn’t stay in a hostel because our house was only a 40-minute drive to the university. I also worked on and off campus all four years to gain work experience and earn money. Incorporating responsibilities from my home, job, education and social life prepared me for the world after graduation; this was the real world.

Balancing these four areas of my life taught me the next key thing: The importance of creating a network of people that included my family, friends, classmates, peers, graduate students, professors, co-workers and supervisors. Finding a job after college definitely means searching the Internet but it also means talking to the people you’re already in contact with because there might be a job available in your network that is perfect for you. Qualifying for a job is important, but so is having people skills, the basic foundation of networking.

The fourth thing I learned was how to research a topic. I’m curious about everything and when I come to something I don’t know I start searching books and the Internet for the answer to my questions/problems. Learning to ask questions, knowing where to find the answers and then articulating them into a vocal or written form has helped guide my career because as the saying goes, the more you know the better. I first started out as a research assistant in a pathology lab. Then I moved to India to take over the family business. Now I’ve made room for the greatest passion of my life: writing stories!

No element was missing from my college education. I’ve learned to always be ready for change, to never fear change and how change can sometimes mean finding a new job (when you realize you’ve outgrown the job you previously thought you were meant to do for the rest of your life). But even with a full schedule in college, I kept my interests and hobbies, which combined with my education has made me a well-rounded individual thus making me a happier and more productive person!

About the Author:

Sarbani Das is a native of Cleveland, Ohio (USA). She possesses a BA in Biology and English Literature from Case Western Reserve University (USA). After her graduation she worked as a Research Assistant and published articles in various medical journals including the Journal of Microbial Methods, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Journal of Infectious Diseases, and Letters in Applied Microbiology.

Writing is her passion and her works are published with content websites such as Chillibreeze Solutions Pvt. Ltd and Readomania.com.

Sarbani has now moved back to India and manages her late grandfather’s bicycle business. She also enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, dancing and meeting new people.