06 | Settling in at a Liberal Arts Campus - with Tanushree Pendharkar

Tanushree Pendharkar | Incoming Junior at Emory University

Tanushree graduated from high school in Gurgaon in 2018 and then went to Oxford College, Emory University, an hour from Atlanta. The two-year, small residential campus fostered in her a love of human connection and learning. Having chosen to do a double major in Economics and Psychology, she will be continuing her studies this fall (2020), at the larger Emory University campus in Atlanta.

Arjun and Tanushree discuss her early days at such a small campus, how her academic journey and the guidance of incredible professors led her to choose her major, and what she thinks of the future of online education during these times.

Episode Takeaways

Settling in and Finding Community at Oxford College

She actually had a pretty strange entry into college life. She had been very excited and felt prepared to explore a new environment, but the week before she was to leave for college, her mom was admitted into the hospital (she’s fine now!). Her older sister ended up dropping her to college and couldn’t stay long. The whole situation put her in a bad headspace and despite having spoken to so many people and having listed so many things she wanted to do, she suddenly found the 1,000 people campus claustrophobic. However, it was that very community that reached out to her in whatever way they could even if they couldn’t relate to her situation. The intimacy of the campus, combined with how approachable and supportive the faculty and deans were - she’s on texting terms with many of them! - made her see that people are not that different no matter where you are, and that helped her settle in and move forward.

Finding Her Major

She had applied undecided, but even then, she had been fond of Economics and Psychology, both subjects she’d studied in school. In college, she surprisingly started enjoying Math a lot because of the way they taught it there - focusing more on the critical aspect of Math rather than just sums made her temporarily consider concentrating in Math. But it was really the professors that drew her back to Econ and Psych. This past semester, she took a course - Drugs and Behaviour - with an eccentric professor who peppered the class with anecdotes and firsthand experiences rather than strictly sticking to the syllabus. She learnt a lot in that class and realised that what she was attached to was the human aspect compared to the analytical/academic aspect of Math. She understood that everything she was interested in had to do with how humans think, behave, react etc. and so she decided to double major in Econ and Psych.

Her Internship

Of course, having just finished her second year, she is still studying vs. actively applying her learnings to the world around her. However, she’s found an internship with a virtual executive coaching firm where they help their clients grow as leaders. She has understood that no matter how you’re interacting, whether it’s online or in person, the basic need for human connection will always be there. This is what makes what she’s studying relevant, because she’s able to foster those connections. Her mentor at the internship is very supportive and encourages her to be involved in projects, so Tanushree actually feels like she’s gaining industry insight rather than being bogged down with busy work. Through her internship she’s learnt that every leader is different, you don’t have to be powerful or have a strong following to be a good leader, you just need to focus on your strengths and develop the skills you have.

Her 3 Strengths

Good at communication, positive, active (loves learning, improving)

Biggest Lesson From a Failure or a Mistake

Her closed attitude going into college, though driven by circumstance, really pulled her back from being as engaged as she wish she had been. She wishes she could go back and take more advantage of the things that were available to her at Oxford. However, now no matter what situation she’s thrown into, even if it’s unfamiliar, she’ll be able to adapt.

Advice for High School Students Applying or Going to College

Be excited! Be excited for the future and all the new people and freedom and experiences you will gain. She feels like there were so many things that she missed out on because she wasn’t excited, so be excited. Talk to as many people as you can, those older than you, learn about how they’re reacting to this. Nobody is sure, but when she’s faced with uncertainty, talking to others gives her perspective. To those applying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Apply to more than one country, places like New Zealand and Australia responded really well to the crisis and might be worth considering, because you want your first year to be in person and not virtual.

The Future of Online Education

She doesn’t think everything will go online, eventually we will start having smaller meetings, restrictions are already loosening. While there might be virtual lectures for large classes, you might have 1-1 meetings with professors or small group meetings to foster discussion and maintain that in-person connection. 

Her Experience with the Application Process and Edbrand

She remembers strongly focusing on rankings and grades, which clouded her decision making. Looking back, her initial college list included colleges that were definitely not the best fit for her. She wishes she had done more introspection then. She enjoyed her time with Edbrand, she even interned with Edbrand last summer. Since everyone on the team is just around 5 years older than her, it felt very natural and she made friends.