I started graduate school here at Pratt Institute in the month of August in 2002. While still in India, it was a hard decision to choose the country and the place that would offer the best opportunities. New York and its global culture appealed to me more than any city or place. I come from Mumbai, which in its small way has harnessed cultural diversity, and so I short listed schools in major cities of America.

Pratt Institute became an easy decision. I applied to many other schools, but Pratt's beautiful campus in Brooklyn and its reputable graduate programs allowed me to pursue my interests in the diverse fields of design.

It has been two years since I have lived around Pratt in Brooklyn. When I came from India, never having visited America before, New York made me instantly feel at home. All of us Indians felt confused. It's so much like Bombay and yet it's not. Of course, it's bigger culturally with its thriving art world and its multinational cuisine, its architecture, and its independent films. The first week of orientation was great fun discovering the campus, meeting people from all kinds of places and nationalities, and enjoying the cuisine of 20 different countries. I believe that for anyone inclined toward the arts, Pratt is a great place in which to grow.

Initially coming from a sheltered culture in India, where most students don't have to earn their living while pursuing their education, I did find it hard to balance school and 20 hours of graduate assistantship in the admissions office. But soon I became used to the hard work, balanced by countless activities that I could find around at Pratt and in New York.

I'm a student of Graduate Communication Design, and I travel to Manhattan for my classes. Most of my professors are also professionals, and I have learned a great deal about the outside world. Most of my friends also have been in New York for a few years and have been pursuing their jobs while at school. The Communication Design department offers a flexible program, and it gives you what you need. I have had ample time to mature coming straight from my undergraduate experience.

I believe the program brings together the best of two worlds. On one hand you have the time and opportunity for academic speculation, and on the other hand it trains you for the practical and professional world beyond.

I should mention that these two years have been great fun with a lot of hard work. I'm going to graduate soon, and I'm looking forward to the future, which could be here in New York or back in Bombay or possibly elsewhere. I feel equipped to step out into the real world.