" If I had to describe Algorizin, I would say "a second family." No matter what stage you are in, they were always helpful. "

I am originally from Nepal, and I moved to the US to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science due to the endless opportunity for growth here. I was always interested in technology, and computer science is booming, especially in the USA, which narrowed my choice.

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Studying in the US was awesome at first. There were culture shocks; coming to a big state like Texas seemed fascinating and unique. Other than that, my university lecturers and peers were good. I had to transition to Texas Tech University, where I did my final two years.

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Due to the pandemic, the last few semesters were a bit difficult to the massive shift to the online education system.

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How did you learn about Algorizin?

During my last semester, I started applying to jobs, which is also when I found Algorizin. Getting introduced to the community, I liked the vibe as they were adamant about helping the immigrants as a cohesive unit, like a family.

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What are the values that Algorizin has added to your life?

My journey took me about five months which made me realize that there aren’t many things you would learn from school. You get a personalized experience with mentors who care for you and always answer all your questions.

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Unlike conventional schools with 500 students per class, Algorizin has a smaller community to form a deeper connection, which helped me grow. More so than academics, Algorizin helped me grow professionally as a career.

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The most helpful were the career sessions, 1-on-1’s, practice sessions, the analogies of different things, and live sessions. I also learned a lot of life lessons, so it was personal development. “A second family.” If I had to, I would describe Algorizin as that because that’s what I felt. No matter what stage you are in, they were always helpful.

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They also focused on what your weakest points were and worked on that. They cared for every student on a 1-on-1 basis.

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What is your views on online education?

Everything is getting digitalized in the age of technology, and we need to adapt to that. I understand the importance of in-person communication, but at the same time, virtual communication can also be excellent.

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One great thing about Algorizin is even if we wouldn’t get to meet, we would still obtain to see each other’s faces our expressions. So even if we weren’t together, we would still feel each other’s vibe.

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How was your experience in the job market?

In the beginning phase of job hunting, it wasn’t easy. I applied for 10-15 jobs every day and was faced with rejections after rejections. The best part of it all was the dedication of the mentors and how they never let our motivation down.

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Everyone was very encouraging since they already knew the process and had been through it. After my first lousy interview, I slowly but surely started to get a few calls. Eventually, after a month of job hunting, I started getting a lot of calls and interviews. We used to have pitch sessions, practice sessions, and mock interviews, which helped me a lot.

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Two weeks before I got the job, I got a lot of unexpected calls from the company; learning about the company, sharing the values, getting into a growth mindset, and researching the company helped me secure this job that I got. I got my first offer, and I was super excited. I got my offer letter and start date, but it fell through due to some immigration issues. It was disheartening at first, but at the same time, I could not just give up because of that. It was just a downfall, which everyone faces. “Eventually I was able to get offers from two companies which were awesome!”

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What is your vision of the future?

Since I am interested in technology, I would like to see myself in the technology field, but I am also interested in the stock market. So I would like to learn more about finance and be in the tech field while providing to the community.

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Do you have any advice for the international students?

Being an international student is challenging due to immigration issues, language barriers, and culture shock. Algorizin, in my opinion, is a tightly knit community, not only for immigrants but for everyone. Being in a community as such would help these individuals.

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If they want to feel the love and part of this tight community, I would ask them to join Algorizin!