#GraduateStories: Kindness and Hard Work – the Secret Sauce to Success

As I sit and reflect on my time at Ashoka, I am flooded with endless memories. I began my journey with a two-week Math Camp, which set the tone for the rigour ahead. I was impressed by the teaching methods and the dedication of the professors here. The continuous assessment structure, quizzes, assignments, presentations, projects, term papers, and exams kept us on our toes and pushed me to grow both intellectually and personally.

Ashoka’s interdisciplinary model broadened the way I think. In my first semester, I developed an interest in finance, and the flexibility of the curriculum allowed me to explore it further through dedicated finance courses alongside my core economics classes. I also took Computer Science and Math courses in subjects like machine learning and stochastic processes, which gave me practical tools to implement economic and financial models.

Several courses left a mark on me, but ‘Transformation of Agricultural Economics’ by Professor Bharat Ramaswami stood out the most. The discussions were deeply engaging, showing how economic theory can be applied to real-world agricultural challenges. Working with research papers and presenting a project in line with academic research gave me a clear sense of how evidence-based work can create a meaningful impact. Alongside this, courses in finance, economics, computer science, and mathematics also helped shape my analytical thinking and broaden my problem-solving capacities.

If I were to relive one moment, I would say it would be the time when I entered the campus for the very first time. It was like a refreshing moment for me, setting foot on the campus for the very first time and feeling its ambience. It is etched in my memory.

For the batches to come and the people over here at Ashoka, all I would say is be good and kind to everyone and work hard, for no one else would work harder for you than you yourself. 

– Written by Keshav Kumar, MA Economics 2025 Batch