Not literally though, considering the fact that I don’t own a pair of clogs; they aren’t very practical anyway. But figuratively speaking, my time in the Netherlands has come to an end. I graduated last week from the MSc program in Electrical Engineering. I received my degree approximately 2 years and 4 days after reaching Delft, but a lot has happened in between.
As I see the curious new faces in campus I am reminded of my first week in Delft. I was equally curious to explore the new town I had ventured into, and equally amazed by the differences I observed here. I met people from everywhere during the Introduction Programme and Master Kick-off and together we learned about the Dutch culture.

Relaxing in the centre
I furnished my room and built my own furniture, thanks to Ikea. Eventually it became a hub for tea sessions, parties and assignments. I remember the long nights we spent together on assignments and some infamous projects which seemed almost impossible. It always worked out eventually though. That is the good thing about TU Delft – you (almost) always have another chance. It is tough, but that’s only to ensure that you actually learn what you earn your credits for.

I made a table!
I rediscovered my love for biking along with a couple of friends. We rode almost everywhere we could find a route to, around Delft. It was a great way to explore the quiet country-side and relax on the weekend. We had planned to cover the entire Netherlands and cross the border but that was a bit too far-fetched. Maybe some time in the future, if the wind is on our backs and the weather permits us, we could still try.
Nevertheless, we travelled to several countries across the EU and had a great time together. We found our own culture and food here among the people who emigrated from South East Asia. We tried on our own to recreate the sumptuous food that we all craved by learning to cook and teaching each other. It was always a joy to educate people about our own complex cultures and the concept of Indian states. We don’t all speak Hindi and we don’t all understand each other, but somehow we have amazingly survived and thrived as a country!

‘puri’s in the making
I joined the Master Promotion team to share my experience as an MSc student in TU Delft. I wrote blog posts like this and hosted information stalls at promotion events. It was fun working with the Promotion team along with other students like myself.

Freshly printed wafer
I joined the Bioelectronics group to do my thesis project. I was very lucky to get one of the best supervisors one could ask for – Prof. Wouter Serdijn. He gave me the freedom and motivation to explore an entirely new idea on my own. I was never given a set of instructions, nor was I asked to stick to a set of requirements. This style of supervision suited me very much as I felt very much in control of my project. It was at times frustrating as the ideas didn’t seem to pan out, but in the end I came up with an optimum solution which could satisfy all the requirements. It was a real light-bulb moment for me and I was elated for having created something on my own. This way I learned about doing research as well – it doesn’t always work out, but it’s always worth trying. I had a good time with the group as well. We enjoyed the BELCA festival, the sailing day and numerous movie nights together. I will miss this group very much!
What next? I am bidding farewell to the Netherlands, for now. We had submitted a paper based on our work to BioCAS, a conference specialising in bioelectronics, and it was accepted. So we would be going to Japan to present the paper. Then I would be joining a PhD position at KU Leuven and imec in Belgium. I would be returning, but to a neighbouring country.
I called Delft my home for two years, and many more students like me will do so for the years to come. Many of my batchmates have graduated already, and some are on the verge of graduation. I wish everyone all the very best for their future. Adieu!