Alumni Perspective: Rugvedi Kapse Shares Her Northeastern Experience

Rugvedi Kapse, a graduate student in Northeastern’s Master of Science in Telecommunication Networks program, shares with us her graduate school experience and why she chose Northeastern University.

Choosing a University

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication engineering from DJ Sanghavi College of Engineering in Mumbai, Rugvedi chose to pursue an advanced degree in telecommunication system management. Since she had already identified her passion for the subject during her undergraduate studies, she says it wasn’t difficult to choose which degree would best help her achieve her goals. 

What was critical for Rugvedi to compare, however, were the core courses and programming offered by each school to ensure she would gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the growing field. 

“I think Northeastern is one of the few colleges that’s training people [to work] with cloud technologies. The program is on par with [the] industry. So that was a major factor when choosing the university.”

Rugvedi also highlights Northeastern’s diversified co-op program as a principal differentiator between NU and other schools, citing that her co-op experience prepared and polished her for the corporate world. 

“[College] courses include real experience, but there are just certain skills that you cannot learn in a class. The co-op program [offers the opportunity to gain those skills.]”

The Northeastern Difference: Co-op and Experiential Learning 

Rugvedi believes that the combination of classroom and co-op experience will help her advance professionally in her chosen field. The core courses helped her gain industry knowledge, and her co-op helped her polish her skills in the field.

“I’d been taking classes that involved cloud network [and] security. The company which I had my co-op with was migrating from their on-premise network to cloud. So, I basically got to implement what I was actually learning in class. It was the best thing that could happen,” she says. 

Along with giving her the opportunity to use the newest technologies used by major companies, she says her co-op helped her develop confidence, improve her interpersonal skills, and clarify her short-term and long-term career goals. 

Transitioning from India to Boston

Rugvedi says that when she initially moved to the U.S., there were very obvious cultural differences, and getting used to the American accent was a task for her. At first, she lacked confidence. Once she began attending her classes, however,  she noticed a significant improvement. 

“It’s pretty nice now. It’s not two different worlds [anymore.] I have a lot of Indian students in my class. So I had people to fall back on; I had people to advise me. My co-op advisor and my academic advisor played important roles in that transition as well because they were helpful. I could go and speak with them whenever I wanted. It’s not that nobody was available to me. Everybody was approachable.”

She notes that participating in co-op helped her get through her initial transition phase at Northeastern. “My advisors were highly influential and acted as mentors to me during her time at the university.”

Her co-op advisor, in particular, helped her hone her presentation skills, craft an impactful resume, and prepare for interviews. Additionally, her advisor held mock interview sessions for students that were instrumental in securing work with top organizations. 

Overall Experience at Northeastern

When asked, “Would you recommend Northeastern University to others?” Rugvedi is very quick to answer: 

“Yes, definitely. Two things—the first one is the co-op program and the second one would be my courses.”  

She says the uniqueness of her courses, the academic rigor, and industry-aligned faculty make Northeastern different from other colleges. 

“Let me give you an example,” she says. “Currently, I’m taking a course that is being taught by industry professionals. He is basically teaching us what he is working within his office right now. It’s like a real learning experience. So I know Northeastern stands for experiential learning and preparing a student, and I can assure that it stands for that.”

Quick-Fire Questions with Rugvedi

Q.In one word, describe your Northeastern Experience.

A. Amazing.

Q. How would you characterize Boston?

A. I like Boston. It’s nice. 

Q.What is your favorite memory of Northeastern?

A. Long nights in the library

Q. What is “home” to you?

A. Mom

To learn more about the Northeastern experience, please visit the Office of Global Services site or explore more about applying as an international student.

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This article was written by Disha Mazumder, Radhika Boruah, and Ben Mallett.