u/specialist_5748

I genuinely like the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Management program. Academically, I've learned a lot and I don't regret choosing it.

But one thing I wasn't prepared for was the isolation.

I tried applying for internships but couldn't land one. I go to the gym, swim, and stay active, yet I still struggle to build meaningful connections. In a regular college, you naturally make friends, work on projects together, and build a network. In an online degree, that part feels missing.

Anyone else in the IITM BS program (or any online degree) feels the same? How did you deal with the isolation and build a good network?

I genuinely like the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Management program. Academically, I've learned a lot and I don't regret choosing it.

But one thing I wasn't prepared for was the isolation.

I tried applying for internships but couldn't land one. I go to the gym, swim, and stay active, yet I still struggle to build meaningful connections. In a regular college, you naturally make friends, work on projects together, and build a network. In an online degree, that part feels missing.

Anyone else in the IITM BS program (or any online degree) feels the same? How did you deal with the isolation and build a good network?

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I'm 20 and studying finance. The problem is that I genuinely don't know what skills I should be focusing on to break into the industry.

If someone wants to get into finance (especially investments/equity research), what should the roadmap look like?

- What skills are actually worth learning?

- What projects should I build?

- How do people get their first internship?

- What checkpoints should I aim for over the next year?

If you were starting from scratch at 20, what would you do?

Looking for honest advice from people already in the field.

I'm 20 and studying finance. The problem is that I genuinely don't know what skills I should be focusing on to break into the industry.

If someone wants to get into finance (especially investments/equity research), what should the roadmap look like?

What skills are actually worth learning?

What projects should I build?

How do people get their first internship?

What checkpoints should I aim for over the next year?

If you were starting from scratch at 20, what would you do?

Looking for honest advice from people already in the field.

I'm 20 and studying finance. The problem is that I genuinely don't know what skills I should be focusing on to break into the industry.

If someone wants to get into finance (especially investments/equity research), what should the roadmap look like?

What skills are actually worth learning?

What projects should I build?

How do people get their first internship?

What checkpoints should I aim for over the next year?

If you were starting from scratch at 20, what would you do?

Looking for honest advice from people already in the field.

I'm 20 and studying finance. The problem is that I genuinely don't know what skills I should be focusing on to break into the industry.

If someone wants to get into finance (especially investments/equity research), what should the roadmap look like?

What skills are actually worth learning?

What projects should I build?

How do people get their first internship?

What checkpoints should I aim for over the next year?

If you were starting from scratch at 20, what would you do?

Looking for honest advice from people already in the field.

19M here. Took science in school but now I'm trying to move into finance.

I'm doing the IIT Madras BS degree and trying to maintain an 8+ CGPA. Alongside that, I'm preparing for CFA Level 1.

The problem is that the November attempt is getting close. I haven't registered yet and so far I've only completed Quant.

What's messing with my head is that I've delayed or dropped a few things before and later regretted it. Because of that, I genuinely can't tell whether pushing CFA to February would be a smart decision or just a socially acceptable excuse because things are getting difficult.

If I go for November, the next few months will be pretty intense. If I choose February, I'll get more time, but I'm scared I'll look back and think I could've done it if I'd just pushed harder.

So if you were in my position, what would you do?

Go all in for November or take February and do it properly?

Need honest opinions, not motivation quotes.

Took science in school but now I'm trying to move into finance.

I'm doing the IIT Madras BS degree and trying to maintain an 8+ CGPA. Alongside that, I'm preparing for CFA Level 1.

The problem is that the November attempt is getting close. I haven't registered yet and so far I've only completed Quant.

What's messing with my head is that I've delayed or dropped a few things before and later regretted it. Because of that, I genuinely can't tell whether pushing CFA to February would be a smart decision or just a socially acceptable excuse because things are getting difficult.

If I go for November, the next few months will be pretty intense. If I choose February, I'll get more time, but I'm scared I'll look back and think I could've done it if I'd just pushed harder.

So if you were in my position, what would you do?

Go all in for November or take February and do it properly?

Need honest opinions, not motivation quotes.

March 2026. I'd applied to 100+ internships with zero replies. While reviewing my applications, I noticed I'd applied to a subsidiary of my uncle's friend's company. I asked my uncle to pass my CV along with a request to consider me.

HR called within 30 minutes. Turned out the subsidiary didn't have internships, so they connected me to the parent company instead. I went to their office, waited 2-3 hours, and was honestly nervous since I had no prior experience. A few people told me the referral was strong enough that I'd likely get in.

I didn't clear the technical round. I followed up with HR afterward but never heard back.

My uncle then offered to call his friend again to push things. I said no — the referral got me the opportunity to be considered, but it couldn't make up for the technical round. Didn't feel right asking him to use that favor twice for something that came down to a skill gap on my end.

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was declining a good move or should I have let him try again?

Last December, I got 3 internship opportunities within a few days of applying, and honestly, it made me a bit overconfident.

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I got rejected from a Data Analyst role because my SQL wasn't strong enough. I wasn't interested in the second role (Business Development). The third was a Founder's Office internship in South Delhi with a 6-day work week and strict in-office requirements.

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At that time, I felt I couldn't commit to it and thought I'd find something better, so I declined.

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Fast forward 6 months: I've applied to a lot of internships, improved my skills, and kept trying, but I haven't received a single offer.

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Now I sometimes wonder if rejecting that internship was a mistake. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but at least I would have gained experience and strengthened my resume.

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If you were in my shoes, what would you do now? Should I stop regretting it and move on, or is there something else I should be doing?

Hi, sorry to interrupt.

Today I was feeling very overwhelmed. I don't really know who I should talk to, and I often post here, so that's why I'm posting this. Maybe I'm writing all this because of my emotions right now, and I'll probably delete this post tomorrow morning.

I just wanted to share one thing: please spend as much time as you can with your parents. A few years ago, I lost my father, and ever since then, I've missed him a lot. I don't know why, but today I suddenly felt like talking to him. It was one of those unconditional wishes that can never come true because he isn't with me anymore.

That hurt me the most today.

In the end, I just want to say that this is a normal post. I don't want sympathy, support, or attention. I'm only posting this because I'm emotional right now and there's no one around me to talk to.

And please, no need for upvotes.