Kuhu Bhattacharya
Question: Give us your “BU Intro”!
Answer:Hi! I’m Kuhu, a sophomore at Questrom concentrating in Marketing & Information Systems, as well as part of the Kilachand Honors College. I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of creativity and logic, which is why I love exploring how data and storytelling come together. On campus, I’ve tried to dip my toes in almost every kind of activity, but I’m most actively involved in The Guerrilla Marketing Society as the Head of Varsity, peer mentor at KHC, and part of the newly inducted class of the QST Honors Program!
Question: What were some of the most valuable skills or insights you gained from an experiential learning opportunity at BU?
Answer:Most recently, I’d say the team bonding retreat to Cathleen Stone Island that the QHP team took us to. I had the opportunity to shut my laptop for a good 36 hours and learned so many soft skills simply by doing. We participated in multiple team-building and bonding activities, which really reminded me of the fact that genuine friendships and connections get made when you simply talk to people for the sake of getting to know them.
Question: Can you describe a moment where you felt your learning went far beyond what you could get in a classroom?
Answer:Definitely learning how to fail and overcoming it. We had a team raft-building challenge at the retreat, where we had to construct one using only bamboo, barrels, and rope. We had to get it across the mark and back, but as luck would have it, my raft “dissolved” halfway through, and I was stuck in the lake, about knee deep in water. To add to that, my shoe got stuck in the mud, and I fell backwards into the lake. Though I panicked slightly, I think what helped was the awareness that I was the only one who could get myself out of the situation. So using the oar, I tried to break the mud off my feet, and marched to avoid getting sunk again.
A lot of people learn how to overcome failure in theory, but it’s moments like these when you’re stuck knee deep in water when you actually get to apply the frameworks.
Question: In what ways did this experience shape your confidence or perspective as an international student?
Answer:No matter how much you try, failure is inevitable at some stage of your life. But, by exposing yourself to it and acknowledging its occasional presence, I think you get better at learning how to cope and overcome it, and I really think this experience was the perfect embodiment of that.
Also, having people rooting for your success is so important. In my case, my teammates’ words of encouragement helped me stay calm and showed me that you’re not alone in the journey. Yes, you are the one who’s ultimately going to be doing the task, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through it on your own.
Question: What is one advice you would give to other students looking for academic opportunities that go beyond classroom learning?
Answer:Talk! It can seem daunting at first, especially if you’re a little more on the introverted side, but it’s also one of the best ways you can open up doors you didn’t even know existed for yourself. Some of the best people I’ve met – friends, mentors, clubs – have all come through talking to someone who was working on something that I found really interesting and wanted to get involved in. We’re all students at the end of the day, and we’ve all gone through the scary part of “networking,” so we know what it’s like to be on both sides of the table. The sooner you learn to branch out, the less scary it’ll be and the closer you’ll get to your next opportunity.