CollegeCore Alumni Spotlight- Arhan Bagati

Arhan Bagati, a proud alumnus of Pomona College, stands out as a shining example in a culture of excellence. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Politics (specializing in Comparative Politics) and a minor in Asian Studies (with a focus on India), Arhan embarked on a remarkable journey, which included the establishment of KYARI – Kashmir’s Yumberzal Applied Research Institute, among other notable achievements.

Why study abroad?

Arhan asserts that his academic journey at Pomona has been a roller coaster. 

“From Astronomy to Media Studies to Anthropology to Philosophy to Lifeguarding, Kung Fu, and Jiu Jitsu, I have been able to experience strikingly diverse fields which have given me the opportunity to understand my own preferences, inclinations, interests, etc. in a better way.

I was also selected for a study abroad program at Cambridge University where I focussed on Politics and Law, while also touching upon Creative Writing and Modern Art, and having all my classes spread out at different colleges across Cambridge University.”

He believes that the liberal arts curriculum has been integral to his growth, stating that “The kind of holistic development I have gained, in addition to the knowledge and perspective, is priceless… it has made me much more confident and capable”

Why CollegeCore?

Arhan affirms that Collegecore greatly eased the process of application affirming that “ they gave a great deal of perspective and context, in addition to the invaluable, manual, and labour intensive assistance throughout the college application process.

Sharing their institutional knowledge was key in helping me decide what type of college I would flourish in, eventually helping me make my final acceptance choices as well.”

Core lessons

Studying at Pomona has left an indelible impact on Arhan, giving advice to future students, he says-

1. 1. “The work-life balance is key.” And not in the ‘partying’ and ‘studying’ sense, but more in the managing your day-to-day life under the stresses of moving away from home, settling-in a totally new and different place, initially without any/many friends, and yet still having to tackle a challenging and demanding curriculum, which will bear fruit only over-time.

• “Adjusting to the situation at hand is sometimes the only way to move forward.” From taking courses where “grades don’t matter” and “self-grading courses” to having my cycles and storage unit items stolen to getting an emergency appendectomy to facing a global pandemic in our last year that was set to be our best year…It’s best to be prepared and be quick to adjust to an ever evolving situation.

• “Dive into whatever you possibly can.” The moment I graduated, I realized that I could have done a host of other things that could have added tremendously to my overall experience, but I didn’t because of being in the moment and not taking a step back to fully understand the vastness of the opportunity that has been presented to me.

As his final words of encouragement to prospective students, Arhan says, “I feel that in the beginning it’s important to stay strong. There would be many overwhelming times where one would feel bogged down, tired, and even anxious. But it’s key to keep the goal in sight, and more importantly consciously try to take every situation as a learning experience. Not only are you being tested academically, but you are also being tested in the arena of life. From the smallest things such as keeping your room clean, buying groceries, and doing your laundry on time to making sure you not only do well in your classes but learn as much as you can from each class, it’s a constant process.”