How academic, communication, and leadership skills gained at NU paved the way to The University of Texas at Arlington for alumnus Eswar Teja Nelakuditi

From a shy student who struggled with his communication skills in the first semester to being elected Vice Captain in the third, alumnus Eswar Teja Nelakuditi was evolving quickly on campus. He recalls his student years at NIIT University as the best phase of his life. The BTech CSE Class of 2021 student hasn’t looked back since and has been going places – from getting placed with an industry leader like Genpact to pursuing Master’s in Computer Science (M.S.) at The University of Texas at Arlington – he is realizing his dreams one goal at a time.

It was NU’s reputation as the hub of academic excellence that drew Eswar to the university. His decision ended up his getting a lot more than expertise in his area of interest. “The cutting-edge, industry-relevant academic curriculum of the programme equips you with skills that are in demand. It challenged and encouraged me to work on real-time projects and complex codes, which gave me a deep understanding of the concepts,” he comments describing why NU students have a competitive advantage in the professional sphere.

According to Eswar, the Industry Practice programme is another major step in students’ professional grooming. “It is definitely rare and one of the best programmes that are designed for the professional growth of students. I got placed with Genpact as a Machine Learning Engineer, and it offered me an immersive experience into the professional world,” he recollects. But he had bigger plans for his future, so after working with the industry leader for a year he chose to pursue his Master’s in Computer Science in the US.

Interestingly, it was not just the academic platform NU laid out for him that paved the way for The University of Texas at Arlington. Eswar reveals that the communication skills he gained during the course of his programme led to his success in the crucial IELTS exams. “This is very interesting for me because I was such an inhibited student when I stepped onto the campus. I would be very nervous talking to people but NU played a crucial role in developing my communication, academic and leadership skills,” he adds with a smile.

Besides being the Vice Captain of the Green House on campus, Eswar was also a member of the Student Affairs committee. The role required him to discuss the issues faced by students with the Dean of Academics. “I was also a part of the mess committee where we used to design the menu. I don’t know of any other university that involves students in creating the menu, or so many other activities. They have been responsible for my personal growth along with my professional progress. NU made me a go-getter and brought me to the place I am today,” he ends confidently.