Prologue
A View from Heidelberg
October 2026.
I’m sitting on a hillside in Heidelberg, watching people enjoy the view and go about their day. This October marks five years since I moved to Germany.
Back in 2018 and for much of 2019, staying abroad was a firm “no” for me. I wanted to pursue a master’s, but I pictured doing it in India. My family, friends, work, and plans were all rooted there.
Yet here I am, looking back on a life I hadn’t expected to build. These five years have brought a degree, new responsibilities, friendships, and a changing understanding of home. To explain what they mean to me, I need to start with how I came to consider a different path.
Chapter 01 / 08
Wanting to Explore More
Pursuing higher studies had always been an ambition. I wanted to deepen my knowledge and discover how far I could take it. The possibility of a PhD interested me then, and it still does.
Before choosing a specialisation, I wanted professional experience to help me understand which field I would enjoy exploring in greater depth. Working in embedded software gave me that clarity.
As I became open to studying abroad, I also became curious about life beyond what I knew: different cultures, new people, and opportunities to experience other parts of the world. Continuing my education could be a way to explore all of those things.
Curiosity gave me a reason to look beyond the future I had already pictured.
Chapter 02 / 08
Lessons I Carried With Me
Before Germany, my preparation for the Joint Entrance Examination, or JEE, had already taught me something about pressure. After nearly two years of preparation, anxiety during the examination affected my performance. The result wasn’t what I had hoped for, but it made me recognise how much clear thinking matters alongside preparation.
I went on to study at VIT Pune. The fees initially concerned me given my family’s financial circumstances. That experience taught me to explore the options before deciding an opportunity was beyond my reach.
My time at VIT gave me much more than a qualification. It broadened my thinking, helped me develop academically and grow in confidence as a leader, and brought friendships and experiences that allowed me to enjoy university life. It became a chapter I wouldn’t trade away.
I carried that willingness to explore possibilities, and the lesson about composure, into my years in Germany.
An unexpected result can still lead to an opportunity worth exploring.
Chapter 03 / 08
The Unexpected Decision: Germany
I completed my bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering at Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune, and went on to work at Eaton and Signify (Philips Lighting). My experience in embedded software confirmed that this was the field I wanted to study further.
During 2018 and much of 2019, I explored master’s programmes at Indian universities. As my online research broadened towards the end of 2019, I began learning about German universities, their courses, and their comparatively affordable tuition fees. What I discovered made me reconsider an option I had previously ruled out: studying abroad.
As I learnt more, Germany’s strengths in electronics and automotive engineering made it increasingly appealing. I was also attracted by the possibility of taking on a technical working student role alongside my master’s, applying what I learnt and gaining relevant industry experience.
Alongside the academic opportunities, I wanted to experience a different culture and see more of the world. Tuition costs were a practical consideration when comparing destinations. By late 2020, I had decided on Germany.
I financed my master’s through an education loan. Returning to student life meant taking on that commitment while stepping away from a familiar professional routine.
In October 2021, I arrived in Stuttgart to pursue my master’s in INFOTECH, specialising in Embedded Systems, at the University of Stuttgart.
On my first day in Germany, I remember seeing an entire road without anyone on it. Everything was quiet. Coming from India, where I was used to people around me, everyday conversations, and even dogs barking, that silence felt strange.
The COVID pandemic was still ongoing, which contributed to the emptiness. I had expected a different language and an unfamiliar place. I hadn’t expected the quiet to be one of the first things I noticed.
Other differences became apparent through everyday tasks. Navigating bureaucracy, managing finances, and adapting to a different academic environment required planning and patience. Gradually, things that had felt unfamiliar became manageable.
A place I once ruled out became somewhere I could learn, explore, and build a life.
Chapter 04 / 08
University, Research, and Industry
One of my first adjustments at university was learning how to shape my own studies. The programme used a credit system, with a wide choice of subjects. Having that choice was exciting, but it also meant deciding which courses would help me build the knowledge I wanted.
The usual path was four semesters, or two years, but the programme allowed flexibility in how students organised their studies. Choosing when to take courses and examinations meant thinking carefully about workload and progress, especially when considering research or an industry internship.
The thesis was another important consideration. It needed a research question that went beyond implementation, so preparing for it began well before the final semester. I had to think about my interests, explore professors’ research areas, and consider how my courses, labs, and research projects could lead towards a suitable thesis topic.
That freedom came with responsibility. I was learning to plan an academic path while also finding my footing in a new country.
Alongside university, I wanted to explore research and industry. In April 2022, I joined Flex as a working student. At one point, I was balancing my studies with both my role at Flex and a research assistant position at Fraunhofer.
Alongside academic deadlines came responsibilities at both workplaces and the practical demands of living in Germany, including renewing my residence permit. All of these commitments shared the same calendar. A delay in one area could quickly affect the rest of the schedule.
This was a workload I had chosen. I wanted to explore the opportunities available during my studies and understand how academic learning, research, and industry connected. Making room for all three required careful planning and regular adjustments.
At university, I could explore concepts in depth. Research brought another set of questions. At work, I saw what it took to make software function reliably within a real product.
In December 2023, I began working full time at Flex while approaching the final stage of my master’s, which I completed in 2024.
By then, I was building professional relationships, finding direction in my work, and establishing a life beyond university.
Making room for opportunities also means making time for the responsibilities that come with them.
Chapter 05 / 08
From Writing Software to Leading People and Programs
At Flex, my work expanded from embedded firmware development to software lead and program management responsibilities.
Initially, I focused on understanding requirements, writing software, debugging, and finding reliable solutions. As my role expanded, I had to think about how the software fitted into the wider system and how different teams would bring it together safely and reliably.
My decisions could affect other people’s work. Finding a technical answer was only part of the task; I also needed to explain it clearly, listen to concerns, and understand what others needed to move forward.
In March 2025, I participated in a Flex hackathon involving its European locations and won the individual award for Most Innovative Project Idea. The idea impressed the leadership team, making it a particularly memorable moment in my journey at Flex.
Another highlight was contributing to the Zone Controller platform developed by Flex, Infineon, and Vector and showcased at CES 2026.
I also value the less visible parts of that progression: technical discussions that challenged my assumptions, problems that took longer than expected, and feedback that made me reconsider an approach. Working with colleagues from different cultures and professional backgrounds has broadened how I think about both engineering and collaboration.
As my responsibilities grew, listening became as important as finding an answer.
Chapter 06 / 08
Learning How to Manage Myself
Alongside academic and professional development, these years have made me more aware of my own habits.
One of them is perfectionism. I care about doing things well, and I find it difficult to leave something alone when I believe it could be better. That can improve the quality of my work, but it can also create pressure and consume time needed elsewhere.
Balancing several commitments made that tension harder to ignore. I’ve been learning to distinguish between work that needs further attention and work that is ready to move forward.
My understanding of independence has changed too. Living abroad required me to take responsibility for unfamiliar decisions, but it never meant that I stopped needing others. Knowing when to ask for help, listen to advice, or accept support has been part of learning to manage life here.
The lesson from my JEE experience still matters when deadlines overlap or a problem becomes difficult. I try to pause long enough to understand what is happening and decide what needs attention first.
I still feel stressed, and I still have moments when I put too much pressure on myself. But I’m better at recognising those reactions than I used to be. These are habits I continue to work on, rather than qualities I can claim to have mastered.
Calmness under pressure isn’t the absence of stress. It’s learning not to let stress take control of your decisions.
Chapter 07 / 08
Stuttgart and the Meaning of Home
Education and work explain much of why I came to Germany. The reasons Stuttgart became a place close to my heart are often much more ordinary.
They are the friendships, the conversations that lasted for hours, the familiar streets, and the people who showed up when I needed them. Looking back, those moments matter as much to me as the milestones.
Celebrating far from home could make me miss India more, but it also made me appreciate the company I had found here. Some friendships began to feel like family. There were difficult days too, when I simply wished the people I loved weren’t so far away.
Food brought an unexpected adjustment. As a vegetarian, I found my choices more limited than I was used to in India. I had also been quite picky about which vegetables I ate.
Gradually, that changed. I became comfortable eating vegetables I would previously have avoided, whether raw, boiled, or cooked. I had come here expecting to learn about embedded systems. I hadn’t expected my taste in vegetables to change along the way.
Becoming more open to unfamiliar food was one of the small adjustments that helped me settle in.
Language has been one of the continuing challenges of these five years. I know enough German to manage everyday activities, but learning it has been difficult for me, and I still have a long way to go before I feel fully confident.
Getting used to a new language and different customs takes time. Even after five years, I’m still learning. Feeling at home here hasn’t meant having everything figured out.
India will always be my first home. My roots, my family, and so many of my memories are there. That hasn’t changed.
But Stuttgart has become another place close to my heart. Streets that once felt unfamiliar now hold memories of my own. I can miss India and still feel grateful for the life and friendships I have here.
Finding another home hasn’t meant leaving the first one behind. It has given me more people and places to care about.
Chapter 08 / 08
What “Never Say Never” Means to Me Now
Five years later, I think differently about the plans I make. I used to judge a decision mainly by whether it brought me closer to the future I had imagined. Now, I also ask what it has taught me and which possibilities it has opened.
Staying abroad was once something I rejected. Germany became a considered choice after I learnt more about it and understood how it could fit my ambitions. It reminds me to leave room for new information and experiences, even when I feel certain about an answer.
I don’t believe every setback happens for a reason, or that every difficult experience eventually becomes something positive. But my first interpretation of an experience may not be my final one. The JEE result, my time at VIT, and the decision to move abroad have each taught me that in different ways.
I can have a plan for my future and still leave room for it to surprise me.
Epilogue
Back to the View
Sitting here in Heidelberg, I think back to arriving in Stuttgart in October 2021. I knew what I wanted to study. I didn’t know what everyday life here would become.
Five years later, that is the part I find myself thinking about most: how a decision about further education became years of work, friendships, and experiences I couldn’t have planned in advance.
I still have questions about work, life, and the future I want to build. For now, I’m grateful for the chance to pause and recognise what these years have meant, including the people who helped make them possible.
Acknowledgements
A Note of Gratitude
To my family, for being my constant foundation and for everything that shaped me long before this journey began.
A special thank you to my sister, whose steady encouragement, understanding, and generosity have supported me at every stage of this journey. So much of what I’ve been able to pursue has been possible with her support.
To my friends in India and Germany, for the memories, laughter, support, and experiences that made these years so special.
To my teachers from Classes 11 and 12, my professors at VIT Pune and the University of Stuttgart, and my colleagues and mentors, for the knowledge, guidance, encouragement, and opportunities that have helped me grow.
And to Stuttgart, for becoming the setting for a life I once hadn’t imagined.
Thank you for being part of my story.
An invitation
Over to You
Have you ever said “never” to something that later became one of the most meaningful experiences of your life?
I’d love to hear your story.
