🎓 Four Years at Amherst: A Story of Curiosity, Community, and Conviction

Recently, I’ve been getting numerous requests to chat about my time at Amherst College. I’ve been meaning to write about this journey for a while now, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create a comprehensive reflection. My hope is that this honest account will serve as both a personal memoir and a resource for everyone.

The Foundation: Why I Chose This Path

After getting a fully-funded opportunity to study at Amherst College, I knew I wanted to make the most of the freedom to charter my own path instead of just following a common playbook.

When I arrived at Amherst from India, after much self-reflection, two things were crystal clear to me: I had an insatiable love for solving problems that seemed impossible at first glance, and I wanted to push myself in as many directions as possible on both intellectual and personal fronts.

This restless curiosity wasn’t just academic wandering—it came from a deep conviction that the most interesting problems in our world sit at the intersections of disciplines. I believed that by developing fluency across mathematics, statistics, computer science, and economics, I could approach challenges with a uniquely comprehensive toolkit. The triple major wasn’t about collecting credentials; it just happened because the top priority was always: building the intellectual infrastructure needed to have a viewpoint, and to tackle complex, real-world problems.

Pre-Amherst: Setting the Stage

My Amherst journey actually began a year before I set foot on campus. During the COVID-19 lockdowns in my hometown, while dealing with family challenges, I made a deliberate decision to use this time productively rather than simply waiting for college to begin. I pursued extensive online coursework including college-level Physics from MIT, Computer Science from Stanford, Project Management from Google, Data Analytics from IBM, and more while building small utilities and applications.

This wasn’t just about getting ahead academically—it was about further strengthening the habit of self-directed learning that would become crucial throughout college. More importantly, it helped me understand what genuinely excited me intellectually, which informed the strategic choices I would make once at Amherst.

I also cold-called current Amherst students, alumni and staff to learn about their experiences. These conversations revealed something crucial: Amherst’s open curriculum and liberal arts flexibility meant I could potentially place out of introductory courses, giving me the freedom to explore advanced topics and interdisciplinary connections from the start.

With the guidance of my advisor, Professor Nick Horton—an invaluable mentor throughout my journey—I demonstrated proficiency through placement exams and candid conversations with faculty and deans, allowing me to place out of Intro to CS I and II, Intro to Statistics, Multivariable Calculus, and Linear Algebra. This strategic foundation created the bandwidth for me to pursue the ambitious academic path I had envisioned.

I am also grateful to the deans and my advisors for believing in me from the get-go by giving approving my exception to take 5-6 courses each semester, instead of the usual 4. This effectively lent me the bandwidth of two extra semesters worth of courses. A friendly reminder to the readers: you are not bound by the constraints of ANY system, and you can always request for more with clear reasoning and evidence.

Learning to Learn: The Art of Context Switching

The most transformative aspect of my Amherst experience wasn’t mastering any particular subject—it was learning how to context switch between abstraction and application, between theoretical rigor and practical problem-solving. This skill would prove essential not just academically, but in research, leadership, and beyond.

First Year: Finding My Footing

My first semester was deliberately diverse: Data Science, Intro to Economics, Philosophy of Progress, and Data Structures. This variety wasn’t random—I was testing my ability to engage with different modes of thinking while adjusting to college life. Each course stretched different intellectual muscles, and I discovered I could pick up new concepts quickly while maintaining high standards across disciplines.

The January term course in Public Choice became my first deep dive into interdisciplinary thinking. In one intensive month, I explored game-theoretic modeling and developed economic intuition. This experience validated my belief that the most interesting insights emerge when mathematical tools meet real-world problems.

Sophomore Year: Taking Calculated Risks

In the spring, I wanted to stretch myself further and take bigger bets on my learning. With the support of Prof. Rosenbaum and the late Prof. Leise, I skipped prerequisites to enroll directly in Distributed Algorithms and Stochastic Processes (Advanced Probability). Sitting alongside seniors as the youngest student in these courses was both intimidating and motivating. At the same time, I balanced Computer Networks, Cryptography, and Writing About Humor.

Each class left a unique mark on me: Humor sharpened my timing and communication, Cryptography deepened my love for applied math and the craft of engineering mathematical software, and Stochastic Processes reminded me of my math olympiad days by showing how probability could model real-world phenomena. This was also the semester I first became interested in quantitative trading and research, inspired by conversations with seniors and Prof. Pflueger’s own experiences at D.E. Shaw & Co.

In the fall, I took on an even more rigorous load: Algorithms, Convex Optimization, Mathematical Analysis, Advanced Econometrics, and Intermediate Statistics. The decision wasn’t about difficulty for its own sake—it was a deliberate effort to refine my time management and prioritization skills while diving deeper into computation and mathematical modeling. Advanced Econometrics with Prof. Ishii quickly became a favorite: its rigor in building statistical tools from the ground up with intuition gave me both humility and confidence. Later, with Prof. Horton’s support, I even had a 300-level probability requirement waived, having already demonstrated mastery through Stochastic Processes and Econometrics, which further gave me flexibility to take even more courses that I was interested in.

Junior Year: Deepening and Broadening

After a semester abroad at Columbia University, where I immersed myself in applied systems and machine learning, I returned to Amherst eager to reconnect with theoretical foundations. I built a rigorous course load around Calculus of Variations, Missing Data, Advanced Data Analysis, Groups, Rings, and Fields, and Databases.

This semester was yet again a crucible of time management: I juggled four final projects simultaneously, all while sharpening both theoretical and applied skills. The experience reinforced my ability to toggle between abstraction and execution, preparing me for the research-heavy direction I had a hunch about wanting to pursue next.

Senior Year: Integration and Creation

By senior year, I no longer wanted to simply absorb knowledge—I wanted to contribute something new with real value to the community. After reflecting on the needs I saw around me and the potential impact of the tools I had begun building, I committed to the ambitious decision of writing two separate theses: one in Mathematics on chip-firing games and the Graphical Riemann–Roch theorem, formalized in Lean4, and another in Statistics on discrete copula modeling, culminating in a Python package I developed.

To support this research, I deliberately enrolled in some of the most demanding courses on campus—Systems, Complex Analysis, Lie Algebras, Theoretical Foundations, and Data Mining. Each offered insights that directly or indirectly fueled my projects, helping me push my theses to their best possible versions. At the same time, I stepped into an entirely new domain with Craft of Speaking I: Vocal Freedom and Craft of Speaking II: Spoken Expression. Sharing a classroom with trained theater performers transformed public speaking into a challenge as demanding as solving proofs or debugging code, and it gave me a skill set that I know will continue to shape my future.

This combination of research, technical rigor, and communication practice made my final year the most challenging yet fulfilling chapter of my Amherst journey. Looking back, I am deeply grateful—for the support of my mentors and peers, and for the chance to stretch myself across disciplines in ways that prepared me for both intellectual and personal growth.

Studying Abroad: International Perspectives and Side-Quests

By my freshman and sophomore summers, I felt a strong pull to broaden my horizons and see how different academic cultures shape learning. Thanks to full-ride scholarships from Amherst’s Global Education Office (GEO), I had the chance to pursue study abroad opportunities at Columbia University in New York and AIT Budapest in Hungary. These experiences became pivotal “side-quests” in my journey, shaping both my intellectual trajectory and my worldview.

Columbia University: Graduate-Level Immersion

After catching the bug for quantitative finance in conversations with Prof. Pflueger and discovering a love for graduate-level statistics in Advanced Econometrics with Prof. Ishii, I decided to immerse myself in Columbia’s rigorous academic environment. There, I enrolled in six graduate-level courses—Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Inference, Statistical Methods in Finance, Machine Learning for Finance, Mathematical Methods in Financial Price Analysis, and Programming for Quantitative Finance—while learning alongside PhD and Master’s students.

This semester revealed how mathematical and statistical ideas could be translated into practical applications in finance and beyond. Just as importantly, engaging daily with graduate students gave me a window into the rhythms of advanced research and confirmed my own desire to pursue it. This was arguably one of the most time-crunched semesters entailing 4 final projects and 5 final exams, further helping me improve my prioritization and time management skills.

Beyond academics, Columbia introduced me to new communities. I joined the badminton team, witnessed the launch of a cricket club, and participated in the Columbia Quant Group. The cricket club, in particular, was meaningful—it allowed me to honor my cultural roots while also creating something new for the community, blending tradition and innovation in a way that mirrored my academic journey. Fun fact: I took a note of this, and upon returning to Amherst, I founded the Amherst Cricket Club, addressing a real need in the community.

AIT Budapest: European Technical Perspective

In contrast, my semester at AIT Budapest offered an industry-focused and distinctly European lens on computer science education. Courses like Deep Learning (NVIDIA curriculum), Scalable Systems & Development Processes (Ret. Google instructor), Mobile Development, Applied Cryptography, and User Experience Design complemented my theoretical background with highly practical, engineering-driven training.

Living independently in Budapest and traveling across the Schengen area pushed me to adapt quickly, develop independence, and embrace cultural awareness. Each country-hopping trip exposed me to new perspectives, enriching my global outlook and resilience.

What stood out most was AIT’s emphasis on systematic engineering processes and close mentorship from industry veterans and entrepreneurial faculty. This approach contrasted with the liberal arts ethos I was used to, making me more versatile as a student of computer science and mathematics, and as a citizen of an interconnected world.

Writing Myself Into the Work

The spark first came after taking Cryptography, where I discovered how much I enjoyed working at the intersection of mathematics, statistics, and software. That curiosity led me to conversations across campus, eventually connecting with Prof. Liao, who had a longstanding idea of building a block-based platform—something like Scratch—for teaching R programming in introductory statistics.

When I learned that Google Blockly (the engine behind Scratch) didn’t support R, it struck me as both a challenge and an opportunity. Together with Prof. Liao, Dr. Andy Anderson from IT, and a small group of students, I spent a semester and summer working on what became RBlocks. It was my first experience seeing a project go from an idea to a tool that others could actually use in class. Hearing peers casually mention at Valentine dining hall how RBlocks had helped them was incredibly meaningful—it showed me that building something useful, however small, could ripple outward in ways I hadn’t expected.

That experience changed how I approached academic work. I began to see projects not just as assignments but as chances to create something that might matter to someone else. This mindset carried into everything from small course projects—like designing a religion library database or a tool for efficient quantile estimation—to late nights at hackathons, where I learned to collaborate quickly, test ideas under pressure, and sometimes even surprise myself with what a small team could pull off in a weekend.

By senior year, this desire to create rather than just consume knowledge culminated in two theses that became both technical challenges and personal milestones:

• Mathematics Thesis: Lean4 Machine-Assisted Proof Framework for Chip-Firing Games & Graphical Riemann–Roch — an attempt to bring computational verification to a corner of combinatorics that had never been formalized before.
• Statistics Thesis: ccrvam: A Python Package for Model-Free Exploratory Analysis of Multivariate Discrete Data with an Ordinal Response Variable — an open-source package that future researchers could adapt and extend.

Working on these projects taught me that research is rarely about quick wins. It’s about asking sharper questions, being comfortable with ambiguity, and slowly working toward clarity. More than anything, they reminded me that the most meaningful projects are the ones where you see a piece of yourself in the work.

Along the way, there were moments of recognition—awards, hackathon wins, competitions—that I’m grateful for. But what stayed with me wasn’t the accolades themselves; it was the communities, mentors, and peers who made those experiences possible, and the reminder that learning can be most powerful when it is shared.

Building and Leading Communities

Some of my most meaningful Amherst memories come not just from the courses I took, but from the communities I had the chance to help build and serve. Each leadership role carried its own set of challenges, and each taught me something different about responsibility, vision, and the human side of leadership.

Ideas 2 Innovation: Turning Ideas into Reality

As the Founding Director of Engineering for Ideas 2 Innovation (i2i), I scaled from 3 to 20 people to turn student startup ideas into working prototypes. The role was about juggling between writing code myself, educating peers of industry-grade system designs, bringing in clarity of “next steps” for projects, communicating with a wide range of stakeholders, and creating the conditions where everyone could achieve their individual and collective goals.

What I took away was simple but profound: leadership isn’t about just being the best, it’s about being the best orchestrator while leading by example. Watching teammates grow their skills and see their ideas come alive was more rewarding than any individual accomplishment.

Quant Club: Democratizing Finance Knowledge

As President of the Amherst Quant Club, I wanted to make quantitative finance less intimidating and more accessible. We organized speaker events, workshops, and networking opportunities, always with an eye toward meeting students where they were—whether they were seasoned math majors or complete beginners.

In the process, I discovered that teaching complex ideas clearly and “reading the room” are forms of mastery. Making concepts accessible deepened my own understanding, and reminded me that knowledge gains its real power when it is shared.

We also conducted Amherst’s inaugural Quant competition bringing students from various colleges and securing sponsorships from Jane Street, Summit Securities Group, and Amherst College. It was a fun experience during my senior year, and definitely sharpened my logistical chops.

Cricket Club: Building Bridges Through Culture

Inspired by my semester at Columbia, founding the Amherst Cricket Club was both personal and communal—bringing a piece of home to campus while offering others the chance to discover something new. With peers who shared the same passion, we quickly drafted proposals, secured thousands in funding and equipment, and enlisted two dedicated faculty advisors (including a former professional cricketer turned mathematician). I led the logistics and outreach from start to finish in just two weeks, organizing open recruitment sessions and partnering with the South Asian Students Association to amplify interest.

What began as a small experiment soon became a space for cultural exchange and friendship. Watching students who had never picked up a bat grow into enthusiastic players was a powerful reminder that communities can emerge from conviction and collaboration. Beyond the matches, the club evolved into a vibrant space for connection, stress relief, and camaraderie—one that I’m proud continues to foster inclusivity and excellence in cricket.

Badminton Team: Leading by Showing Up

During my time as a coach and lead shutter of the badminton team at Amherst, I came to understand that leadership often shows up in small, unglamorous ways: setting up nets, giving pep talks, or simply being present with high energy even when teammates were tired or skipped practice.

Along the way, competition gave us something to rally around. I had been the campus champion throughout my time at Amherst, but what mattered most was helping the team grow their intuition, and infecting them with my passion for the sport. Competing together and placing 6th at the Yonex Northeastern Collegiate Tournament was exciting, but what stayed with me more was the sense of shared effort—how discipline on my part could help lift the whole team.

The experience reinforced that leading by example is equal parts consistency and empathy: holding high standards while making sure teammates felt supported, encouraged, and motivated to keep growing.

Across all these roles, I came to see leadership not as a title, but as a practice: creating space for others, sharing knowledge generously, and building communities that outlast the individual who starts them.

Teaching and Mentorship: The Multiplier Effect

I’ve always believed that knowledge grows stronger when it is shared. Teaching has been less about demonstrating what I know and more about creating space where others feel comfortable learning, asking questions, and even struggling a little before reaching clarity. Those shared “aha” moments are what make the process meaningful.

Teaching Assistant Experience

My experience with Advanced Econometrics unfolded in two chapters. The first was as a peer in the course. Although I had no formal title, I often found myself helping classmates work through the material. My desk in the Science Center became a kind of informal gathering point, a place where my peers knew they could come with questions. One peer later described it as a “Schelling point”—a spot where people naturally gathered when they were stuck. To me, that comment reflects the real value of teaching: patient, repeated explanations until something finally clicks.

The feedback from classmates during that time still means more to me than any transcript:

• “He really helped motivate us to work harder throughout the course with his admirable passion and work ethic.”
• “He was always enthusiastic about discussing ideas and was never competitive or arrogant about his work. I learned a lot from collaborating with him and his attitude towards learning was very appreciated and enriching.”
• “Early in the course, when we were all struggling, he really tried to teach us and it really helped.”
• “Besides being an excellent mathematical mind, he has taught me, and likely many others, what it means to truly understand the material beyond simple recreation.”
• “He would explain concepts to me over and over again until I would get it. I am thankful to Dhyey for helping me especially considering his busy schedule.”
• “Dhyey is an incredibly kind person who is always willing to help his classmates and his ‘office’ in the Science Center is a Schelling point for 361 students.”

The following year, I returned as the first-ever official Teaching Assistant in the history of Advanced Econometrics. That transition—from informal peer mentor to formal TA—was both humbling and rewarding. It gave me the chance to refine the skills I had first developed organically: listening carefully, explaining patiently, and adapting to different ways students approached the same problem.

Beyond econometrics, I also served as a TA in computer science. Each discipline demanded a slightly different approach—sometimes through intuition, sometimes through step-by-step logic, and sometimes by highlighting the beauty hidden within rigor. Yet the core lesson remained the same: teaching is about meeting people where they are, and walking with them until the material becomes their own.

Looking back, these experiences remind me that mentorship is not about authority—it’s about presence, empathy, and persistence. That is the multiplier effect of teaching: the knowledge you share carries forward in the people you teach, who then go on to teach others in turn.

Peer Career Advising

Long before I officially became a Peer Career Advisor at the Loeb Center, I was already playing that role in practice. I found myself volunteering to mentor underclassmen, share insights from my own recruiting experiences, and grab countless meals with peers who were just starting to navigate internships and career paths. Word spread quickly, and before I knew it, my “unofficial advising chats” had grown so much that it became unmanageable to do alone.

When the opportunity arose to take on the official role, it felt like a natural extension of what I was already doing—and a chance to give back in the same way that Peer Career Advisors had once helped me during my freshman year.

In the role, I guided fellow students through technical and quantitative recruiting processes, from resume reviews to interview preparation. It pushed me to stay current with industry trends, but more importantly, it taught me that the real value of advising lies in listening. The most impactful conversations weren’t about providing a perfect answer, but about helping someone think through their options, ask better questions, minimize their regrets, and feel more confident about charting their own path forward.

Ultimately, the role reminded me that mentorship is about empowerment. The goal isn’t to hand someone a roadmap—it’s to help them build the confidence and skills to create one for themselves.

Looking Back: The Legacy of Amherst

Amherst was never about chasing credentials, they came as a byproduct naturally. It was about discovering that curiosity can be a compass, that leadership is about enabling others, and that rigor is meaningless without empathy and communication.

Looking back on four years at Amherst, several key themes emerge that shaped both my experience and my future trajectory.

Curiosity as Compass

My decisions were always guided by following genuine intellectual curiosity wherever it led. This approach meant sometimes taking courses that didn’t obviously connect to career plans but always added to my understanding of how the world works.

The interdisciplinary perspective proved invaluable not just academically but in research, leadership, and problem-solving. Now, I realise even more that complex challenges rarely respect disciplinary boundaries, and having fluency across multiple domains enabled more creative and comprehensive solutions.

Community as Catalyst

My most meaningful achievements happened through community rather than individual effort. Whether building research tools, leading teams, or teaching concepts, the multiplier effect of working with others always exceeded what I could accomplish alone.

This experience taught me that leadership means creating conditions for others to do their best work without worrying about the repurcussions all the time. The communities I helped build continued thriving after my direct involvement, which feels more meaningful than personal achievements.

Rigor with Humanity

Amherst taught me that intellectual rigor and human empathy aren’t competing values—they’re complementary necessities. The most effective teaching, research, and leadership happened when technical excellence was combined with genuine care for others.

This balance became particularly important in teaching and mentoring roles, where high standards needed to be paired with patient support to help others grow.

Looking Forward

As I transition from Amherst, I’m carrying forward habits and perspectives that will shape whatever comes next.

Research taught me to sit with ambiguity—to persist through uncertainty while still holding myself to high standards of evidence and reasoning. Whether in academic inquiry, industry work, or entrepreneurial ventures, that discipline of thinking rigorously while moving forward with imperfect information will continue to guide me.

Leadership and teaching showed me the deep satisfaction that comes from enabling others’ success. Helping peers find clarity, confidence, and direction reminded me that impact often comes less from personal achievement and more from empowering those around you. That orientation toward service and community will remain central to how I approach future roles.

Most importantly, Amherst reinforced my conviction that the most interesting problems rarely live within the boundaries of a single discipline. They require interdisciplinary thinking, collaborative effort, and the willingness to learn from others. Looking back, my time here was never about chasing credentials—it was about building the intellectual toolkit and habits of mind needed to contribute meaningfully to complex challenges. Looking forward, that is the foundation I hope to keep building upon.

Advice for Current and Future Students

For anyone considering a similar path at Amherst—or at any college—the best advice I can offer comes from lessons learned the hard way, often outside of formal classrooms.

Trust Your Curiosity. The open curriculum at Amherst rewards genuine exploration. Don’t choose courses because they “look impressive.” Follow the threads that spark your interest, even if the connections aren’t immediately obvious. Those unexpected links often become the most valuable.

Embrace Strategic Risk-Taking. Some of my most transformative experiences came from asking professors to let me skip prerequisites or take unconventional course combinations. If you can show preparation and genuine commitment, faculty will often meet your ambition with support.

Build While You Learn. Coursework sharpens your mind, but building something for others—a research tool, a student organization, or a community resource—teaches you in ways lectures never can. Creation leaves a mark that outlasts grades.

Seek Diverse Perspectives. Study abroad, teaching roles, leadership positions—each gives you a new vantage point on your academic and personal growth. Those shifts in perspective often do more to clarify your direction than any single class.

Develop Communication Skills. Technical knowledge matters, but its impact depends on your ability to share it. Writing clearly, speaking persuasively, and teaching patiently will amplify every skill you develop.

Keep the Long-Term View. Some semesters will feel overwhelming, and some classes won’t connect immediately to your goals. But over time, the broad foundation you’re building will open doors you couldn’t have anticipated. As Steve Jobs said, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”

Above all, remember that Amherst’s greatest gift isn’t a particular course or accolade—it’s the freedom to chase what excites you while being surrounded by peers passionately doing the same day-after-day. If you lean into curiosity and community, the outcomes will follow.

For me, that meant carrying forward the habits of proof, the resilience of research, the joy of teaching, and the humility of service. And if you’re wondering whether it’s possible to stretch across disciplines while also building meaningful communities—the answer is YES! That was one of the main reasons to write this blog post. Amherst has a way of catching you when you leap, and of turning ambition into something worthwhile!

I am eternally grateful to the Amherst College community for the opportunities and experiences I had there. If you’re curious about anything related to my time at Amherst, or navigating your own journey, feel free to reach out.