You know how life loves throwing curveballs when you think you’ve got it all figured out? Yeah. That’s pretty much Spriha’s story.
When she graduated high school in Chitwan, she was 100% sure she was going to be a doctor. Growing up in a medical family, she could already picture herself in a white coat.
“I wanted to do MBBS so badly. Like, this was my thing,”
But life? Life had other plans.
The “Gap Year” That Turned Into Two
When she didn’t get into med school the first time, Spriha wasn’t too worried.
“I thought, no big deal. Everyone takes a year off, right?”
But then COVID hit. That one year turned into two. And suddenly, she found herself stuck.
“I tried everything in those two years. Veterinary medicine? Tried it. Interior design? Gave it a shot. Working in national parks? Why not. But nothing clicked. It felt like no matter what I tried, the path just wasn’t there. I didn’t see myself in any of it.”
Gif by Bounce_TV on Giphy
So… Why Not Tech?
Then one day, almost on a whim, she thought about computer science.
“I had zero experience coding. But tech felt so broad, you know? I thought, maybe I’ll find my place there.”
Gif by scaler_official on Giphy
And just like that, she shifted gears.
She applied to the University of New Hampshire because her relatives lived nearby.
“I wasn’t overthinking it. Location was my top priority. I didn’t want to be alone in a new country.”
But plot twist—she never actually went to UNH. Instead, she chose a nearby community college, NHTI.
“It was five minutes away, cheaper, and honestly felt like a good place to start.”
The Big Shift
Starting at NHTI wasn’t easy.
“In Nepal, I was used to memorizing entire books. Here, it was all teamwork, projects, presentations. I had to unlearn and relearn how to study.”
Gif by MadMonkeyMediaInc on Giphy
But Spriha didn’t just survive—she thrived. She became a student ambassador, peer counselor, and even joined student senate.
“I went from knowing no one to being everywhere on campus. I wanted to get my feet wet, try everything.”
Her Advice?
Now a senior at Suffolk University in Boston, Spriha has a different perspective.
“If there’s one thing I’d tell Nepali students back home, it’s this: life isn’t limited to what you think you know. Plans change. It’s okay to pivot.”
She also says:
👉 “Don’t limit yourself. Explore fields that scare you.”
👉 “Say yes more often. That one ‘yes’ to computer science? It changed my whole life.”