Set for space!
Kshiteez Panigrahi, an aspiring space scientist, reveals how he is managing time so he can juggle extracurricular activities with academics
Kshiteez Panigrahi's aim is to become an astronautical engineer. ‘‘My short-term goal though is to get into a top college in the US,'' says the Year 12 student of Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills. To that end, he is involved in several activities in and outside his school. He is the deputy secretary general of DIAMUN, which hosts the largest Model United Nations (MUN) conference in the Middle East. He is also the deputy CEO of Business Minds, organizing and hosting case study competitions in the UAE. He is involved in the Advanced Learning Program for High Ability, where he is working on a project to install solar panels in the school. A finalist in the DIDI Design Space Competition, he also took part in the Planet X Competition, hosted by the Emirates Mars Mission; his team finished runners up. Kshiteez set up Cosmos Society, that aims to bring together students interested in space science. Recently, he participated in a summer course hosted by the Johns Hopkins University where he learned entry-level college physics and engineering.
EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW: How do you find time to juggle academics with extracurricular activities?
The first thing I do to make sure I can meet my deadlines is list out all my work. If I know exactly what I need to do, I've already won half the battle. Then, I prioritise, deciding what needs to be completed first, and how much time I should spend on it. Then, I just do. With that routine in mind, it's easy to ensure I'm on task and able to complete all the academics and activities I partake in. Sometimes, it is also important to cut down on certain “unproductive” things like the time I spend on my phone, for which I've preset limits to control usage.
What got you interested in rocket science?
As a kid I wanted to create a flying car. As I grew up, I wanted to do something related to aviation or space travel, and rocket science was only a logical step ahead. I've also always loved a good challenge, and astronautical engineering is considered to be one of the most difficult fields to delve into.
What were some of the major takeaways from your time at DIDI design space competition and the Planet X Competition?
Both these competitions have been great learning points for me. For the DIDI Design Space Competition, I worked on creating a marketable display event for LEGO, wherein customers could participate and build a small car robot using LEGO products to race on the track. Prior to the competition, I learnt a lot about 3D CAD designs, video making and editing, and product development, among other things. Also, I received great exposure presenting our idea to LEGO officials. As for Planet X, I focused more on the Robotics aspect of the competition, where we had to build a robot that would complete a set of missions on a hypothetical planet. From this, I was able to hone a lot of my coding skills, building and designing skills along with my presentation skills. From both competitions, I was able to become a better team worker and learnt how to think on my feet, especially under competition pressure.
Tell us how the Johns Hopkins University course honed your interest in space science.
My mentor at Hale helped me apply and get into the Johns Hopkins University Exploring Engineering Innovation program. He helped me work on polishing my essays, securing Letters of Recommendation and submitting my transcripts for the application. Over the course, I learned a lot about static and dynamic forces, electronics and chemical engineering, all of which are very important disciplines for rocket science.
What are 3 tips your mentors gave you when preparing college applications?
The first was to try everything to build up my resume with experience and find what I'm truly interested in so I'm sure about my career and university choices.
The second was of working smart, to help me navigate the stressful IBDP education system and my ECAs. He says it's important to work in an efficient and simple way to mitigate mistakes.
Finally, the time management technique of prioritisation came from my mentor.