Hi! I’m Puraav, an Econ student who loves meeting new people and is involved in Greek life on campus. I’m a borderline Chipotle addict, love cooking for friends, and have made it my mission to try pretty much every food spot in Philly, so I always have a restaurant rec ready. You’ll usually find me hanging out with friends around campus, talking Formula 1, or trying to convince someone to watch another Christopher Nolan movie. I’ve really come to love Penn and Philly, and I’d love the chance to show people around campus and share the places and experiences that have made it feel like home to me.

Hometown

Atlanta, Georgia

Major(s)

Economics

Minor(s)

Real Estate, Statistics

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Wharton Undergraduate Real Estate Club, Wharton Hedge Fund, Penn Abroad Ambassadors, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Institute of Contemporary Art

Describe your college experience

I spent my freshman year at Cornell before transferring to Penn, so coming to Penn meant starting over socially and academically for a second time. At first, that was pretty intimidating because a lot of students already had close friends from freshman year. What made the biggest difference was the transfer community. I met a lot of people who were in the exact same position as me, and we became close pretty quickly because we were all figuring out Penn together. I also joined Greek life, which introduced me to people outside of the transfer community and helped Penn feel much smaller and more familiar. Looking back, transferring was definitely an adjustment, but it taught me to put myself out there and made me much more comfortable walking into a new environment where I don’t know anyone.

Tip for future students

My biggest advice would be to join everything that interests you, especially performing arts groups. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a performer, they can be an amazing way to meet people you probably wouldn’t cross paths with otherwise. Some of the connections I made through performing arts ended up becoming great friendships and even helped me in unexpected ways later down the line. You can always drop things later, so I think it’s worth putting yourself out there and trying as much as you can early on.

Favorite class

My favorite class has been a Cinema Studies course (CIMS 1002) that was centered around the process of filming and producing movies. I learned how directors approach everything from camera angles and lighting to editing, sound, and overall production. One of my favorite parts was studying Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking style and learning how he uses practical effects, nonlinear storytelling, and cinematography to create movies like Inception and The Dark Knight. Since I was already a big fan of his films, it was really interesting to understand what goes on behind the scenes and how intentional every decision is. The class gave me a completely different perspective on movies and made me appreciate the production process much more.

Career goals

After college, I hope to work in real estate investing, specifically in real estate private equity. I’ve become really interested in how investors evaluate properties, understand different markets, and ultimately find ways to improve an asset over time. Longer term, I’d love to take what I learn and eventually invest in and develop properties of my own.

Ideal way to spend a free night

My ideal way to spend a free night is having a few friends over, making food and some drinks together, putting on good music, and just having a great night indoors. I love nights where there isn’t really a set plan. Wwe might play cards or a game, watch something, or just end up talking for hours. For me, it’s less about what we’re doing and more about having everyone together and enjoying the night.

High school or secondary school

Lambert High School

Previous college

Cornell

Favorite spot on campus

My favorite place on campus is the area right outside Pret in Huntsman. I spend a lot of time there between classes, usually grabbing a coffee, doing some work, or just sitting with friends. Since Huntsman is always busy, I also end up randomly running into people I know, which is probably my favorite part about it. It’s nothing fancy, but it has become one of those places where I’ve had a lot of small, everyday moments that have made Penn feel like home.