A Scent of Success

Hi! This is Priyasha and today I talk about internship search strategies that have helped me land dream internships in D.C., Delhi and Manila. I am obviously not a professional and these steps are not foolproof. But I am grateful for the opportunities that Anagha and I have gotten and the lessons we have learned along the way. So I wanted to share some of these strategies! Professional life is always an evolving journey and everyone has their own tips and strategies. I have found that it is important to plan ahead, apply to roles you are interested in, work hard in your classes and extracurriculars to gain the skills you need, network intentionally, refrain from comparing yourself to others, and let go of unneccessary stress when possible. Hopefully this episode is helpful! 1. Soul search - figure out what you like to do, what organisations you want to work at, what skills you want to gain2. Prepare your profile - update your resume, headshot and LinkedIn3. Organise your search strategy - use spreadsheets and calendars to track deadlines, networking calls, and applications4. Look for jobs - attend school job fairs, look on LinkedIn and on company websites, talk to alumni, leverage AI responsibility, use key words when searching5. Tap into your existing network and set up coffee chats with people/ organisations you are genuinely interested in6. Apply! Balance quantity and quality7. Manage stress and set realistic expectations

Hi everyone. We are back with a duo episode talking about our evolving relationship with our parents - from growing up in India, moving to Manila, and then moving abroad to college in the U.S. From academics, to extracurriculars, social life, career and everything in between, we discuss on moments of tension as well as moments of understanding and deeper appreciation. Our family (immediate and extended) has always been very close. As we’ve gotten older, our relationships with our parents have evolved too. They have taught us so much about discipline, moderation, and living balanced lives, and we owe everything to them for supporting our international upbringing, education, and the opportunities we've had along the way. Hope you enjoy this reflective episode!

Welcome back to a solo episode by Anagha!! Today I will talk all about my summer obsessions ! These are things/activites that I love mostly year round but especially during the summer. I have spent most of my life in countries with very hot summers and basically summer all year around and so I wanted to yap about my summer obsessions:) This is a lighter shorter more fun episode!

Hi! This is Priyasha and today I am talking about balancing graduate school with internships during the semester. I am grateful to have balanced two dream opportunities for the last 8 months, but it was quite challenging at times. In this episode, I share some tips that helped me juggle and make the most out of both. Ultimately, it is important to take care of yourself and make sure you are taking on commitments you can honor! Hope this episode helps someone.

Hi everyone!! This is Anagha and today I talk all about doing an international relations degree in college and now in graduate school. This episode is for anyone who is currently majoring in IR, considering majoring in IR, and is interested in the field. I talk about how to maximise your time while you are in school with this field of study (coursework, internships, publishing, extracurriculars etc), mistakes I made and mistakes students make, lessons I learned, and why this journey/area of study has been the right fit for me! is interested in the field. I talk about how to maximise your time while you are in school with this field of study (coursework, internships, publishing, extracurriculars etc), mistakes I made and mistakes students make, lessons I learned, and why this journey/area of study has been the right fit for me!

This is Anagha and today I am doing a solo episode all about how to rethink and handle rejections in the pre professional sense. I cover extracurriculars, college apps, internships, and graduate school applications. I share anecdotes to give tangible advice and insights on how I have and am continuing to navigate the reality of getting rejected from certain opportunities. I take a trip down memory lane to my high school to now and so I hope you all takeaway some insights!! Hope you all enjoy hearing my learning experiences and success stories! Remember you are not alone in navigating this competitive pre professional environment!

Hi guys! This is a duo episode all about travel tips. As international students, we have gotten very used to long-haul flights, last-minute packing, jetlag, homesickness etc., so we wanted to share some of those insights. We are not huge into traveling for fun but it is a big part of our life since our homes, families, and friends are continents apart between India, the Philippines and the U.S. We hope you enjoy this episode and learn something to make travel more efficient.

Hi is Priyasha :) In this episode, I reflect on how mindsets and manifestations (when paired with tangible action and hard work) can lead to positive change and growth. 2025 was a year of transition for me (and I'm sure for many others) which comes with its own abundance and challenge. Mindsets are often half the battle - it influences the stories we tell ourselves and what we convince ourselves of, which may propel or hinder us. This episode is broken up into the different times I felt the need for a mindset shift this year, including academic life/professional life, personal life, future related etc. I talk about ways I am learning to release limiting beliefs, adopt a growth mindset, and reframe negative thoughts into positive ones especially during challenging times. This is not a linear journey but I have seen positive mindset adjustments (and hard work!) attract positive life changes. I end the episode talking about my views on manifestation as we go into the new year. The ultimate goal is improving our mindset towards life events, and being okay with any outcome.

Hiii! This is Anagha and today I talk about the best pieces of advice I have received. I want to share these with you all because these words of wisdom have guided me and continue to guide me! These are four words of wisdom I have received in general from family and mentors and discuss how it has manifested in my life. This is not an exhaustive list nor is it featuring some wildly original quotes/advice of course, more just guiding principles and reminders I hope to always live by!

This is Priyasha :) In this episode, I unpack how communications work has become a quiet constant in my life — not in terms of a full career, but as internship positions, a skillset and a lens that shapes every personal and professional endeavor I’ve taken on. From vlogging on Tiktok and podcasting here, to writing stories to push for policy change, and devising social media strategies at think tanks, I am interested in a career at the nexus of communications and public policy. I talk about my thoughts about this field and the positions I have taken on. Disclaimer: I am still in graduate school so am not a communications professional! This episode simply uncovers how communications work has taken shape in my life.

Hi everyone! Today we’re joined by two special guests — Sushmi and Saumya — whom we met during our Summer 2023 internship at the S M Sehgal Foundation in India. They are now some of our closest friends, and it is all through our shared internship experience! Between the four of us, we’ve lived, worked, or studied across multiple countries, and we wanted to share some of our biggest insights and takeaways. We also represent a range of fields — development, politics, science, technology, and communications — so you’ll hear a mix of perspectives. Stay tuned for a fun “Who’s Most Likely To” game and some advice for anyone considering studying abroad!For more episodes on this topic, listen to our "Prepare and Progress in Pre-Professional Life" episode.

Welcome back to another solo episode with Anagha! As a current student interviewer for both her college and graduate school — and someone who’s been through those interviews herself — she’s here to share her tips on cracking the college and grad school interview. Tune in to learn about her experience and tips being interviewed for college and graduate school and as an interviewer for prospective undergraduate and masters students.

Hi this is Priyasha :) I have long wanted to make an episode about my thoughts on all things dating. Disclaimer - I have never been in a relationship (been in talking stages and been exclusive before) but I wanted to reflect on the evolution of my standards and experiences throughout college. The focus here is on standards, self worth and stability - how I learned (and am still learning) to approach men and dating from a place of confidence and abundance and not anxiousness and scarcity.In our podcasts, we reflect on topics we are also still actively figuring out! So while I am single, I am at a much better place in terms of my standards, self worth and what I am looking for. I hope the episode and the "recipe for success section" at the end especially helps someone!

It’s Anagha and I am back for my next solo episode! So I just started graduate school after graduating college and I wanted to yap about 6 specific and solid study strategies and skills that I have seen work for me, work for others, and ones I am actively trying to work on right now. These include skills and tips for time management, proper studying habits, and how to work smarter. I also provide some nuance on study habits such as multitasking, studying with rights. Tune in and I hope you gain new insights and a useful perspective!

Hi everyone! We both are starting graduate school in just about two weeks, so we wanted to talk all about how we got to this new chapter of our lives! We discuss why we decided to go straight to graduate school, the application process, and tips that we think led to our acceptances. This is a very personal episode but we hope it can help some of you who are considering graduate school. Masters is not for everyone, but we are grateful to be pursuing it before properly entering the workforce. Hope you enjoy the episode.

Hi everyone!! This is Anagha for her second solo episode. In this brief episode, I discuss analytical op-ed writing in foreign affairs topics and how I began publishing for various outlets. I talk about my own experience shifting from long form academic writing to shorter policy articles and share my tips and tricks on writing, pitching, and publishing!

Hi everyone! We are back with a duo episode on party planning - tips and anecdotes around hosting birthday parties, pregames, planning more large-scale social events for college clubs and more! If you know us, we love bringing people together and having fun (partying or not), so we wanted to film an episode on it. We discuss things like how to be good on aux, how to organise pregames, how to come up with themes, how to prioritise safety, and more. This was a fun and light episode for us to film so we hope you enjoy.

Hi! This is Priyasha, and I’m back with another solo episode — all about crying. Why we cry, how my experience with crying has evolved, a few stories along the way, and how we can get better at understanding and managing our emotions. If you know me, you know I’m someone who feels deeply and thinks a lot — I’m definitely emotional and a frequent crier. So I wanted to take a moment to reflect and share some personal thoughts on crying. I hope that no matter how often we cry, we do it with clarity—to cope, to comfort, and to connect. Here are some links I referenced :)https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-crying-good-for-you-2021030122020 https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-control-your-emotionshttps://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cryhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/201804/why-do-we-cry-exploring-the-psychology-emotional-tears

This is our first solo episode hosted by Anagha! Today, I’ll talk about leadership— some leaders I admire, how I’ve built confidence through leadership roles, traits of effective leaders, key experiences that shaped me, and the value of developing strong leadership skills. This topic is especially meaningful to me because it has been a gradual personal growth journey. Within and outside of college, I have been able to seek and succeed in different opportunities by building certain skillsets and stepping outside my comfort zone. Tune in to hear my thoughts and reflections on how I can be a better leader by analysing effective traits! I hope you are also able to reflect on times where you felt you took initiative and how you can use such lessons to grow as a person!

Hi everyone! We are back with our first episode since getting our bachelors degree from Georgetown University. We share 15 important lessons we learned during our four years in college. These are also lessons we want to carry with us as we begin our separate masters programs in Washington D.C. We hope you enjoy our twin chats and reflections and that some of this resonates with you no matter where you may be in life. Thank you for listening!Here is a list of the lessons:Build out an academic roadmap as soon as possible and keep referencing it.Take advantage of the opportunities that excite and scare you.When it comes to friend groups, find the balance between intentional and organic.It is okay to not have a niche and to instead build a variety of skills and interests.Build and maintain social and professional connections.There is no one definition of “the college experience."Comparison is the thief of joy - focus on your own journey and timeline.Have the difficult conversations.Work hard but always have something to look forward to.Learn to react less and act more.Stay in touch with home and family.Be detail oriented but don’t forgot to zoom out once in a while.The more you put in, the more you get out.Hustle with hope.Show up as you are.

This is our first solo episode hosted by Priyasha! I am passionate about journalism and the media and how they shape our understanding of global affairs and public policy. This episode is a discussion of how I am learning to better navigate the news industry - through journalism classes, internships, and conversations with journalists. The news space is often very polarised and partisan, and it may be difficult to parse through content to find what we are looking for. The episode poses several questions: Where do you get your news from and why? What is objectivity in journalism and is it a realistic goal?I share some of the insight I have gathered and applied to become a better news consumer. This is an ongoing journey and as I progress in my study of journalism, I hope to understand the news and media industry even more.

Hi everyone! We missed podcasting but we are back with an episode on tackling transitions. Transitions are a difficult time of uncertainty and anxiety for many - whether it be graduating high school, graduating college (as we will next year), or moving countries etc. In this episode, we reflect on pieces of advice we wish we had gotten when we graduated high school. Many of these points are still relevant today as we look ahead to our college graduation in 2025. We hope you enjoy listening to us reflect and ramble, and stay tuned for more episodes.

This episode is another one of our "Real Talks," which we have done in the past where we dive into candid conversations and share our experiences/insights regarding a topic. In this episode, we talk all things dating and other types of connections, breaking down dating buzz words like "situationships" and "ghosting", and sharing our experiences. We ask each other questions about first crushes and first dates and share a segment of "Twin Takes," as well. The episode concludes with a classic "Recipe for Success," where think about ways to best navigate the dating world and become the best version of yourself. We certainly don't have it figured out but it's fun to reflect on. Hope you enjoy!

We are back with a summer episode! Tune in to hear us talk all about how we have been approaching and navigating pre professional culture in college. We generally discuss and reflect on our personal experience, timelines, building employable skills, jobs, and internships in different countries. We hit on the pros and cons of pre-professional culture too, acknowledging that it looks different for everyone depending on your context and career goals, and as rising juniors in college who just wrapped their third internship - it is especially relevant for us. There will be useful insight for anyone interested and we thank you for tuning in.

Hi everyone! Hope you have been liking our back to back episodes - we are still on summer break so are posting more! This was one of our favorite episodes because we called each other out and shared personal stories! We took the attachment quiz, which you should take with us here, and analysed each of the attachment styles. According to Psychology Today, there are 4 main types. Listen to find out more! It is important to be aware of our attachment styles and that of others so we can be the best version of ourselves. This was an enlightening episode for us to film and we hope you feel the same. 

Hello hello:)) In this episode, we talk all about friendships in college! We talk about how high school friendships may compare to college friendships, the different types of friends you may encounter in college, and how to approach them. This is based on what we have seen, heard, and experienced - not to be taken as an objective fact that is applicable to all experiences of course hehe :D. Enjoy listening and we hope this episode was insightful!

Welcome to Part 2 of our birthday special!! Here are the topics we covered: 1. The more you put in, the more you will get out of an experience 2. Show your appreciation for people 3. Understand the importance of independence and responsibility 4. Invest in interpersonal skills for fun 5. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself in some ways 6. There will always be someone better, but don't let that stop you from showing your potential 7. Think before you speak, educate yourself before forming an opinion 8. Being balanced and bipartisan does not mean that you do not know yourself or your beliefs 9. Put time and effort into conversations and ensure a good balance 10. What you want may not always be what you need and what you need may not always be what you want

Hi everyone!! In honor of our 19th birthday, we wanted to talk about 19 things we have learned and are continuing to implement our lives. This is Part 1 so we will only cover 9 lessons, and Part 2 will cover the other 10. We hope you find our discussion insightful. Here are the topics below: Be grateful for the present moment Quality vs Quantity in friendships The importance of mentorship and giving back It’s okay to be a late bloomer Don’t compare academic or personal interests and goals in a negative way Take time to regain your energy and make time for yourself (prioritise self help and mental health/) Asking for help is not a weakness Reduce your anxiety or sense of overwhelm about future related things Enjoy learning for the sake of learning

Thank you all for 800 plays! Please ignore some of the background noise as it was raining when we filmed this!! Our episode today is all about overthinking - what it is, causes and effects, and ways to control your thoughts in a healthy manner. Overthinking is something that many people struggle with. In fact, we have had many conversations with each other and our friends about this specific topic and trying to decipher why our mind often wanders or thinks so deeply about irrational things. We bring in some scientific research as well and talk through signs that can help everyone recognise if overthinking is a problem and then working towards overcoming it. Hope this episode was insightful! Sources: https://www.thezoereport.com/p/what-causes-overthinking-therapists-psychologists-break-down-this-bad-habit-22911944 https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-runaway-mind/202001/are-you-overthinker https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2020/04/20/10-signs-youre-overthinking-and-what-to-do-about-it/?sh=62b5483f2bb8 https://www.newharbinger.com/9781626258426/the-anxious-thoughts-workbook

Hi everyone! Today we have our friend Omar on to talk about some differences between high school and university. We first talk about topics such as social and academic pressures which are relevant in both high school and college. Then Omar gives us advice on how to cope with failures and drastic changes (including homesickness and weather) in college. As recent high school graduates, we both really benefitted from hearing Omar's experience and advice, and we hope you all find it helpful as well!

Hi everyone! This episode is all about gratitude - what it is, how we can develop and deepen our gratitude, and its pros and cons. We bring in research from psychology professors from UC Davis and Yale University and also talk about ways we express gratitude in our daily lives. This episode is to help ourselves and others understand how we can be more grateful every day. Some methods include savoring, present-thinking, gratitude journaling, saying thank you more often, expressing kindness, and investing in experiences over material goods. Sources below! Gratitude quiz: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/gratitude  https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf  https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/hedonic-adaptation#:~:text=Hedonic%20adaptation%20refers%20to%20the,%2C%20%26%20Scollon%2C%202006).

TIMESTAMPS BELOW. This is a general college application and prep Q&A! We start college in the fall of 2021, so this episode is a reflection on the process we went through in the last few years. We are not experts, but we do enjoy reflecting on our college experience and hopefully offering some tips to help demystify your experience. Feel free to message us on Instagram @scentofsuccess_ if you have more questions :) [TIMESTAMPS]: 1:15: IB and College Applications (predicted scores, IB subjects/majors, how IB is viewed by US colleges, time management) 7:30: Standardized testing (applying test-optional, tips) 11:00: College lists (the importance of ranks, how to find a great university) 15:55: College Essays for the US and the UK (how to be satisfied with them) 20:25: General US application questions (extracurriculars, package building) 22:25: General UK application questions (conditional offers) 24:15: General questions overall (pressure, parental conflicts, how to stand out) 27:03: Application timelines and rounds for the US (EA vs ED vs REA) Be sure to check out College Conversations Part 1 where we talk about more in depth college lists and timelines for the US, and College Conversations Part 2 where we talk all about essays! 

[TIMESTAMPS PROVIDED] Hi everyone! Today we will be covering an important topic that hits close to home - the COVID Crisis in India. We have our childhood friend Titiksha on to hear her first-hand perspective on the situation.  Timestamps: 1:25: Present situation in India and the second wave of COVID 4:30: Reasons behind the current spread 6:30: The role of culture and religion in the spike in COVID 10:30: The role of social media in spreading awareness and asking for support 13:40: India's vaccine policies 18:50: India's trajectory/past with COVID in 2020 25:40: Unity and hope 27:10: Spectrum and discussion questions Please do not hesitate to message us if you feel that any of the information or opinion we provided was inaccurate. We hope you stay safe! Donation links: https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/culture/events/india-covid-19-crisis-donate-charity-verified-organisations/  https://zenerations.carrd.co/#indiacrisis  Helpful sources: https://meridian-magazine.com/india-gasps-for-air-all-i-can-do-is-watch/ : Tanvi's article https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56561095 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/asia/india-covid-19-infections.html 

Thank you for 400+ plays!! Today we will be talking about friendships with our friend, Tim! The three of us often have deep conversations about friendships and we felt that he would add a fresh new perspective to this topic. We talk about red and green flags in friendships, play a fun game of "Who's more likely to," and reflect on how we can be better friends ourselves. Of course, we are not experts, but as seniors in high school, we have had a lot of experience with friendships - both good and bad. We hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Tim for being such a great guest!

Hi everyone! This is the start of our College Conversations series. Since we just finished our college application cycle, we believe that our experiences and advice may be helpful! Today we will be talking about the college timeline and preparation phase, and how to determine your college list. Many of our younger friends often ask us about college and this series is great for any prospective college student! Just a disclaimer that a lot of the information is US-centric (especially the college timeline) as we mainly applied there. Also, we are not experts by any means, just students who have experienced both success and rejection during the process! Good luck and feel free to message us if you have questions!

Welcome to Episode 7! Today we are talking all about empathy. We talk about what empathy is, ways to be more empathetic, and evaluate the pros and cons of empathy. Is empathy always good? Can it lead us astray? What is your empathy quotient? All this and more will be covered in this episode. We really enjoyed researching about this and recording this episode - there were definitely some new things that we learned, and we hope you all do as well.  Here are some links we used (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201505/empathy-vs-sympathy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz1g1SpD9Zo, https://psychology-tools.com/test/empathy-quotient). 

Welcome to our new series - Into IB!! We have been doing the IB Diploma program for almost 2 years now, and we have learned a lot! We want to share our experience and give advice, especially for those entering IB or wondering if they picked the right classes. In this episode, we talk about what the IB diploma program is, why we chose the classes we did, what to keep in mind when choosing your classes, and falsify/verify some myths. Just a reminder that everyone is on their own path and everyone has their own prospects and priorities. There is no one size fits all. Everyone's IB experience is different. We hope this episode was helpful for you guys!

Welcome back! Today's episode is all about productivity! We share some personal information, tips on how to be productive, and analyse terms such as "toxic productivity," "perfectionist" and "multi-tasker," We also analyse the 5 pillars of productivity explained in David Allen's book, "Getting Things Done." There is a section towards the end called "Recipe for Success," where we give our own tips! We hope this episode was informative. We are still getting better at using our mics and adjusting our volume, so please bare with any technical mishaps.

Hey guys! We are Anagha and Priyasha, 18 year old twin sisters from India living in the Philippines. This is an introductory episode and as we are very new to this, please forgive our rambling and awkward moments! We talk a little about why we started this podcast, our hopes for it, and episode ideas. We also give you guys an insight into what stage of life we are in, as almost freshmen in university. We talk about our interests, growing up shy, and how we love giving advice and talking to others about what we are passionate about! Also our intro song is quite intense because that is the type of music we like to hear (EDM and beat drops), but we may change it to something more chill soon!!