Arman Sykot chose to write the rest of his story before letting that number define the ending.

How many dreams end before an application is even submitted? Not because a university rejected them. Not because a scholarship committee said no.

But because somewhere between receiving a disappointing CGPA and opening another university website, thousands of students quietly convince themselves that the answer will always be no.

Especially in Bangladesh, a transcript is often treated as the last resort of a student’s potential. It portrays grades, calculates a CGPA and ranks academic performance. What it cannot capture is curiosity. It cannot show the hours spent learning beyond the classroom wall, the failed experiments that polish critical thinking or the resilience built through rejection and persistence. Applications remain unfinished, scholarship deadlines pass unnoticed, and dreams quietly shrink, not because a university rejected them but because they assumed rejection was inevitable.

For many students, however, that single number becomes louder than everything else.

Arman Sykot refused to let it be the loudest voice.

Today, the North South University graduate is preparing to join Korea University’s Experimental Quantum Research Laboratory as a fully funded integrated PhD student, where he will work on research in quantum computation using spin qubits. His tuition fees will be covered through his supervisor’s research grants and Korea University’s BK21 programme.

Surprisingly, none of this started with quantum computers.

It began with curiosity.

“I have always been curious about nature and how the universe works, and that curiosity naturally led me toward physics.”

Even before research papers, lab experiments and PhD offers entered the picture, Mr Arman was simply a student spellbound by science. Growing up, he studied in several institutions including Sirajganj Collectorate School and College, Rainbow International School, RM Academy in Pabna, and later Dhaka City College before enrolling in North South University’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE).

Choosing CSE was a reasoned decision. The area offered broader career opportunities, yet his enthusiasm with physics never disappeared. Instead, it was at university that I discovered a path where both interests could flourish side by side.

“Studying CSE helped me build strong analytical and technical skills while keeping my interest in physics alive. Eventually, it led me toward interdisciplinary fields that combine computing and quantum science.”

That crossroads between computing and physics would eventually define his career.

But not immediately.

Like other CSE students, his undergraduate journey was initially dominated by competitive programming rather than research. Solving algorithm problems polished his analytical thinking while the North South University Programming Society became an important part of his university life.

Research came later, unfolding in ways he hadn’t expected.

“My interest in research gradually developed during my final year because of my thesis supervisor, Dr Mahdy Rahman Chowdhury, who continuously encouraged me to pursue research.”

Sometimes one person, a single mentor, changes more than a student’s academic direction.

Sometimes they change the questions that students begin asking.

Before that, success had largely meant solving programming problems and earning grades. Research opened the door to an entirely different challenge, asking questions no textbook could answer.

From solving problems to asking questions

Arman’s early university years revolved around coding rather than research. Competitive programming became more than an ECA; it trained him to think logically, systematically approach problems and remain patient when solutions did not come easily.

Only later did he realise that those skills would become invaluable in his research journey.

“The NSUPS competitive programming community played a crucial role in developing my problem-solving skills and shaping my university experience.”

It wasn’t until his final year that a new path revealed itself.

His undergraduate thesis introduced him to research under the supervision of Dr Mahdy Rahman Chowdhury, a turning point that transformed his academic interests. What started as a thesis project gradually became something much larger.

More importantly, the project marked the beginning of his journey into a field that would shape his academic and professional ambitions.

“My introduction to quantum physics came through my undergraduate thesis project. Working on that project exposed me to the fascinating and often counterintuitive behaviour of the quantum world. The more I learned about it, the more interested I became, and that curiosity eventually grew into a passion.”

For Arman, quantum physics wasn’t simply another research topic. It became the meeting point between his two greatest interests, computer science and understanding how nature works.

Research soon transformed from a university requirement into something he genuinely enjoyed. Questions became more exciting than answers and learning no longer stopped when the classroom ended.

That curiosity eventually led him to spend 14 months working as a research assistant where he learned how scientific knowledge is created long before it appears in journals.

Beyond the transcript

For many students, a lower CGPA becomes the first thing they apologise for in an application. It is treated as a gap that must be explained, balanced out, or hidden behind certificates and ECAs.

Arman chose a different approach.

Graduating from North South University’s CSE department with a CGPA of 2.57, he knew the number would attract attention. Yet he refused to let it become the centre of his academic identity.

“I never believed that my CGPA defined my abilities or future opportunities. I always believed that my skills, experience, and potential mattered far more than a number on a transcript.”

That belief changed how he approached the years after graduation.

Instead of asking how he could compensate for his grades, he focused on becoming a better researcher. He continued sharpening his technical skills, immersed himself in research projects, and spent more than a year working as a research assistant.

“I never saw my CGPA as a gap that needed to be filled. Instead of worrying about it, I focused on the things I was genuinely interested in and passionate about. I kept learning, building my skills, and pursuing research in my own way.”

His research profile gradually became stronger. Publications followed. So did new opportunities to collaborate, learn and grow.

He was simply becoming someone whose work spoke for itself.

Knocking on a hundred doors

Building the profile was one challenge.

Finding someone who is willing to believe in it was another.

Not like undergraduate admissions, many research-based PhD opportunities begin long before an official application is submitted. Students often have to contact professors directly, introduce their work, explain their interests and hope someone sees potential in a stranger’s email.

For Arman, that meant writing message after message, carefully organised, thoughtfully written and often unanswered.

Around 100 professors, by his estimate. Most of them never replied. A few courteously declined.

Only four or five responded positively. One of those replies changed everything.

“I probably emailed around 100 professors or even more. Most of the emails received no response, while only a few professors sent direct rejections. In the end, I received four or five positive replies, and one of them led to this opportunity.”

The opportunity came through Professor Donghun Lee at Korea University, whose research closely complemented Arman’s emerging interest in quantum information science.

His acceptance also came with full financial support through his supervisor’s research grant and the university’s BK21 programme, covering tuition, providing a monthly stipend, and allowing him to meet his accommodation and living expenses.

For Arman, that support meant something more valuable than financial security.

From Dhaka to Seoul

Every acceptance letter marks the end of one journey, but for researchers, it is often the starting of another.

For Arman, Korea University represents more than a prestigious institution. It is the place where years of curiosity, research and persistence will finally converge into the work he has long wanted to pursue.

The opportunity also allows him to focus entirely on research.

Instead of worrying about tuition fees or living expenses, his education will be funded through Professor Donghun Lee’s research grants together with Korea University’s BK21 programme, which covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend sufficient for accommodation and daily living.

For Sykot, that financial support offers something every researcher values.

The freedom to ask difficult questions. The freedom to spend time searching for answers.

No one reaches this point alone

For Arman, that story starts at home. He gives credit to his parents for giving him the encouragement and confidence to pursue opportunities that often seemed uncertain.

“My family’s support was essential throughout this journey. Without my father and mother, I could not have imagined pursuing this path. Their encouragement, trust, and sacrifices gave me the confidence and freedom to follow my interests.”

When the long-awaited offer finally arrived, there was only one place he wanted to share the news first, his family.

“I first shared the news with my mother, sister, and father. At first, they could hardly believe it. Their reaction was almost like a superposition of happiness and sadness. They were proud and excited, but also emotional because it meant I would be leaving them.”

His growth, however, was never shaped by family alone.

Looking back to when he speaks just as warmly about mentors, supervisors, friends and labmates who encouraged him along the way.

More than a destination

Success stories often draw us to focus on the ending, the admission letter, the scholarship or the university name. Studying in South Korea was never the destination he chased. It became the result of years spent following his curiosity, developing his skills, and remaining consistent even when progress felt slow.

Programming, mathematics, research methodology, scientific writing, and reading academic papers are all skills that can be developed during undergraduate years. Equally important is learning how to ask meaningful questions instead of simply searching for correct answers.

The publications, scholarships, and opportunities, he suggests, often come later.

“Studying abroad should never be the ultimate goal. It is only one possible part of the journey. The real goal should be becoming someone capable of contributing meaningful research and continuously learning.”

Perhaps that is why his story resonates beyond a single admission offer.

His transcript still records a 2.57 CGPA. But it tells only a fraction of the story.