Many PhD programmes do offer an MS exit, but settling dues and mentioning those years? Straightforward honesty works best. Just tell them, "I explored advanced research before deciding to shift my path." You can't hide those years, nor should you—they shaped your questions.
I left my own M.Tech research after a year, yaar. The department was decent about the hostel bill, and my current job offer letter only asks for my final degree. They cared more about the skills I gained than the degree I didn't complete.
So, don't let the unfinished chapter weigh you down like a badar on your shoulder. Frame it as a period of deep learning, pay your chaai-biscuit bills at the hostel, and walk on. My old dog Swaan and I take a new path every evening; some just end sooner than the map showed.
#work#career
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