How I made the most of my time at university

Finding experience in my subject area is one of the best decisions I’ve made. I started looking for opportunities to put my new engineering knowledge into practise and found a role as a Service Sales Engineering Intern. Although it was nerve-wracking stepping into the workplace before I graduated, I learned so much about the technology in vertical transportation, practical business know-how, prioritising workload and meeting deadlines, and I gained exposure working in an international environment.

Having a break from studying to have fun with your friends is a necessity. I always make time for my friends every week. Not only do we check on each other for support, but we also go out and try new things to make life-long memories. At difficult times, seeing my friends makes my day and helps me through.  

I’ve always wanted to help others. After all, they say that happiness comes from giving and I was happy to learn that. By volunteering with charities and philanthropic organisations, I learned lots of transferable skills like public speaking, management skills, how to collaborate and empathy. It brings a different purpose to my day and will help me to stand out when looking for work after university.  

Midway through my degree, I felt like I’d gained a better understanding of what I wanted to do for a career, but I needed some guidance on how to get there. After asking around, one of my professors offered to mentor me when they heard about my interest in product management and the projects I’d been involved with as a student. They helped me to prepare for mock interviews, networking with engineers, provided me with helpful resources like blogs and answered any questions that I had about the industry. It helped me to be focused in achieving my goals. 

While at university, I make sure to explore as much of Bangalore as I can, spending time in the restaurants and cafes, sightseeing, and wandering around with friends. During semester breaks, I’ve had enough time to explore other cities with my friends too. We travelled to Goa for a budget-friendly way to re-energise from university life. I even travelled to Assam and Shillong as part of my involvement with projects for university. 

These experiences gave me a greater perspective. I learned to celebrate diversity, respect differences and enhance my social skills. It’s one thing that’s key to developing a global career in the future.  

Once I had settled into life as an international student, I decided to try out some hobbies for myself. I joined a gym and went along to the university cycle-o-thon which opened me up to a more social side of student life. Joining clubs and societies is a great way to meet new people outside of your course and to do something you maybe wouldn’t try otherwise. Most of the times it was about putting myself out there even when I felt nervous.

My university experience gave me the skills and knowledge I needed to become an engineer, but it also gave me so much more. I learned to try new things for myself, to enter competitions, to earn some money, to help others and to make amazing memories that I will remember well into the future.