My life as a student at University Of Aberdeen

Rohit S. shares his experience as a student at University Of Aberdeen.

Q :- You have been one of those highly respected lot of students who have been doing higher studies at University Of Aberdeen How does it feel to be at University Of Aberdeen UK?
A :- It makes me feel great when I think I’m doing my PG from University of Aberdeen. People here are good but 1 year is too short time to adopt new cultures and new system.

Q :- Please tell us about which course you are studying and why did you choose that course?
A :- I'm doing MSc Drug Development with Bio-business. I choose this course as I wanted to be involved in how drug is developed right from the selection of lead molecule to clinical trials and launching it in market.

Q :- Why did you choose the UK for higher education?
A :- I chose UK for my PG as it is known for their expertise in Biological science and UK degree is respected and recognized worldwide.

Q :- How is University Of Aberdeen different than any other UK University based on whatever you have heard from your friends about
A :- University of Aberdeen maintains broad research base and provide ample opportunities to students to learn and grow vertically. The facilities provided by the Universities are worth spending the money. The professors and staff are very helpful and are involved in quality research work. Library and other facilities are world class.

Q :- Are you happy with your decision?
A :- Yeah, I’m happy with my decision that I choose to study in University of Aberdeen. It’s just the right kind of University I wanted to join in and I’m sure the knowledge and exposure which I’ll get here will be driving force of my future.

Q :- Where do you eat? Do you cook yourself?
A :- Mostly I self-cook and eat at home but there are a handful of Indian restaurants also were we eat sometimes.

Q :- Where do you live? On-campus or off-campus and why?
A :- I live off-campus, in a rented flat sharing the flat with 2 other guys.

Q :- Please share some of your experiences of the UK for aspiring students
A :- UK itself is a very good experience, places are very nice and beautiful but even in Shimla and Manali view are same. People are really helpful with a few exceptions. But UK is full of different cultures so be comfortable with that. Education system is different from India one need to take appointment to meet professors, you cannot just copy from anywhere and write in your assignments, UK is very strict about plagiarism (copying some else’s work). I think most Indian students initially face problems with plagiarism. Since the course is very short and continuous assessment, one has to keep working always.
But if you can cope with intense pressures of deadline and vast amount of knowledge then UK is for you.

Q :- What’s your advice to students who aspire to go to the UK for higher studies?
A :- I'll advise them to have some work experience in their stream as it will help them in getting job after the course and work on presentation skills, as presentation is given a lot of importance here.

Q :- Other than academics, what else did you learn from the country UK ?
A :- Other than academics I learnt how to manage time, how to create good search strategy, working in team and many formal manner and etiquettes.

Q :- How are the studies in the UK different than the studies in India?
A :- Studies are a lot different, in India not much emphasis is given on self-work so people most of the time copy from various sources. Indian students don't have exposure to scientists and experts academicians and there is no link between industry and universities which can provide live information of what is happening in industry or what industry demands.

Q :- Is it worth spending so much money to get a degree from the UK as compared to similar degree in India with lower costs?
A :- I think it is worth spending the money as the facilities, interaction with the scientists, highly qualified professor, international exposure and good opportunities makes it worth. In India I could not find such course.

Q :- What’s your advice to parents of aspiring students?
A :- I would like to advise them not to hurry as it’s a huge investment and they should look whether their child could bear that burden on deadlines and doing all the work on their own. As I have seen many students (mostly girls) not able to bear the intense pressure of deadlines and exams.
The climate to an extent adds to their frustration as it gets very depressing in winter in Aberdeen.
So I would suggest to parents to look in their child, the potential they are worth for instead of just blindly send them into a foreign university.

Q :- Key things to remember for parents and students while planning for the studies in the UK
A :- UK is costly place to live and study as International students, so always plan with ample time in hand try to get some scholarship. Try not to concentrate more on part time work after you arrive here as the main motive is to study not to work part time. Improve your presentation and learning skills as far as possible.

Q :- What are you future plans?
A :- I’ll search for jobs in Pharmaceutical industry if I don't get a fully funded PhD.

Q :- How did you fund your higher education?
A :- I took a loan from Credila.

Q :- Why did you choose Credila?
A :- I chose Credila for the ease with which they approved my loan.

Q :- If Credila arranges a chat session with you for prospective students sometime in the future, will you be available for the chat on Credila’s expert chat session?
A :- I love to help prospective students but I have classes from 9 am to 5 pm (10:30 pm India) (mon-fri) so its not possible on weekdays, may be on weekends.

Q :- Any other advice to students and parents?
A :- Don’t hurry for anything.