Every student dreams of achieving something great in life and so did I. After completing my schooling at Don Bosco, Liluah, I graduated with a major in architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, in 2013. After working in a firm for a couple of years in Kolkata, I went on to pursue my master's in Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield, U.K., a two-year postgraduate programme. Later, I opted for a one-year course due to financial constraints. I was excited to grab this opportunity as it has been one of the best institutions that imparts research-oriented knowledge in every field.
The course made me quite focused throughout the year as I was busy with many seminars, lectures, workshops, tutorials, assignments and submissions. We are also allotted a personal tutor who acts as a local guardian and also counsels students. Each tutor has specialisation and research interest in their respective fields which is directly fed into the course that benefits students. The standard of academic writing is scrutinised and plagiarism is a definite no. Hence, every student learns to be independent from the beginning and also focuses on referencing each document carefully.
Coming from a middle-class family, studying and living abroad could have been expensive for me. But, it has been an amazing experience for me so far as I have been able to manage everything simultaneously by working part-time along my studies. People in the University of Sheffield are warm and friendly. They have several student-friendly facilities. For example, Job Shop that helps students find part-time jobs.
Other facilities include schemes to fund unpaid internships during vacations, departmental opportunities to join a professional workshop, a 24 x 7 library service, the latest technology laboratories for every department in the brand new Diamond building, advanced labs for research and a multi-activity student’s union where one can relax, join societies and make new friends. Students of different ages and from different continents come here for their education. The university is integrated with the lovely city of Sheffield, quite close to the city as it is not a walled campus. The city is safe for students — I have walked back alone from the library to my accommodation post-midnight. Post- Brexit too, people's behaviour in the city has not changed, and in fact, the University of Sheffield has eagerly come forward to support international students with a much warmer welcome campaign, called “#We are International”.
The university also gives you freedom to choose between university accommodation as well as private accommodation. One can seek career consultation, immigration advice, medical help or get help in finding private property. It has amazing sport facilities and events happening throughout the year.
The writer is pursuing master’s in Landscape programme at the
University of Sheffield, U.K.
