JOIN USSejal Pradhan, who is currently pursuing MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology at Loughborough University, talks about her experiences at the prestigious UK University.
I was born and brought up in Mumbai where I did my schooling, junior college and graduation. Observing my father’s work over the years, I developed an increasing interest in the field of electrical engineering and renewable energy technologies and hence decided to do my graduation in Electrical Engineering. Thus, I enrolled in Sardar Patel College of Engineering which is one of the honoured engineering colleges in the country. In order to gain an in-depth knowledge of the field and to get a wider exposure, I decided to go abroad to pursue my masters degree.
Having gone through all the options available, I zeroed on to Loughborough University due to the good reputation that the University holds. It was also strongly recommended by my uncle who works in a similar sector as mine and he knew about a few successful people associated with the University. After doing my own bit of research, I was convinced that Loughborough University could give me the exposure and opportunities of an international standard.
Moreover, the School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University is among the UK’s top ranked in terms of engineering talent. Further, it also offered me a 25 % scholarship on the tuition fee, which was also a deciding factor for me.
The MSc Renewable Energy Systems Technology course that I am studying here has offered me a vast variety of knowledge owing to it being up-to-date and in-sync with industry requirements. The professors and the visiting faculty have a thorough understanding of the subject and constantly give us an insight of many current happenings from the industry. Moreover, the teachers provide immense support to the students and encourage them to stretch their minds as far as possible. Further, the diverse international culture on campus was one thing I really liked about Loughborough, because of which I have received a lot of exposure here. I now have friends from so many different countries and cultures; I couldn’t have had a better opportunity than this!
By far, my experience at Loughborough has been fantastic. The clean, green and pristine campus is very appealing to me especially since my home city is extremely congested like any major metro in India. The best part is the initiative taken by the University to cut down its carbon emissions and that is reflected from the campus and from its greens.
I arrived here knowing nothing about this place but the facilities and support provided by the staff helped me know the place in not much time. The campus is very student friendly with almost everything easily accessible. Loughborough, being a small town, has limited but good options for pubs and has some good restaurants too. Leicester being not far away, one could go there for some stores and brands that Loughborough may not have. Also, London being just 2 hours away, one can experience the charm of the city without having to bear the expense of the costly place. Loughborough has got almost all that you would need for a happy student life.
I hold a keen interest in travel and photography which I love doing in my free time.
I also like being a part of charity campaigns and blood donation campaigns and for these the University provides me with ample opportunities.