Student
Profiles |
India
Vishal Kapoor
Age 26, Vishal Kapoor is currently studying at Leeds Met for
an MSc in International Hospitality Management.
Having been educated in British missionary schools in India Vishal
had a fair idea about the quality of further education he could
expect to find in the UK. Having decided on coming here he began
the process of researching postgraduate courses here:
“ During my process of fact-finding about universities in the UK, I discovered that the Tourism, Hospitality and Events School at Leeds Met has an excellent reputation and offers very competitive fees. I met a professor from another university in the UK and he also had good words for the University.
Vishal is living in Hyde Park, a popular area for Leeds Met students, along with four other Indian mates: “The accommodation is very decent, we cook food daily, something which I never used to do in India. So it’s very interesting. It is a five room apartment with a large living room. Most get-togethers in our group take place in our house.”
An unexpected bonus for Vishal was the snowfall in Leeds over the Christmas vacation! “The snowfall on New Years Eve was excellent to start the new year with. It was the first snowfall I had seen in my life and the only one that took place in the season. It seemed as if it only wanted to welcome 2004! I really enjoyed the view and the atmosphere.”
Vishal was also pleased to find a Sikh temple near to his accommodation in the UK. There is a thriving Sikh community in Leeds with several places of worship, but Vishal didn’t expect to find one in the vicinity of the University.
He rates reasonable fees and the friendly and helpful nature
of the teaching staff as among the major benefits of studying
at the University.
But when asked what the best thing about his course and stay
so far is Vishal says: “To earn while you learn is good
but demanding!” He is pleased that students on this course
have the opportunity to undertake a period of work experience
within the UK hospitality sector for 6-12 months prior to formal
tuition – providing very useful experience and knowledge
of the international hospitality industry for those who need
it in addition to formal learning.
Cleona Lira
Aged 27, Cleona Lira hails from the beautiful Indian region of Goa. Cleona is studying for a general MBA and ultimately chose Leeds Business School on the personal recommendation of a friend who had previously studied here. She, did, however, do her own homework before deciding to apply. Says Cleona: “I chose the UK because British degrees are recognised worldwide, England has always been well-known for its high quality of education and this course was an intensive but one year programme. The shorter duration of study helped me to feel comfortable about taking a break from work.”
In looking at the course, Cleona didn’t only rely on her friend’s experiences, but gave the University’s prospectus and course information a thorough review: “From what I understood from 4400 miles away, Leeds Met offered experienced and committed faculty, an assignment-intensive course which meant I could apply theoretical knowledge to practical work and huge library and sports facilities. I love reading books and from what I read about the Business School (at Beckett Park campus) on the Leeds Met web site, I knew I could combine my MBA degree with a lot of reading, dancing classes from the sports facility and also make many international friends. I do go out to clubs with my housemates quite often as the night life in Leeds is very vibrant and ‘happening’.”
Cleona also has to admit that easy flights from Leeds-Bradford to continental Europe and Ireland were a big draw! “Being so close to Paris and Dublin meant that I could do a bit of travelling in Europe as well. This just cemented my decision to take up my Masters degree at Leeds Met.”
She is steadily adjusting to living in the UK: “I live in a rented house, five minutes from the University. The house has five bedrooms and we five students share the rent and bills among ourselves equally. It has a lovely garden in the front and a huge backyard where we plan a few barbeques in the summer. The house has a spacious kitchen where we usually spend time cooking lip-smacking Indian curries. My room is quite big and things like laptop computers and music systems are quite inexpensive here, so I have bought those after arriving.”
And the infamous British weather? “Living in the north of the UK means that you have to be prepared to brave the cold. Especially if you are from warm sunny Goa like me, you hate the cold. The only thing I was worried about when I arrived at Leeds was how I was going to cope with the weather. But this New Years Eve it snowed in Leeds and it was absolutely brilliant! My housemates and I had snow fights and behaved like absolute toddlers, deliriously happy at seeing the snow. It was the most beautiful thing ever and now I have decided that I love winter!”
When it comes to studying, Cleona has enjoyed the way that the lecturers teach in a very interactive manner which serves to make every module interesting. She likes the fact that there is a lot of student participation in the tutorials and one-on-one time with the lecturers. “They also bring a rich variety of live examples into the course and that makes us think while we listen to the lectures.”
Cleona also has found that Leeds Met has more than adequate facilities when it comes to personal study time too: “In fact this was the first thing that really impressed me when I walked into the campus before class had even started. There are two huge floors of books and if you are an avid reader, you would never be disappointed with the collection. I was surprised to find books on so many subjects –even travelogues by Bill Bryson, my favourite author as well!
”There are IT labs with access to the internet, hence you can work on assignments there. During exam time or when it is busy the Learning Centres are open 24 hours and it really is a relief to know that when you have assignment deadlines.”
Out of school Cleona really enjoys the big city life that Leeds offers: “It is a great place to shop –if you are a student to window shop-and I can just lose myself gawking at the amazing clothes, boots, and books on offer.
“It is great for entertainment-there is no dearth of bowling alleys, picture houses and public libraries for quieter evenings, also cycling paths and discotheques.
“The city is clean and pollution free with very efficient and reliable public transport and there is lots of greenery everywhere. And the local ‘fish and chips’ and ‘jacket potatoes with fillings’ are really quite a treat as well!”
For Cleona the icing on the cake was receiving a Scholarship Award to come to Leeds Met: “To say that I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. I had tears in my eyes when I knew that I had got a full scholarship and thanked God from the bottom of my heart. For me it was a miracle for I was quite worried about repaying the student loan off the bank I had borrowed from in India. I will ever be grateful to Leeds Met for providing this most amazing opportunity to me and I will never, ever, take it for granted.”
And the future? Leona plans to work in London after she finishes her course, for a year before heading back to India. She is in no doubt of the value of studying here to her as a person and to her longer term career prospects: “Studying abroad has definitely broadened my mind and given me an edge – both in understanding business and people. I can definitely see myself leading a successful marketing team, preferably in senior management in the next five years.
”I am just glad I decided to come here and would be happy to correspond with any prospective student who has doubts or questions. Also, Leeds Met’s representative consultants Prem Kapur and Associates were very efficient and supportive in helping me to make my decision.”
Mrugan Majmudar
Mrugan Majmudar came to Leeds Met from Baroda, near Mumbai in the West of India, in January 2005 to begin an MSc in Finance. He was awarded the International Prize meaning that his full tuition fee was paid for by the International Office.
This is his story…
“I studied for a Masters in International Business at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, near Delhi, which was an excellent platform for specialised studies. I then got a job in a bank and decided that I would like to do some research in Finance.
“When I started to look around, I discovered that the UK had an excellent reputation for finance and I wanted to move closer to the global finance market. I found out that the Leeds Business School was new and had an excellent reputation and good connections. It was easy to find out all this information – I used a combination of the website and telephone conversations to Leeds Met’s South Asia office, both of which were extremely helpful. Staff at Leeds Met South Asia were particularly helpful when it came to advice on how to get my visa.
“I expected Leeds to be clean and to have friendly people and I have found all of these to be correct. I have heard great things about the nightlife but I haven’t had a chance to experience it yet. Leeds has excellent transport links that mean I can go to London, Cambridge, or even Ireland for seminars. The sports facilities are absolutely fantastic, especially the gymnasium. However, I am disappointed that there’s no cricket being played yet!
“I am staying in Rich Hall which is really good. It’s so convenient that I have access to the library and internet 24/7 just a short walk away. Our block is so cosmopolitan – we have students from Sudan, Mexico, Greece, China and Cyprus – and myself of course, the only Indian representative! I am looking forward to learning some new languages and have already picked up some Arabic.
“The scholarship I received was an added advantage to
studying here. I feel that I can now set an example to other
Indians – these scholarships are available, you just have
to work for them. I would recommend that any international student
coming to work here should work out a career plan before applying
and remember that, although it’s going to be a lot of hard
work, it’s one special year. It’s a world class product
that we are being offered by Leeds Met so we should really make
the most of it.”
Siddhartha Nandi Purkayastha
How Siddhartha Nandi Purkayastha used Leeds Met South Asia
Siddhartha Nandi Purkayastha, who started studying International Business at Leeds Met in January 2005, is an early success story from the University’s new South Asia Office, in Delhi, India.
He saw the facility advertised in The Times of India while he was visiting the city from Silchat, his home town in the north east of India. He dropped in to see what Leeds Met could offer him, following his graduation from Assam University with a Bachelor of Arts qualification.
He said: “I met Jayashree Raghuram, the manager of the office, and she explained to me that Leeds Business School scored 24 out of 24 in a review by the Quality Assurance Agency and that Leeds Met has a high number of International students. The fee structure was suitable to what I was looking for and, when I had the opportunity to speak to an International Officer from Leeds Business School in December, I finalised my plans.
“Since I arrived in England, people have been so helpful,
from the University representatives who met me at the airport
when I arrived, to a student who lent me his mobile when I was
having problems making an international call. I am staying in
Rich Hall and have already met many residents of different nationalities.”
