Student profile
Sheyas Reddy, MEng Aerospace Engineering with French, from New Delhi: “Having had the opportunity to work with the International Office as well as a student helper has brought me in contact with many international students over the course of the year, all of whom truly enjoyed their stay in Bath and got to experience numerous aspects of life at the University and in town.”
Why Bath?
When I first started looking at options to continue my studies abroad, I looked at various universities in UK listed in the British Council’s guide. Grading them in terms of factors such as courses, flexibility, the campuses themselves, the cities they were in, the social/student experiences at each university, Bath emerged as a top choice in my case. My primary choice was due to the course I opted to do, and with the other factors also proving to be a good fit, Bath seemed to be best option available to me.
Why Areospace Engineering?
I originally considered Bath to undertake an undergraduate course in Physics, but one of my other choices when looking at universities was Mechanical Engineering and related disciplines. When I was done looking at the Physics courses at Bath, I browsed through the Mech. Eng. department website, and fell in love with the courses and options available. In addition to the top rankings of the department in most surveys, the course itself offers great flexibility, with the option of specialising in one of seven different disciplines later in the course, as well as studying part of the course in French (which I had studied for 5 years in India) or German. The placement opportunities of the course and the structure of project work throughout the degree also proved to be great attractions. In the end, I opted to go for Mechanical Engineering with French, and now specialise in Aerospace Engineering.
What’s best about Bath?
Bath itself is a wonderful city, not so big that one can become indifferent as often happens in a big city while big enough to avoid being boring. Thus, it maintains a great balance between the pleasant atmosphere of a small town while retaining enough potential activity to remain active and enjoy oneself without getting truly bored. The University mirrors this, being relatively calm and peaceful, but at the same time offering plenty of interesting personalities and many opportunities to get involved with other activities and meet new people.
There is a good balance between academic and social life, for the most part. Having so many sports clubs and societies to join serves not just a great way to take part in activities, but also to make friends. The Students’ Union also provides many facilities to help students out with any problems they may be facing or in getting part-time employment, and the University does the best it can in many cases as well. I myself have been fairly active in the Students’ Union over the last couple of years, working with the Global Group, which organises activities and events which bring people from all over the world together (including British people) and lets them get involved and meet new people. Being part of the Global Group has brought me in contact not only with many people, but also with various other groups such as the Post-Graduate Association, various societies, and plenty of influential people in the Union, the University and various bodies throughout the country. I have also spent a year as the International Student Representative in the Students’ Union Council, a great opportunity to look at the inner workings of one of the best Unions in the country and serve the needs of fellow international students.
Having had the opportunity to work with the International Office as well as a student helper has brought me in contact with many international students over the course of the year, all of whom truly enjoyed their stay in Bath and got to experience numerous aspects of life at the University and in town.
What have you enjoyed most about living in Bath?
The city is pleasant and offers sufficient opportunities to go out and enjoy oneself. There is a little something for everyone’s tastes, even if there may not be much variety within a particular area. While the city is a little expensive in some areas, there are still enough options for students to make do, with some nice eating joints and conveniently located shopping areas. In addition, the many centuries of development in Bath mean that, even after many years, there will always be something that could prove to be a new experience and keep things interesting. It has, thus far, proved to be a great place to make friends and spend time with them.
What are your plans for the future?
I am currently deciding between working full time, possibly in Europe, and doing a PhD after graduating. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has links with many top companies and with placement opportunities on offer helps to provide a great launching pad for young engineers. The teaching here has been very much focussed on enabling students to apply their knowledge in industrial settings, and this often proves attractive to potential employers. It remains to be seen how much impact the dangerous financial climate has on potential employment, but all things being normal, the teaching here makes Bath graduates extremely suitable for work in industry.
What was the most significant challenge you encountered upon your entry in the British HE system?
The biggest different between the Indian and British systems is that in India the focus of teaching is often the theoretical aspects of a field, with the assumption that the knowledge can then be refined once in industry and be adapted to the practical side, while in Britain, the aim from the very first day is to produce students already suited for industry with knowledge of the practical aspects of the work involved rather than extensive theoretical knowledge of which a large part may not be utilised in real situations. While this was a bit of a change, it was one of my major motivations for choosing to study outside India, and thus it didn’t take too long to adjust.
What were your greatest worries when you first came to Bath and how did they resolve?
I had few real worries, but one minor concern was the food situation, but with a wide variety of options available, I was able to adjust and pick preferred options fairly soon. One other worry was that I am not too fond of alcohol, while the British passion for drinking is much publicised. Seeing non-alcoholic options in bars and pubs, however, assuaged that fear.
Would you recommend the University to a friend?
Most definitely, yes. Admittedly, no university is completely perfect, but I believe that Bath is well balanced and is easy to adjust to, with the pros outweighing the cons significantly. When people ask me about Bath, I tell them the truth, or what little I know, and in most cases the outlook tends to be very favourable, with many potential students who ask me for advice eventually opting for Bath.