My LUFBRA experience

My Post Graduation has been one year that has gone by really fast with a lot of things happening. I find it hard to believe that I came here ONE WHOLE year ago. The atmosphere that I was greeted with when I entered campus was a very unique one. I had the chance of seeing my department's display area as soon as I entered the gate. Looking at a massive fighter jet in the display area of your department certainly does give you a very positive feeling of the experience you are going to experience in the coming year. Loughborough is the largest campus based University and is a very safe place with lots of activity going on throughout the day. The student life over here is the best one can find. It encourages you to have a complete life that includes a lot of hard work and an equal amount of recreation and fun. One of the best skills a student can take away is Effective Time Management. Courses are structured in such a way that they encourage a lot of self study in order to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. I particularly enjoyed my course because of the intensive week long lectures along with practical sessions followed by ample time for self study and coursework submissions. There were many lectures delivered by professionals from the Automotive Industry which made the experience even more interesting and served as an eye opener. The various part time job opportunities available both on and off campus are an added lucrative option in one is interested in sacrificing a certain amount of relaxation time. However, the benefits are definitely regarding. I would certainly recommend Loughborough to anyone interested in pursuing their studies overseas. My advice would be to come here with an open mind and be prepared for various kinds of tricky and interesting challenges.

In comparison to other Universities, the selection process was very simple and straight forward. After conducting research on the best Universities to pursue the course I was interested in, I filed my application through a representative in my home country. I received replies within a reasonable time and found the post graduate admissions and International offices helpful in answering my queries. In order to receive the CAS in time to apply for the visa, I would advice prospective students to start the entire application process well in advance (roughly 8 to 10 months before the course start date). Gathering the documents for the visa process was taxing but it did pay off when I received my visa almost a month before I had to leave. Applying for a visa through the various education consultants is the best option since they are aware of all the possible reasons for rejects and can help in avoiding all these while filing for your visa.

Information on all scholarship and funding options are available on the University website. There are various categories and types of available. There are also department specific scholarships and bursaries - information for which can be found on the department homepages. However, there are a very limited number of these awards available and securing them depends entirely on the candidate's merit. Other than these options, a candidate can opt for self funding via bank loans from their home country.

The M.Sc Automotive Systems Engineering course was well structured. It involved intense week long lectures and practical sessions delivered by professors from the department and by professionals from the industry. One of the modules involved a very interesting task of performing handling tests in a Jaguar XF at the MIRA proving grounds. The entire approach was particularly very good since we got a good grasp of the theory behind the subject as well as the practical application in the real world. The lectures for each module were delivered between 9 AM and 6 PM on weekdays and each module was spaced a month away from the other. Lecture notes were also provided and in some cases, pre study material in the form of online lectures was accessible to students from their rooms. Courseworks had a two month deadline. This gave us enough time to do a detailed study of the subjects and hand in courseworks of good depth and quality. All professors were very helpful and easily accessible through discussion forums on the University's online portal to clear doubts. There are many resources available which make the studies a lot more interesting and easier despite them being very challenging and there is nothing that is impossible in accomplishing.

The list of facilities available on campus is huge. It is pretty much self contained and all the important facilities required by a student can be found. Loughborough town center is a 15 minute walk and the train station is about 20 mins. There is a shuttle bus service between campus and town every 10 mins. The town is a quiet and peaceful place. The campus in particular is very close to the motorway leading out of Loughborough. There are scenic routes for cyclists around the place. Leicester and Nottingham are the nearest populated cities with lots more facilities. They are around 15 mins by train from Loughborough. I chose to stay in self catered halls of residence on campus. This made life much more convenient. The halls experience was very interesting with a lot of social events organized throughout the year. This gave all the students a good platform to make new friends. Loughborough's student life has been voted as the best for the fifth consecutive time. The student's union is one of the biggest amongst UK universities and has a lot of clubs and societies for students to enroll to pursue their passion. Evening parties at the union are very famous. The most important facilities on campus are the world class sports facilities - Loughborough being famous for sport. In all, one year is not enough to experience these facilities and the true experience can be understood only in person. There are ample ways to balance your study and personal life.

An M.Sc degree from Loughborough University certainly does enhance one's job prospects due to the quality and repute of education provided. Also, the links with industry are phenomenal. There are many opportunities for further research in the University. Career fairs are organized where students can gain information on the various job prospects and interact with representatives from various organizations. Finally, getting a job depends entirely on the credibility of the candidate. However, there is a lot of information and help available in the form of the "Careers centre" where a student can bring out the best job application, Curriculum Vitae and prepare for interviews.

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