Student Stories: Starting a New Life Amid a Pandemic

Last year was a roller coaster ride for me, from sitting an IELTS English language exam to securing a place in the prestigious university of NUI Galway. In the end, it was worth all the hassle I had last year.

As an international student, the University has already provided me with a lot of opportunities to stand out in the crowd. I enjoy taking part in the activities for student ambassadors to facilitating the LIFT meetings on positive leadership for a group of four people. At various stages of participating in different activities, I would communicate with other international students, organisers and members to share the idea and grow with the new insights. 

Another great thing that happened to me in NUI Galway was securing an employability certificate and the ALIVE certificate for volunteering as a class representative and LIFT facilitator. Even in the middle of the pandemic, I didn’t feel that I had missed a chance to explore and meet new people to share ideas, thanks to all the opportunities provided by NUI Galway.  

As a class representative, there were times when I interacted with my peers. I cherish all the moments spent with them, from talking about deadlines to helping each other out in the assignments. For keeping everyone updated with the activities in the class and going through the various deadlines, we decided to form a common group and I took the initiative to do so. The sense of communication, leadership and time management are the essential things which I learnt due to being at the University. I’m proud and happy to be a part of NUI Galway. 

Apart from the extracurricular activities, my academic learning is excellent due to various materials, group discussion and regular classes. The concepts taught in the lectures and in the lab get clearer when I sit to do my assignments. The best part is the critical thinking required to answer the question and gain an extra point. The mentors are always an email away; any doubt or struggling with any of the concepts, you can rely on them to show the way.  

The learning and exam approach is basically improving my knowledge and I always feel that I’m prepared for the exam well enough due to assignments and various tasks given to us. The discussion sessions are quite interesting as they open up a new approach to look at a case study. 

As an international student, I love the atmosphere whenever I visit the college campus. It was really an amazing decision to pursue my Master’s degree here in Galway with NUI Galway.