Harsh Modi, SRM University Semester Abroad student

"Learning does not only exist in books, it rises from experience. I applied for the semester abroad programme as a way to understand different cultures and gain exposure to various skills and meeting new people.

The journey from the moment I got the acceptance letter to the time when I left India was overwhelming. The Faculty of Science and Engineering were very supportive and responsive to all my queries. Moreover, the International Student Advisory team was always there to help in any way they could. The student accommodation team was very keen to provide us on-site help. They recommended us to Clever Student Lets, which did provide us with good place to stay.

So it is a good ‘thumbs up’ to the faculty and support services at Plymouth University.

Plymouth welcomed us with heavy rain, which made it rather chilly. The weather in the UK is unpredictable, back in India we have only three climates: hot, hotter and hottest. However I am always mesmerised by the natural beauty of Plymouth, the Barbican and the sea shore stand out to be the best place to hang around. The people in Plymouth are also very friendly so it did not take long to settle and of course the fish and chips are also quite famous.

The best part of my project is the amount of hands on practical work. The knowledge gained from lectures can easily be put into action in the practical session, which is a very effective method to grasp an understanding of the subject. What I like most about the University is that students have complete access to the library and labs, which allows us to work extra hours, which was very helpful. The faculty academics and technicians here have immense knowledge about the field and are always ahead to help us with our doubts.

Whilst working on my project I liked to take part in extra-curricular activities, such as travelling and explore new cities. In my opinion, the best way to explore cities in the UK is by bicycle, so I joined the Go Ride British cycling club to check mark each location.

One thing I’ll be gaining from this program is understanding people around the world, each with different ideas and culture.

I have been offered a position of technical graduate at ABB, Chennai, after which I have plans to apply for an MBA programme."