Sheetal R. Darda
MA Accounting & Finance, 2002
Director, Lokmat group of Newspaper, Aurangabad

Sheetal says…

“The Business School has a very friendly atmosphere and the course content has been fantastic.

The one year spent at Leeds was one of the most memorable times of my life and provided an ideal opportunity to travel & explore UK. It was a great opportunity to meet students from different cultures and countries, enriching my interaction and learning experience at Leeds.”

My year as a British Chevening scholar from Calcutta, India at the University of Leeds was an enriching and eventful one. I was studying for a Master’s degree in Communications Studies at the Institute of Communications Studies and by the end of the academic session in 2002, I felt that I had grown, not just intellectually and academically but as a person with many wonderful friends and acquaintances, many of whom I have kept in touch with.

Regarding the buildings of my University, it was a blend of the old red- brick buildings and the modern, futuristic style and I must admit that I preferred the grandeur of the former. In the first week of arrival I had got lost many times and I had met many fellow students who had faced the same problem. It was as if I was in a maze. I gradually got used to the plan of the Uni buildings but it did take me a while. The lecture theatre, housed in the Roger Stevens building, was comfortable and equipped with modern facilities and we benefited from the multi-media presentations and the slide projections by our tutors. It made the lessons visually interesting.  

With regards to accommodation, I stayed in self-catering University flats, both in the first two terms as well as during summer. I found them to be convenient, having all the basic amenities that a student might need. I stayed in the student area of Headingley. I visited London a couple of times and every time I traveled by the National Express that was economical and reliable though it took about 4 hours. Since I was never in a hurry this mode of transport suited me just fine and I saw a great deal of the beautiful, sylvan English countryside. Initially the famed (!) Yorkshire accent left me quite speechless but I got used to it as I did the fickle climes of Leeds. It was after all a part of the wonderful Northern experience! I would strongly recommend to future scholars the trip to Bamburgh Castle and Farne Islands, off the rugged coast of Northumberland. Also the trip to Haworth, near Keighley is a must for all Bronte enthusiasts.
 

Now for some general comments- though I didn’t try Indian food often, ’cos of my passion for Continental food, considering myself to be a fish-n-chips person, a wide variety of Indian food and ingredients were available in markets near Hyde Park such as Abu Bakkar. It’s no wonder that the curry rules Britain! The locals were a friendly people especially if you were supporting the same footie teams as they were; many of the locals in Original Oak would come up and start a conversation that felt really good. The pubs in Headingley were wonderful and cosy places to spend a cold evening with friends, merely to unwind from the rigours of the day. 
 

I’m afraid the weather was a bit trying and I never knew how it would turn out. More than the cold and the rain, it was the wind that got to me. I was often so nearly swept off my feet and dashed against the dry stone- walls!

All in all I had the most wonderful time in Leeds and I have only the fondest and warmest memories of the country and its people. I do look forward to revisiting England someday soon.

The India Office is a pro-active office with approachable and friendly people who are always there to assist Indian students. I particularly enjoyed participating in the pre-departure briefing held last year.

Adithi Mohan MSc Human Genetics, 2001 Adithi says …

“I have always been interested in science especially Biology, even at high school, so it was a natural progression for me to carry on my interest at undergraduate level and subsequently master degree. My parents encouraged me to pursue my academic interests to study a subject I was interested in and then look to get a job in a related field. They have never put any pressure n me to work in business. My mother is a doctor so some of my interest in Biology comes from her. Ideally I would have liked to study Genetics as my first degree but there were very few Universities in India that offered this subject so I chose a broader based degree in Zoology, with one module in Genetics.

I decided to come to Leeds to study for my master so that I could specialise in Genetics. I was particularly impressed by the quality of education in the UK and the fact that my masters will only take one year compared to 2 years in the US.
I had been to UK before on holiday and my father had lived in the UK for 7 years so I had some idea of what life in the UK would be like. A lot of my friends chose to study in the US but I wanted to break away and gain a truly international experience in the UK.

I really enjoyed my time in Leeds I have made a lot of international friends. In my class there are 2 Greek students, my self and 6 UK students. I share a flat with 2 Singaporean and 2 Greek friends. It had taken a while to adjust to the different teaching and assessment methods in the UK and my background knowledge of Genetics was not as good as my fellow students, but I just had to spend more time in library and work harder to catch up.”

Amitesh Singh
MBA (Marketing), 1998-1999
Manager Business Development, Emerson Climate Technologies Middle East & Africa, Dubai,UAE
Tel: +971 4 8832848 Extension 237
Fax: +971 4 8832848
Mobile: +971 50 6552674
Email: amitesh25@hotmail.com

Amitesh says … 

"I  think  the one year at Leeds was one of the most cherished and memorable time of my life. Our class had nationalities representing over 30 countries. We had a great faculty especially Prof. Peter Buckley and Prof. Jim Lynch (who was also my guide for the dissertation). Another interesting part was the chance to do a dissertation in the US through the International Students Exchange program, which was a great learning experience.

We used to play a lot of cricket in the Montague Burton Halls. We also had the chance to watch and enjoy the World Cup Cricket during my stay at Leeds. I was a member of the Rifle Shooting club of the university which gave me the opportunity to interact with students from other departments as well.

I think I have met with really wonderful people during my stay and have made lots of lifetime friends across the globe. I had the chance to travel around Leeds, other parts of UK and parts of Europe."