Jyotsna Heryani
MEng Chemical Engineering
Originally from India, I was brought up in Dubai - a melting pot of numerous cultures and nationalities – which has allowed me to develop an adaptive cosmopolitan perspective and has taught me to be a tolerant and compassionate being. I completed my IGCSE and A level courses at Dubai Gem Private School - a progressive institution fostering educational excellence. Tradition and modernity both had an important place in the rich and diverse curriculum I was exposed to.
I was attracted to University of Sheffield due to its well-known prestigious academic reputation, its top ratings for outstanding student experience, its brilliant location in the vibrant city of Sheffield and the city’s safety and affordability. Seeing that The University of Sheffield offered everything that I was looking for in a university, it had to be my natural choice without a doubt. After my initial university applications, I followed this University even more closely and was impressed and fascinated by its successes. I will never forget the overwhelming excitement I felt when I received my first UCAS conditional offer from this University, a few weeks after which I was given the news of being nominated for the University’s Indian Merit Scholarship Award. In this way, I was drawn more and more towards the esteemed institution with each e-mail I received from them. These factors were then further instrumental in my decision to come to study at the University of Sheffield.
The University ensures that students study in a research-rich, well-resourced and inspirational setting.
It motivates and enables us students to stretch ourselves and achieve greater things. In addition to academic excellence, it also offers a wide range of social opportunities, which allows us to take advantage and make the most of social and cultural opportunities outside our studies. With this perfect balance, there is never a dull moment, with something to offer to all, irrespective of who you are, where you are from, or what you enjoy doing.
What I love about Chemical Engineering is how dynamic the course is, and the endless opportunities it offers. I chose this course also due to its uniqueness as it provides career prospects that are varied and rewards that are attractive. Moreover, no matter what I finally end up doing after graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering, the demanding education I would have received by then is sure to earn me confidence and credibility.
The best part about studying at this University is the attention we receive on a one-to-one basis from our individual personal tutors. There is always a mode of communication with our respective tutors and I feel this has been instrumental to my happiness at Sheffield. During term, we have regular meetings with our personal tutors, who chat with us, follow up on our progress, and provide us with guidance whenever we need their assistance. They create an environment that supports and promotes success, and encourage us tutees to achieve and excel. Lectures that take place simultaneously for the duration of given assignments are always greatly helpful, because with every lecture we learn more about the relevant topics and learn new concepts, which could be implemented in the on-going assignments. This parallel learning and implementation boosts our abilities, develops our skills and enhances our confidence in problem solving. Another crucial factor is that our lecturers are always brimming with enthusiasm, making us want to concentrate fully on even the trickiest lectures. What helps in addition is how most of the work and study material is also supplemented with online lessons and resources that students can access anywhere and at anytime.
The University of Sheffield offers an exciting and challenging learning environment, and we students are part of an active learning experience that will allow us to gain hands-on experience in our various disciplines. The University strives to develop our ability to learn and work through relevant research-based learning along with development of various skills through group discussions, report writing, presentations, group assignments, and so on. This strategy will successfully allow us to equip ourselves with relevant skills and help us grow into graduates who will be able to tackle big real world projects either independently or as part of a team. Furthermore, the University provides its students will a plethora of opportunities to enhance and enrich life experience outside of academics which also leads to a great deal of personal development in terms of sociability, time management, and so on.
Life in Sheffield is very student-friendly considering the student community constitutes major part of the city’s population. It is always exciting to meet new people from various parts of the world and Sheffield is a city where cultural assimilation is demonstrated at its best. As a new international student settling here, I felt almost immediately at home. No matter what your background, Sheffield instantly embraces you and gives you a sense a belonging.