In the previous episode of Students Speak, we read about Akansha Jha’s motivation to pursue higher education, her reasons for studying abroad, the application process, why you should apply to more than one university and her advice based on her experience. In this episode, let’s understand how her industry experience added value to her academic journey, why she chose the UK as her study abroad destination, job prospects, her thoughts on education consultant and things to keep in mind while drafting an SOP.

Key Highlights

·         How her industry experience added value to her academic journey

·         Why she chose the UK as her study abroad destination

·         Job prospects available

·         Her thoughts on education consultant

·         Things to keep in mind while drafting an SOP

How her industry experience added value to her academic journey

Although most of her friends decided to pursue higher education after completing their under-graduation, Akansha was determined to gain work experience. Her stint with the IT company brought clarity to understand if she was in the right career avenue and if it challenged her to excel. This self-assessment set her on her current path. 

Why did she choose the UK as her study abroad destination

·         The UK population is broad-minded and culturally unbiased, encouraging the student community to explore their creativity.

·         The UK receives lesser applications compared to the US.

·         The UK Post Study Work visa (PSW) allows students to stay back for two years in the UK post-completion of the course.

·         She also shared a fascinating fact that J. K. Rowling, the famous author, studied at the University of Exeter, the UK. 

Job prospects available

Akansha desires to explore job opportunities that will employ her technological and management skills. So, if students know basic programming languages such as R and Python, they can pursue a career in Business Analytics or Data Analytics. Also, ample options are available in consulting firms where you can work as an Associate Consultant. Some of the emerging career avenues are Project Management and Product Management in this domain.

Her thoughts on education consultant

As she believed in carving her academic journey independently, she relied heavily on her research and hence, did not go ahead with the education consultant for the application process. However, she connected with the consultant only for visa application to ensure a seamless procedure. She suggested that students can reach out to an education consultant for the application process to ensure a hassle-free journey.

Many students approach education consultants to create a flawless SOP and LOR. However, Akansha mentioned that everyone has different experiences to share, and no one knows your story better than you do, so it will be helpful if you draft an SOP yourself. Also, please bear in mind every university will have different questions for SOP, so don’t use the same SOP for every university. 

·         How did the education consultant assist her with the visa application process

o    They informed her how long she needed to hold the funds in her account to prove she could finance her education in the UK.

o    She was given a list of documents, including employment records required for visa application.

Things to keep in mind while drafting an SOP

·         Akansha followed a lot of YouTube videos to understand how to draft an SOP. SOP is an essay about your academic background, projects, achievements, extra-curricular activities, additional courses or certifications, reasons to pursue higher education and more.

·         Depending on the university, the SOP can be 400-1,000 words long.

·         It is necessary to conduct in-depth research about your educational institution, course and faculty members. So, when you are asked about university-specific information, you can answer them effectively.

·         Students need to know and answer some common questions:

o    How will your preferred university shape your professional career?

o    Why did you select a certain destination to pursue higher education?

o    What are your achievements?

o    What is your academic qualification?

o    What do you know about the course offered and professors at the university?

So, through this episode, we learnt how her industry experience added value to her academic journey, why she chose the UK as her study abroad destination, job prospects, her thoughts on education consultant and things to keep in mind while drafting an SOP. In the next episode, we will capture her thoughts on financing her education independently, how she found the perfect education loan partner, things to remember when applying for a loan, and valuable tips. Meanwhile, if you have any doubts, please feel free to connect with us. We will be glad to assist you.