Through the Students Speak series, we at Avanse Financial Services share interesting insights into the academic journey of study abroad students. In this episode, we are in conversation with Akansha Jha, who is set to pursue a Master of Science in Digital Marketing from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. So, let’s understand her academic background, work experience, university, course, approach to research and research mechanism.

Key Highlights

·         A quick introduction – Academic journey and work experience

·         A glance at her university and the course

o    About the University of Exeter

o    About the course

·         Her three-pronged approach to research

o    University

o    Course

o    Entrance exams

·         Research Mechanism

A quick introduction – Academic journey and work experience

Akansha Jha finished her under-graduation in Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology before gaining rich work experience of 3 years. She worked with one of India’s leading digital solutions providers, where she was closely associated with overseas clients. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Science in Digital Marketing from the University of Exeter in the UK.

A glance at her university and the course

About the University of Exeter

The history of the university dates back to 1851, which is now home to more than ~25,000 students from ~130 countries. The university is popular for world-class research and impeccable learning experience. Keeping student satisfaction at the core, the varsity offers several facilities to foster a learning environment, such as laboratories and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

University rankings

·         Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, 2023 – 163^rd rank

·         Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, 2023 – 137^th rank

About the course

The Digital Marketing course is a one-year course focusing on practical learning. Akansha is learning some exciting subjects such as Marketing Analytics, Analysis and Application, Campaign Planning and Digital Innovation. The course will also impart transferable skills such as creativity, agility, and problem-solving.

Her three-pronged approach to research

Akansha’s research revolved around three elements, university, course and competitive exams. She was keen on shortlisting the university that appeared in the top-200 list of QS World University Rankings and THE World University Rankings. Her budget, academic scores, and course availability also had a bearing on her decision.

University

Before finalising the UK as her dream study abroad destination, she had added the US and Germany to her list. German educational institutions are known for being academically rich and equally affordable because of their low or no tuition fees policy. However, they did not offer an English-taught program for Digital Marketing. Whereas the US universities offered courses that were beyond the education cost that she had initially planned. Additionally, she aspires to work in the European market and hence, chose the UK as it is an English-speaking country. She shortlisted the University of Exeter, a well-ranked varsity that offered her preferred course. 

Course

Akansha was fascinated by the business management domain. At the same time, her academic background and her 3 years stint in the technology space encouraged her to pursue a course that offered a perfect mix of business, management and technology. So, she resolved to pursue Digital Marketing. Also, UK Post Study Work Visa will allow her to experiment with career choices after completing the course.

Entrance exams

To study abroad, students need to appear for certain competitive tests, including the course-specific and English proficiency exams. Akansha’s research revealed that she had to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS). According to her, for a computer-based IELTS exam, attempting the writing section first will save you a lot of time. She also added that B-school aspirants can prepare for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) instead of the GRE.  

Research mechanism

Akansha knows the ranking of top universities of the past couple of years verbatim, demonstrating her dedication to research. She conducted extensive desktop research to explore information about the courses and educational institutions. She also signed up for a newsletter that has a list of the top 200 international colleges.

So, this is all about Akansha’s academic background, work experience, university, course, approach to research and research mechanism. In the next episode of the Students Speak series, we will cover her 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. Meanwhile, if you have any queries about your academic journey or education loans, please feel free to connect with us.