August marks the end of my dissertation, my course and my year at the University of Sheffield, and needless to say, this has been the most exciting year of my life so far. Moving abroad for the first time, and pursuing a postgraduate degree in a field I liked is an achievement I will always remember.
The excitement of studying abroad did, however, come with its own set of difficulties and hardships. Since I had never lived alone before, it was initially difficult for me to balance work, school, and, most importantly, cooking for myself every day. But as the saying goes, you learn best via challenging circumstances, and for me, that was the case. I wouldn't describe myself as a chef, but I do make nice meals (most of the time).
This is one of the first pictures I took of this city, and I cannot count the number of times I used to get lost. But now that I even recognise the names of the smaller shops, I have certainly become familiar with this city.
Becoming a student ambassador was an important part of my year as a student at the Information School. I remember seeing the job posting on CareerConnect, which is the job portal of the University. Looking at the job description, I thought that there was a chance that this role was not for me, as I am not really the person who talks in a room of people. Moreover, a cover letter requirement asking why I would be a good fit for the role was not helping either. But as famously stated by author John Maxwell, “If we’re growing, we are always going to be outside our comfort zone”. I believed that this learning opportunity was too good to pass on and applied.
After a smooth interview process with Richard and Victoria, I joined my team of fellow Student Ambassadors with members from different cultures and countries. The job usually required us to respond to queries that are being asked by prospective students, but I had the opportunity to work on other things as well. I helped shoot a video for my co-ambassador Muktha Rajan, and appeared in one myself (which I had to shoot twice for reasons). But the occasion where I believe I overcame my anxiety about public speaking was when I got the opportunity to speak at Open Days for the new course BSc Data Science, with the prospective students.
My course was as informative as it was challenging. In the duration of 2 semesters, I learned most of the things that are required by a modern Type 2 Data Scientist. But the best learning experience would certainly have to be the period of the last couple of months where I worked on my dissertation. Now that I have finished it, all the items on my checklist as an MSc student are ticked off, and as I patiently and anxiously wait for the results, I’d be bidding farewell to Sheffield for the time being. But wherever I go, I know that this beautiful city will always be a part of my fondest memories.
Ishan Durve
MSc Data Science
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