Aerospace Engineering, BEng (Hons) – First Year
Adhil had never ventured out of India until he arrived in the UK to study at UCLan, but he had heard that Preston was ‘a small city with a big heart’ and in the few months he has been here he has discovered that it is true.
"The UK was my primary location for university and I opted to study at UCLan because I was very impressed with the services offered, the course and the rankings, plus I had read about the 5-star reputation for teaching. The large amount of international students was also a positive for me, as I thought that must mean there’s plenty of support – so I thought ‘why not UCLan?’
I am studying Aerospace Engineering and the course and facilities are so high-tech; the flight simulator we get to work with is so impressive and I find the standard of equipment is a real motivation. At first I struggled academically with my course because it’s an entirely different approach to education in India. It’s theory versus practical because in India we can do 8 hours straight of theory lectures, whereas here it’s more practical and there’s more self-research involved. That setup and the assignments are really good and we learn a lot."
"When I was struggling with my course the support of the course leader was great – I had 1 on 1 sessions to help me find the course easier and now I am doing so much better. This support, alongside the campus social spaces, the technology and the facilities have been the most special part of my UCLan experience so far.
I was also given a lot of support from The <i>, which is the student information and support centre in the library, and the careers department who helped me prepare my CV for a summer placement. When I first arrived here in Preston, I was a bit tense because it was my first time out of India. I went straight to The <i> and I was really satisfied straight away – their smiles and friendliness made me feel comfortable.
I have joined the Engineering Society and I’ve also become a Student Ambassador, which has opened up many doors for me socially. I play football at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, which students have free access to. It’s great because whenever the UCLan staff need an extra player they email me!
It’s easy to make friends here; there are so many smiling faces and everyone is very friendly. I never thought it would be like this, I thought it would be entirely different. I don’t miss my food in India because there is lots of Indian cuisine and Asian-style restaurants are very common so I can get it easily. Before I came I read that Preston was a ‘small city with a big heart’ and it is definitely true."