Saira Zahid

Saira graduated from the University of Dundee with an MSc International Business in 2011, and also has a B.Eng (Electrical Engineering) from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. She now works as Associate Manager in the Consumer Market Knowledge Department at Procter & Gamble.

Before coming to University of Dundee, I had many doubts in my mind. I was thinking along the lines of, is the degree right investment of time and money? Does the course suit my career aspirations? Will it help me land in the right job market? Do I get any scholarships? Is the culture of the University open to foreigners? Will I be able to adjust in Scotland? etc. Perhaps the set of questions every applicant thinks of before joining. During the admission process and recruitment drives of University of Dundee, you are provided answers to many of these questions. But its only after graduating from University of Dundee, you realize if those answers are the right answers for *you* or not. This is an effort to help you find the answers by being an example myself.

To start with, I would say I made the best decision of my life by choosing University of Dundee. Well this pretty much says it all but let me break it down for you. The University of Dundee gives you two big learning opportunities; one inside the class and second outside the class.

The courses are disciplined and competitive. Professors are very helpful and the library is the best place to study/hang out/discuss and pretty much do anything and everything. But the seller is the level of diversity in the class, not just in terms of nationality but also in terms of educational background, age, experience, geographical and lingual background. When you look at things from one perspective and when you look at them from many different perspectives, you learn an extraordinary amount.

For those of you who are real thinkers and are concerned about the payoffs, I would say the teaching is very practical. It helps you solve real-industry problems which are a great help in your on-campus interviews by various multi-nationals. There is an entrepreneurial society [The Enterprise Gym] that gives you the chance to work on your ideas and helps you connect with the industry's stakeholders.

In terms of costs, Dundee is one of the most affordable cities in the UK. If you are smart, there are various scholarships specific to your course and nationality that you can get. Also you can always work part-time to cover additional expenses.

The experience outside the class is just unprecedented. The Student Union is one of the best in the region. There are various societies by nationality/interests/activities which you can join at any time during the year. You will see yourself having bakeshops, arranging excursion trips, planning nights out and representing your culture, food, ideas at multiple platforms. I made life-long friends from all parts of the world during this one year due to the level of interaction facilitated by the Union's initiatives.

Besides the on-campus culture, Dundee as a city is very welcoming for students. There are various discounts for students in restaurants, retail outlets, pubs, travelling etc. The locals will always help you and smile at you which makes you feel as a part of the life of the city. The only caution is to be prepared for the Scottish weather which in an experience in itself.

All-in-all, it's not just a degree that the University of Dundee offers, it's a lifetime experience.