Interview with a Merit Scholarship Winner

By Muhammad Shuja

 

This blog is a transcript of an interview of a postgraduate student (Muhammad Faraz) who won 2016’s Pakistan Postgraduate Merit Scholarship. The aim of the interview is to provide advice for prospective students who would like to apply for this scholarship.

Me: Hi, and thanks for your time. Let’s start by getting to know about you. Tell me about yourself.

Faraz: My name is Muhammad Faraz Imam and I am from Pakistan. I am a student of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and currently studying MSc in Advance Electric Machines, Power Electronics and drives at Sheffield.

Me: What course did you do at undergraduate level and where?

Faraz: I completed my Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.

Me: What were your reasons of choosing University of Sheffield to do your postgraduate degree?

Faraz: I was quite impressed with Sheffield’s core emphasis on continuous innovation and scientific development in engineering. I wanted to join in researching and developing of projects together with exceptional academics in my area of specialization.

Me: How has your time in University of Sheffield been so far?

Faraz: It’s been excellent so far. Sheffield has one of the loveliest and peaceful atmospheres in Europe. The University has various clubs and societies which everyone is welcome to join. I have joined the Debating Society which has given me a chance to improve my communication and interpersonal skills.

Me: Congratulations on winning your scholarship. How did you find out about this scholarship?

Faraz: The University has a very good administrative system in place. I was generally looking for scholarships and stumbled upon the Pakistan Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.

Me: How was the application process for you?

Faraz: As everyone knows, applying for an International Scholarship at a world-class institute is not an easy job. You have to compete with many deserving and excellent candidate in terms of academics and achievements. I believe that in my case, I remained optimistic throughout the process and listed out all my achievements. I then chose the best ones for my essay. These achievements included work experience, previous scholarships and projects which I did during my undergraduate.

Me: Did you receive support from the university to work on your application?

Faraz: Yes, like I mentioned previously, the university has a remarkable administrative system in place. They were quite prompt in replying back to emails with answers to any queries I had during the application process.

Me: What advice would you give to prospective students planning to apply for these scholarships?

Faraz: I would advise applicants to stay positive, think about your future goals, and what caused you to build an interest in the university. Write sincerely and clearly, make sure your essay shows who you are as a person and a student. Don’t be shy to talk about yourself, cultivate your own tone, and dwell on your relevant strong points.

Me: Do I have your consent of posting a transcript of this conversation online?

Faraz: Yes.

Thanks a lot for your time.

If you would like to view more information regarding scholarships and funding, please visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/enquiry/money/scholarships

Tags: Muhammad, Shuja, International, Engineering, Sheffield, postgraduate, scholarships, funding, Muhammad Faraz Imam

Meet Our IEA Alumni: Sajid Mohamed H Mohamed

Department: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Course: BEng Electronic Engineering

Nationality: Sri Lanka

Choosing the correct university is one of the most important decisions to be made in life, and I definitely have no second thoughts in my choice, the University of Sheffield. Though, you probably would have read and heard a lot about the university’s reputation, rankings, facilities and opportunities when I was back in Sri Lanka, you never know whether it would be the right choice for you unless you experience it yourself. Hence, even I was not quite sure whether I made the correct decision by choosing the University of Sheffield. But, if you are looking for high quality education, affordable, comfortable and an amazing living experience with a diverse culture and friendly people in a lovely city, then Sheffield is undoubtedly the place for you!

I am a second year Electronic Engineering undergraduate student, but this is my first year at the University of Sheffield. I completed my Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Colombo, Sri Lanka which enabled me to enter directly to the second year of my course. The quality and the method of teaching is somewhat different to what I had experienced before, but the transition process had been smooth, mainly due to the fellow students and staff who are always willing to help. My subject area needs a lot of messing around with circuits, wires and other electronic components, and the university provides these in their excellent laboratory facilities. Also, the library facilities at the University, with the Information Commons open 24 hours a day provides the ideal atmosphere for a student who wants to study till night, especially during the exam periods.

University work can be really tough at times, but there is always something to do just to get you relaxed. You can always go to the Goodwin Sports Centre to engage yourself in some sort of sporting activity, watch a movie at the Students Union, make a trip to Peak District or even do some shopping (if it helps you) at the city centre which is only a five minute walk from the university. Being involved with clubs or societies is another good way to keep you stress-free and you have the opportunity to choose what is ideal for you from a variety of clubs and societies.

If you feel afraid that you might lose touch with your Sri Lankan culture, it would be safe to say that, that is something you should not worry at all. There is a very active Sri Lankan Society at the University which brings together all Sri Lankans and helps us feel at home, especially during religious festivals when we tend to miss home the most. Also, whenever we have any free time, we always get together and test our skills in cricket or football, which can be extremely competitive due to the talented sportsmen we find around here.

Finally, a word about the Sheffield. I could not think of a better place for a student to live! Renowned to be UK’s greenest city, living expenses are much low compared to other major cities in UK. You could always find accommodation with close proximity to the University and it is also very convenient to get yourself around the city either by foot, bus or tram.

I certainly did not expect life at University to be anything more than longs hours of stressful work and feeling homesick a foreign land. But as it turns out, there is much more on offer. The experiences I have had so far at the University of Sheffield have been simply amazing and could be cherished for a lifetime. But for now, I have more time left to spend in Sheffield and I am certainly looking forward to gaining the most out of it.

MEET OUR INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING AMBASSADOR: ELSIE BADERINWA

My name Is Elsie Baderinwa and I’m a first year electrical and electronic engineering student. I’m from Nigeria, but I’ve been in England for a little over 2 years now because I was doing my A-levels in Brighton.  

What was your favourite subject at school?

I’ve always enjoyed maths and the sciences the most!

How did you decide which course to take?

Deciding which course to take was actually very hard for me. In fact when I applied to the university, it was for medicine. I was then offered a place for biomedical science, which I knew I didn’t want to do. So it was a very stressful an confusing period for me. But I’ve always really enjoyed maths so I KNEW I definitely wanted to do some sort of engineering, but deciding which in particular, was the problem. I finally settled on electrical and electronic engineering after several- very long- conversations with my dad. And I can honestly say I’m very happy with the path I ended up choosing. :D

What advice would you give the people about to choose a university course?

Think long and hard about it, and make sure it’s a field or subject you really enjoy, because even after university, you’re going to be doing it for a very long time.

What or who inspired you to follow this route?

My father actually was the one who supported me and gave me advice and as much information as he could. He is actually an electrical and electronic engineer as well, haha. 

How is studying your subject or method of learning at different at university than at school?

The major difference is the complete independence. You have to decide for yourself to do the work and put the effort in because no one will put pressure on you to do it. It’s your decision to go to lectures, pay attention, ask questions, do your work and hand them in on time. But if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with the consequences on your own. 

Best job/ most fun/ most fulfilling/ changes

To be honest, what I find the most challenging so far, are the labs. Well at least initially. When I try to read the lab sheets beforehand, I usually don’t really understand anything and I get a bit overwhelmed, lol. But it’s okay, because once you actually get into the lab and start doing it, after a little while,  you begin to get into it and actually understand a bit more, what you’re doing. 

What do you like to do when you’re not working on your degree?

I’m a bit of a homebody, so I like to stay in and read a novel or watch some tv shows. But I also really enjoy being around people so I like to go out with friends. I really like to be active as well so playing a friendly game of rounder’s or basketball, just generally any sport that involves a bit of running around with friends  :D.