“Living the dream” is how I will describe my time in Cork. Hi, my name is Rashika Saxena, an MSc marketing student at University College Cork. Like every Indian, I have always been focused on academics and wanted to pursue my postgraduate studies at a well-known university. As my research began I came across UCC and it seemed to be perfectly fitting my idea of a perfect university. With a beautiful campus that looks like Hogwarts in Harry Potter, and with great recognition in the Irish market I applied for admissions here and fortunately got accepted.
Rashika at Fota Wildlife Park
My course started around September and I was very tense about my new and different journey of living in a foreign country as I never got a chance to visit any other country till that date. On my first day of class, I noticed many different nationalities sitting in the class with me. I felt delighted to see that as I always wanted to know more about different cultures but at the same time I was also a bit nervous to talk with them but thanks to the interactive drama workshop we had where we were divided into different groups and asked to perform a skit on a theme which made each one of us comfortable with one another, sharing different ideas, acting in front of our classmates, enjoying and interacting with each other.
I was able to make some good friends from day 1 who are still my good friends. The induction went on for about two weeks and we were familiarized with the course and the resources and facilities that UCC provides us. I liked the fact that from day one we were asked to work with groups hence enhancing our familiarity with each other, creativity, and logical thinking.
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After our Presentation with the professor Thomas Lawton
As marketing students our course revolves around different modules that cover different areas of business and marketing concepts and it involves assignments, presentations, field trips, and networking events. What I like the most about my course is the practical applicability of the modules in the real world. Rather than just focusing on theory it made me think more in a practical approach. The group, as well as the individual projects, involved us in doing field research which in turn helped to improve analysis and decision-making skills.
My personal favorite was the service design project which involved selecting a business analyzing its USPs and weaknesses from a customer perspective and coming up with new plans to improve the service, I went to the shops in the city center and chose a healthcare store after interacting with them and I visited them several times observing and interacting with the customers and what all issues they were facing in the store and return I came up with different solutions for them which they liked and agreed to implementing in the future.
As an international student, this experience has given me a wider knowledge of the Irish markets and customer behavior. In this process, I also improved my communication skills which later helped me with the presentations in the class where I was able to present confidently in front of everyone. My course also involves work placement which allows us to work for a company and gain some experience. The personal and professional development classes were very helpful in catering to my CV and interview skills. I am looking forward to getting an internship soon with all the support UCC provides us.
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In Galway with friends
Talking about the extra-curricular activities, I have enrolled myself in various clubs and societies. As for my interests, I like going to the Charol classes every Tuesday evening singing with many others. I performed a song for an Indian society UCC event in front of many people including the faculties and chief guests. Also, my favorite thing to do in the winter holidays was playing badminton in the Mardyke Arena, with so many professional-level athletes. As a fitness freak, I visit the university gym every second day and swim in the warm water of the swimming pool.
This semester I am also joining the fencing and archery club to gain some new skills and meet new people. These clubs and societies have not only made me learn new things but also have made me meet so many other students apart from my course who are from different countries. We share our experiences from our respective native lands with each other which broadens our knowledge about the world. I also invited a few of them to the Diwali party which I hosted at my house where we together enjoyed the Indian festival with some spicy Indian food, snacks, and sweets.
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Diwali Party at my place
UCC has given me such new experiences and opportunities which I will never forget in life. Be it walking down the mesmerizing paths of UCC studying with peers in the library or just sitting and listening to the soothing sound of River Lee which passes through the campus I enjoy every moment on the campus. Apart from my time on campus, I spend my time doing household chores like cooking and grocery shopping.
I like how independent I feel now as I didn't do any of these back in my home country and was always dependent on my mom or househelp. I have learned cooking recently and discovered I can cook delicious meals which I love to share with my friends here. Apart from cooking, I have improved my time management skills too as managing studies and household chores together seemed overwhelming to me at first but now I am becoming better at it. In my winter holidays, I went on a 4-day trip with all my Chinese friends and we explored Dingle, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and Limerick. This trip was one of a kind for me as I was the only Indian on that trip.
I enjoyed my time to the fullest and got to know more about Chinese culture and the similarities we share as Asians. The beauty of Ireland entices me and the greenery and scenic views make me blissful. I cannot be more than happy to say I am truly living the life of my dreams as I always dreamt of living in a foreign country, being independent, managing everything on my own, and acquiring new skills while meeting new people and getting to know the world a little better. I am truly content with my decision to choose a postgraduate degree as a career path and UCC as the university that made my dreams come to life.
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