Maria
Ramón-Cortés

Current job role: Business Development Assistant
Company name: LEGO Education ROBOTIX, Barcelona.
Graduated In: 2017

When I finished my undergraduate course, I knew I wanted to pursue a master’s degree, but I didn’t know which one. To help me decide, I first looked for countries that were well known for their education system. From there, I selected the countries I could see myself living in.

England was one of my choices and after some initial research I found NTU. NTU was well known for having very knowledgeable professors and in addition, the student reviews really made me want to study at a university where the professors are willing to help. In other words, what really caught my attention was the friendly and helpful learning environment.

After graduating from NBS, I started working LAGO Education Robotix in Barcelona as a Business Developer. I am able to use the skills developed during my studies to follow a career in business development consultancy. My colleagues believe in my capabilities to do work and have already given me a project to work on independently in my first month.

Before NTU

Before I joined NTU, I studied an undergraduate degree in Industrial Technology Engineering at the Universitat Politechnica De Catalunya. After that I went to Boston University in America to study a Certificate in Innovation and Engineering. As soon as I finished in Boston, I worked for a few months at LEGO Education Robotix in Spain.

What did you look for in a university for postgraduate study?

I was looking for the subjects covered, accreditation, reputation, reviews, student satisfaction, multiculturalism, the duration of the degree and placements. NTU offered the best combination of all of these.

The degree

Aside from the fact that it was one of the few master degrees in Innovation that were available, the course covered a large range of topics. For example, the course starts with an overview of management which made me feel confident as I don’t have a business degree. The degree then moves onto specialise in innovation and entrepreneurship.

In addition, the degree offered the opportunity to tailor the final semester of the degree, e.g. with a Consultancy Project which other universities didn’t.

Seminars

There are about 20 students in my seminar group and it’s really different from what I am used to. I really love the fact that the tables are strategically placed so you can work in teams and see everybody. This makes participation higher plus all the professors encourage participation which makes classes very dynamic.

I also have a very good relationship with all of my professors. They call you by your first name and whenever I have had a problem or any doubts they have been more than happy to meet and help me.

NTU facilities

I was really impressed by the Students’ Union and the other beautiful buildings on campus.The gym is located in the Students’ Union in the centre of campus and it organises lots of activities like yoga, volleyball, football and badminton etc. I really enjoy getting involved with these activities as it is a great opportunity to meet people.

In addition, it’s a great asset to have the newly built library open 24/7. It is an incredible building that is big and spacious and it has many areas to study in groups. What I also like is that there are always people studying which make you feel accompanied, even at night. The environment is very nice and it inspires work.

NTU also has a dedicated Employability Team which helps students with everything from CV advice to helping students find jobs. They provided suggestions for improving my CV which I really valued.

NTU has also a student portal called NOW which allows access to many resources. I use NOW to check the material posted by professors. At first I found it hard to find the information but luckily we had some induction classes where we were taught how to use it.

Greatest achievement so far

Passing a 4,000 word essay has been my greatest achievement so far. As I come from a scientific background, I not only found it hard to write such a long essay but also I had to write it in a language that was not my native language. It took a long time to write it but I am very proud I passed it.

Final thoughts

NTU is a great university that cares a lot about its students. From day one NTU made a big effort to help us meet our peers so that we can make friends and in classes, we are able to work in groups more comfortably.

For example, NTU organise a residential trip in the first week of starting where students get involved in team building activities. It was a great way to get to know each other and it helped us a lot to make the friends we have now.

There are a big variety of nationalities and this makes the seminars very interesting as you learn a lot about other cultures. If you study and understand what you are being taught, you won’t have any surprises.

AT NTU I got to know people from different cultures that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet if I hadn’t come here. I think this is very useful as in the future you are most likely to work with people from all over the world. Knowing how people from other cultures think and perform gives you a competitive advantage over those who haven’t had the opportunity to study/work abroad.