Rakshith
Bangalore Kumaraswamy

Why did you choose NTU?

I am an international student at NTU. For me, the key question that I ask myself before making any decision is “How does it add value to me?”. In terms of NTU’s offerings for engineering it was very competitive. The brand new state of the art facilities and strong industry involvement in the course development process, I understood that I would have the opportunity to develop my skills holistically to get me where I want to in the future.

How have you found your experience at NTU? 

My experience at NTU has been incredible so far. I have found NTU to incubate innovations and ideas. As someone who is creative and hands on, I have had the opportunity and the freedom to learn and explore beyond my course. Some of the opportunities include developing a calibrated scientific virtual reality aircraft simulator from a section of a real aircraft and taking part in a sponsored travel to the Netherlands for a turbo prop flight test. It’s the fact that we are part of the next-gen technology development process along with leading and supportive academics as an undergraduate student at NTU that is fascinating!

Apart from academics, I have had incredible support from the wider university staff to develop my key skills such as academic writing, professional email writing, public speaking, and content creation (social media). This was through the robust student support framework with the library and employability and through the work experiences within the university such as handling the social media accounts.

These opportunities alongside many more have developed me holistically as a competitive individual with industry experience as part of my studies.

Have you done a placement? How did you find it?

I have not done a yearlong placement at university, but the University offers 6-weeks long paid summer placement programs called the Engineering Research Opportunities Scholarship (EROS) program that I have had a chance to take part in. This is an opportunity to work alongside leading academics and technical staff on developing new and innovative research fields.

I have taken part in this to develop a virtual reality aircraft cabin simulator housed within our Engineering building.

What do you think to the facilities at NTU?

The facilities at NTU simply put are designed to be an incubator shared between leading researchers and students. The technical equipment at the university are new and well maintained. Outside the course facilities, there is a library that operates round the clock during the term weekdays, multiple social and dining spaces as well as its own student’s union nightclub!

Clifton campus also has a massive sports centre where I often spend my evenings playing squash and badminton. This sports centre is home to various facilities and services such as sports courts and pitches, gyms’, physiotherapy, labs and more!

Did you live on campus in first year? What was your experience?

Unfortunately, I did not live on campus the first year due to COVID, but I have moved on campus for my 3^rd year as it is incredibly convenient to get around on campus and spend more time working on my projects (both academic and personal). The evenings are very lively on campus, especially around the students union building and the sports centre and the nearest supermarkets are only a few mins walk away.

What are you hoping to do once you graduate?

Work after university is one of the most daunting questions. I have had various experiences and opportunities throughout my course to try out different things around engineering which has given me the exposure to what I can do with my engineering degree.

The experiences I have had and my growing interests in my subject of study, engineering is a very promising field that I would want to get into but also opens the doors to work on various commerce and management fields.

Did you join any societies to help you settle into life at NTU?

Societies are one of the most fun things to be a part of during your time at university! There are so many different societies and the first year is all about trying out new things and meeting new people! I have joined the conservation society in the past and it eventually led me to start our universities very own Drone Society with my friends. At the drone society, I have not only met some incredibly talented students who have built their own drones from the ground up but also members who have pushed me out of my comfort skills to improve my skills in flying drones in new, challenging and safer ways while capturing some amazing shots!

What advice would you give to others?

If you are confused whether to study at NTU, I would 100% say- take the chance and experience what NTU has to offer. The reliable and supportive staff always have your back as you explore various things on your journey. The facilities and opportunities let you develop yourself that gives you a competitive edge in the industry. A lot of activities and modules within the engineering program are built with holistic development and in presence of people from the industry.