“What gave ARU the edge was its employment prospects” Kein delves deeper into his MSc in Supply Chain Management
Last time we spoke to Kein, we found out about his experience as an international student in England and he offered some sound advice for those in a similar position. Here, we dig deeper into life in a new culture, as well as finding out all about studying Supply Chain Management at ARU.
What inspired you to choose your current course?
I sailed on ships and was always interested in knowing about how things move all around the world and how is it managed. A simple pen that you are holding would have metal tip from one country, plastic refill from other, cap from another, liquid ink from yet another and assembled in a completely different country and sold worldwide. This really inspired me to know more about it and hence I ended up in MSc Supply Chain Management.
And why Anglia Ruskin University in particular?
I was very clear with my university choice and hence I refrained from applying to several universities. Unlike in most cases, I handpicked the course and university, based on lots of factors like modules, location, ranking, employability, affordability. What gave Anglia Ruskin University an edge was its employment prospects.
“My favourite modules were Supply Chain Strategy and Sustainable Supply Chain, both of which were taught by my favourite lecturer, Brendon Shaw.”
How is the course going so far? Is there anything you didn’t expect?
My course was almost everything as expected. I just wished that Covid-19 didn’t disrupt the world and then may be the course would have been more in person rather than the online classes. It was initially a mix of online classes and in person classes. With covid-19, it was more of online only. We had several assignments and presentations to make based on which we were assessed. 3000 words reports for each module.
Do you have a part-time job whilst studying?
I did a lot of different jobs while studying and they were quite easy to get. Some of them I applied on Indeed.com, others I just walked-in and spoke to the manager. Interviews were also very smooth and I found the questions easy to answer. I worked part-time at Marks and Spencer, Pizza Hut, Royal Mail and more!
What has surprised you the most about the new culture?
In India, we believe in ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which literally means ‘Guests are equivalent to God’, and here in UK, I don’t find this culture at all. That really surprised me. In India we had guests coming over almost everyday and we also visited them very often. But I don’t find this happening here. I was also surprised to see the people having a nice break every weekend unlike in India.
How do you deal with challenges whilst living abroad?
The main challenge I face here is food. As I mentioned earlier, I am a big-time foodie, I love to eat. I miss Indian food a lot. Thanks to YouTube, we now make it all at home. Though it may not taste the same, but I cherish it. Another challenge is meeting people and making friends sometimes, for that I have a YouTube channel (Kein Shah) and a small but growing community where I help international students with any queries or help, and have made some good friends also.
Want to keep up with Kein? Follow him on social media for top tips and advice on studying in the UK!
