2012
S
yed Mohiuddin studied an MBA course at Southampton Business School in 2010. He had great expectations about his university studies in England when he arrived from India. “I wasn’t disappointed!” exclaims Syed, “this university has given me a lot and I really feel that I’m a part of it now, I no longer feel like an international student anymore, I’ve fitted in!”
From his early childhood Syed had always hoped to visit the UK and complete his higher education in a British university, he says: “Solent is a most cost effective establishment situated on the South Coast of England, in a great area of Southampton!”
Soon after graduating in Commerce in his native Southern India, Syed worked for a large American call centre.“Working in a call centre is a tough environment but it builds up your skills. We used to remotely log in and work from India for American customers. I used to spend eight hours in front of the system, head phones on, with an average of 100 to 150 calls waiting in a queue for me to deal with. This highly competitive and high pressure environment offered rich learning potential and the kind of leadership that I witnessed there inspired me. I was very passionate about becoming a manager, so I came to the Solent to study for an MBA, to be qualified to manage and lead.”
Syed has been appointed International Student Ambassador this summer, so he will be looking after international students on their arrival in the UK. “The job shop is very useful to find employment; I got this student rep position through them; my role is to greet new international students and help them adapt to a new culture and environment.
“I’ve gone through it myself already, so I’ll know how it might feel to a newcomer. It was a bit of a culture shock at first for me; the British culture was quite different to what I was used to in India. People here are more reserved and I wasn’t used to it, but I soon settled in and I experienced snow for the first time in February.”
Syed enjoys the study atmosphere at Solent and spends most of his spare time studying either at home or in the library. “The MBA course is very demanding and requires a lot of individual learning; it develops critical thinking abilities that an individual must have and the results will depend on how much I am prepared to invest in my studies. I found it hard to cope with the pressure initially, but I soon felt that I was part of the University and doing well.
“I have a part time job for 10 hours a week, the rest is all study time! That is my main purpose for being here.” He adds: “I really want to graduate from this University and make my parents proud!
"It is always good to have international experience, it does give you an edge, and so after completing my MBA later in 2010 I hope to find a management position with a corporation or a reputed large organisation to gain experience before returning to India.
“The university has an amazing infrastructure, when compared with my previous educational background, this is the best experience I’ve ever had about education, I was not disappointed, the resources are very good and I would highly recommend the MBA programme at Southampton Solent University.”