Exchange Diaries
Alisha Raj | Humanities and Social Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF CALABRIA, ITALY, Italy
Research Area: DATA ANALYTICS IN FEATURED ENGINEERING
Duration: 2.5 Months
Q1: How did you get your FT?
A: I was trying to find out professors doing research in countries like Italy, Malaysia, China in my field of interest which is basically data analytics, Economics and Mathematics. I got the project purely by personal mailing.
Q2: How was your experience?
A: I expected that atleast some people speak English because it is Europe but none of them speaks English and I was devasted. I had to use google translator every now and then. After two weeks, I made friends and after that, I am able to communicate. So this is a social problem which I faced outside the laboratories but there was no problem working inside the labs. Except this, it was a wonderful experience in Italy. I got an international exposure which eventually enhanced my personality and confidence. I learned about different culture and it was a very nice experience.
Q3: How was your typical day look like ?
A: It was not too tough as I have to go to the laboratory at 10 and can leave by 5 and the professor was also very lenient. After work, I usually accompanied my lab mates and explored the city.
Q4: How you managed your finances?
A: Meals and accommodation were provided by the professor on the campus itself but the rest of the expenses are self-funded.
Q5: Role of CG to get an FT.
A: CG plays a crucial role if you are applying through a program but It all depends on your convincing skills which you have to show on your cover letter and convince them that you are a good student and smart enough to achieve their target. I have a decent CG and it really helped me. So it is good if you have a high CG because of most programs have their cutoffs and they select you solely on the basis of your CG.
Q6: Any suggestions to fellow Kgpians.
A: You should start early. I also suggest that you should go through the idea of each professor you want to work with. If the professor knows that you have worked on some projects in the past so he will have more confidence in you so better take projects of your choice on the campus and it really helps. Keep mailing, have patience and avoid mass mailing.
Blog is written by Shivansh Junwal.