P. Gopinath's journey to making to the course of his choice at Sweden:Shiksha Success Stories

Studyabroad.shiksha.com got in touch with one of the students – P. Gopinath, who got admission to Linköping University in Sweden for the course MSc Mechanical Engineering.

Question: Why did you choose to study abroad?

P. Gopinath: I always knew I wanted to go abroad to study. I wasn’t sure about which country I will go to as my preference was always getting into the right course rather than a particular country or college. I did my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Geetam University, Hyderabad during 2011 – 2015. During my initial research stage, I even compared Indian universities to foreign ones to make sure I wasn’t ignoring quality education provided in India. Ultimately I decided on the Swedish university, Linköping University, for the MSc Mechanical Engineering course.

Q: Was Sweden your only choice as study destination or did you consider other countries as well?

PG: I choose to apply to Swedish universities as my focus was on getting into European universities. Among all European countries, I then chose Sweden as the automobile industry is very strong there. Ultimately I would like to enter the automobile industry as the future of this industry appears to be strong in Sweden. I researched on my own and found out that the future looks bright for this specific sector because the country supports upcoming entrepreneurs. Many people don’t know that Skype was developed in Sweden before Microsoft bought it. It was possible for Skype to become a household name because it received the government’s support during the initial stages.

Moreover, it is easier for international students to live and work in Sweden as the language isn’t a barrier there. Everyone knows and speaks English, which is a plus. So I don’t have to worry about first learning Swedish and then looking for a job, as communication will never be an issue.

Q: Once you were sure of going abroad to study, how did you research the application process? Was it a difficult stage?

PG: Initially I had no idea about the course eligibility, fee structure, transcripts required etc. It took a lot of time to research all the information. The whole process would have been much harder had I not taken help from Shiksha Study Abroad Counselors. All my questions were answered promptly and I felt at ease asking them.

The most difficult stage for me was editing my Statement of Purpose and Letter of recommendations. Since I had applied to multiple universities I didn’t know how to customize the content according to the university and course. I would have written one generic SoP, Resume and submitted it to all universities, whereas the Shiksha team helped me customize my applications accordingly. So that really helped in saving my time.

Q: How did you start with your study abroad preparation?

PG: I first shortlisted the courses I liked and were available at Swedish universities. I’m from the mechanical engineering background so I wanted to continue my education in this field rather than changing my specialization. I had made this decision during my second year of BTech. Then I started researching online about the college rankings, MTech courses, even Indian universities offering this course. I made a comparison between the courses offered in India and Sweden during this stage.

I didn’t know about the application process of Sweden or any other European countries. In a year so so, when I was in my third year, I slowly understood more about the education system there, application deadlines, fee structure etc.

Q: Which exams were you required to take?

PG: I was required to provide IELTS scores, which is a basic requirement for all universities abroad. I gave IELTS exam during my third year in 2014. The reason why I took the exam so early on is because I wanted to complete the admission process before my fourth year ended. However ultimately, the process became lengthier and it took one more year.

I prepared for IELTS on my own, I didn’t take any coaching. There is an official guide to IELTS and I got a CD along with it. The sample exam papers in there gave me a good idea about the exam structure, format, and the types of questions to expect.

Q: Did you receive any scholarship?

PG: Linköping University provides 25% scholarship to all international students by default. I got to know about this fact when I interacted with a university representative during a seminar held in Hyderabad.

Q: How did you come across Shiksha study abroad counseling services? What are your honest opinions about the help provided to you by the team?

PG: I came across Shiksha study abroad counseling while searching for universities in Sweden. The website gave comprehensive details on the cost of studying at various universities, along with other useful information. Ultimately I decided to get in touch with the counselors and called them up. I wasn’t very keen on going to a consultant as many of my friends have done that, and I wasn’t very impressed with the kind of services they provided. Ultimately what all consultants do is apply on your behalf, so I thought I can take care of it on my own.

My experience with Shiksha was vastly different than my friends who went to the consultants. The consultants create your SoP on their own, they don’t take any inputs from the student. Whereas at Shiksha, the counselors customize the whole process according to the students’ interests. They even helped me shortlist universities by telling me the subjects they specialize in. For example, they told me that since Linköping university is known for its mechanical engineering course I have to edit and customize my statement of purpose and Resume in a way which highlights my interests and a strong background in my academics. This isn’t something the consultants inform you about.

The kind of help I got from Shiksha was very empowering and it wasn’t like spoon feeding. Whenever I had a doubt I called the counsellors up and they immediately answered all my questions. The whole process was documented at all stages and I was kept in the loop. Plus, the whole process was free of cost and I didn’t have to pay any kind of fee to Shiksha.

Q: Do you have any advice for prospective international students?

PG: Most importantly, choose a course that you want to study rather than going for a better university. I was very clear on studying mechanical engineering and then entering the automobile sector. You need to have a personal interest in the course as it will be you who will be studying for the next two to four years. So go for the subject you like and are passionate about.

P. Gopinath is now going to begin his college session in Sweden. Studyabroad.Shiksha.com wishes him a prosperous career.

Read more Shiksha Success Stories:

• How Priyanka scored a scholarship to study in US
• Sourabh shares his experience of successfully applying to universities at US and Canada
• Shubhansh's journey from quitting his job to getting into NJIT
• Vaibhav on why European universities were his exclusive choice
• Why Aishvarya chose a Canadian university over American colleges
• How Ankit made it to Lakehead University's most popular course
• How Medha made the decision between pursuing MBA and MS