Shruti pursued her M.Sc. in International Business Management at Berlin School of Economics and Law. She found her programme via Studyportals. We asked Shruti about her experience of searching and applying to a university abroad.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name? How old are you? Where are you from?
Hi, Studyportals team, first of all I want to thank you for choosing me as a student Ambassador for Europe! I am Shruti Kamalapurkar from India and currently I'm settled in Berlin, Germany. I am 23 years old and I am studying in Berlin School of Economics and Law.
Where are you studying now? What programme are you enrolled in? What degree and how long is your programme?
My study is in International Business Management with the degree title of “MSc. International Business Management” and my course duration is 15 months, which I will be completing in March 2015.
I am now in the last phase of my studies. I am writing my Master's Thesis and it has been a great time in my selected Business School via Mastersportal.com.
Why did you want to study abroad?
This is a very interesting question for me, as studying a Master's was not just about “abroad”, but it was specifically about taking a Master's degree in Germany. So, I will talk here about “Why Germany?”
Well, I am a student from India, with German language knowledge of almost 10 years, i.e. from 2004 when I was in school. German was a third language in my school curriculum, later in College as my second language and I completed my Bachelor's in German Language and Literature.
Thereafter and along with my Bachelor's studies, I completed my Goethe Institute levels for German language to the grade of B2.2. To add some more sugar to my German Language tea, I got an opportunity to study C1 level of German language in one of the Duisburg Essen University affiliated institutions called Communikation Akoun & Scholten. Here I completed my German language knowledge intake.
Hence, Germany was my preference and it all happened very easy for me via Studyportals.com. I managed to find the exact Business Management programme I was interested in, thanks to their unique filter system.
How did you find your study programme? Why did you choose this particular university? How did Studyportals help you?
I was searching specifically for Germany, more exactly for Berlin. So I reached Berlin School of Economics and Law very easily through the website. From the very beginning, my mind was made up for Berlin and I tried to get there, as Berlin is the international city of Germany, where it is easier to get good internships and further employment opportunities are very rich and diverse.
Moreover, Berlin’s lifestyle and living costs are the cheapest in Germany when we compare them to Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt, as these four cities are the best for Business Education in Germany. Berlin School of Economics and Law is the fourth best Business School in Germany as it is recently FIBAA accredited and first to have this accreditation.
On what stage of your application were you using Studyportals? Did you miss any important information on Studyportals?
I was using Studyportals for a long time, right from when I was in India, and I was very successful because of the assistance Studyportals offered me. I recommended Studyportals to all my friends who want to study abroad!
What were your main priorities when choosing your university and your programme (e.g. academics, accommodation, university services & facilities, personal & professional development, city & culture, cost & funding, practicalities, social life)?
I chose Germany, as I am a fluent German language speaker. Berlin is the city which I loved a lot since 2011 when I visited Germany the first time in my life! Now I can call myself a true Berlin lover, as this is the most hip city of Germany that I experienced!
Earlier I have been in other cities like Duisburg, Hattingen and Hamburg, but I couldn’t find the same atmosphere like Berlin! Living costs in Berlin are very cheaper compared to other cities, social life is excellent and I truly appreciate my presence in Berlin!
Was it your first study choice? What other universities did you consider? What was the main reason of your final choice?
Germany, Germany and Germany was my first and last choice. Moreover, I chose Berlin due to its varied culture and because it is a very nice city with great historical importance for Germany.
Did you already know from the start that you wanted to study in that particular country and city? Why did you choose for this particular location?
YES!! I was very firm with my choice for Berlin as my study place. Just to keep another option open for myself, I also had tried for Duisburg-Essen University. Finally, I chose Berlin as my best career option due to the diversity of the city and excellent career opportunities after completing my Master's.
Did you do a language test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) when applying for the programme? If yes, which one did you choose, why and how was your experience with it?
Yes, I appeared for TOEFL and I cleared the exam easily as it was much easier than what I expected. It was also mandatory for my course in Berlin, Germany.
What would be your advice for students from your country that consider to study abroad?
For Indians, I would like to suggest to always give a try for abroad education as it will most likely broaden their knowledge a lot. Studying in a different country also adds a lot of confidence to deal with multi-cultural people on professional and non-professional front.
While applying for so many universities I also got rejections, but rejections are where you are truly recognized. Hence, I believe rejections are the start for finding the right career for you. So, do not get disappointed by rejections, but think that now the goal is not that far from you, all my dear Indian friends.
How did you finance your stay abroad and what financial advice would you give to future students?
I financed my stay in Germany with my parent's funding and also with the help of an educational loan. It is really worth taking this financial risk, as it’s a big decision to invest in our own future. We have to really take the opportunity to excel in our chosen fields of education!
Why would you (not) recommend this particular city / university? How would you rate your experience on a scale from zero to ten (0 – It was a total disaster, 10 – I had the time of my life)?
I would suggest my university, i.e. Berlin School of Economics and Law to all those Business Management Education seekers, after having at least 2 years of experience in your home countries.
Europe is all about having previous job experience after completing a Bachelor's or a Master's course. Having a double Master's is always the best position you could have for the Europe job-market. I would grad my course an 8.
Is there anything that you would do differently if you could do it all over again?
I would do the same course again, and I would simply try to get more work experience.
What was the biggest surprise in your study abroad adventure?
The biggest surprise for me was a very big jump from Linguistic Studies to Management Studies. I was so well fitted for the course that I can just thank Berlin School of Economics and Law that they have really designed this course, just as they promised, for all versatile background students.
All this made it possible for me to reach the end of my course. Currently, I am searching for an internship and I am sure I will succeed in having the one that I want.
Were you inspired by the story of Shruti?
