Osakwe pursued his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology. He found the programme via Studyportals. We asked Osakwe about his experience of searching and applying to a university abroad:
"My name is Osakwe Ozichukwu, I am 23 years old and I am from Nigeria. I studied Mechanical Engineering in my Bachelor’s back in Nigeria and now I am studying Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The duration of the course is two years with one year dedicated for an Internship and the Master’s thesis.
To be honest, I always wanted to study aerospace engineering for reasons I find very difficult to explain. I am not a huge fanatic of airplanes and things like that but I have always loved to do things that push me beyond my limits and I suppose the biggest I could think of was studying aerospace engineering.
In my country of origin, Nigeria, there is currently no university or higher institution offering courses in aerospace or aeronautical engineering so I had to go elsewhere to study.
The first and most important criteria I used in deciding which university to attend was the structure of the program. I believe the most effective way of learning is by combining theory with practical experience which is lacking in most Master programmes in the world; so choosing Delft University of Technology amongst the offers I received was a no brainer. Then I considered the liaisons with companies and then the culture.
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For me, it was aerospace engineering or nothing. So when I received offers that wasn’t aerospace related I turned them down. I got an offer from the University of Sheffield to study Aerodynamics and Aerostructures; I also got an offer from the University of Michigan to study Aerospace Engineering and some others to study different courses.
But I think from the onset, my mind was set on Delft University of Technology. The way the aerospace engineering programme was structured, the courses available, the student reviews amongst many other things only served to strengthen my decision to attend Delft University of Technology. So when the offer came in, I did not hesitate in accepting it.
Studyportals was very helpful in finding Delft University of Technology and also in making my final decision because I was able to get information and compare all the universities I was interested in. I was also able to get information on the requirements for admission and some key facts about many schools.
An English language test is required for foreign students whose native language is not English or who did not have their education taught in English. My country is not recognized for English so I had to take one.
I took the IELTS which I believe is easier and much more recognized worldwide. It was very easy to practice for the IELTS test because the practice material provided by the examination body contains exactly the structure of the exam itself.
I would advise students from my country and from other countries who wish to study abroad to do quality research about the course they wish to study and find out what school is perfect for that course.
Don’t just look at the big names because even some lower ranked schools are much better in some areas than the highly ranked ones. In the end, it’s the quality of education you get that would be evident in your career.
I would advise future students to make sure the source of their finance for study is not in doubt and would be able to support them through their study because it is not advisable to plan to work while studying."
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