Amrita Manohar is from Chennai, India. In 2012, Amrita was awarded a full scholarship by the Higher Education Authority of Ireland, to complete her studies on the MSc in IT Management programme at National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUIM). Here, Amrita explains in an interview why she chose to study in Ireland and why she believes that NUIM provides a good university experience for Indian students who wish to study in Ireland.

Why did you choose to study in Ireland?
Ireland has recently become a hub for many IT companies; and considering I’m in that field, I believe I have much more to gain from studying here. Some other aspects that influenced me are that Ireland is one of the few places where you can complete a full Masters degree in one year, instead of two. Gaining an international exposure always interested me and I now have a wider perspective of people from different cultures with the opportunity to meet not only the Irish, but also people from various other European, American, Asian, and African countries. Also, Ireland is extremely safe and the people here are very friendly and helpful.

What degree are you studying and why?
I’m currently pursuing an MSc in IT Management at NUIM. The degree is very industry-oriented and involves practical applications, while providing us ample exposure to current trends. My own course is very involved with leading international companies such as Intel and HP.
The department has a very high placement percentage. With regard to internships and work placements, we are encouraged to take up work opportunities and work with organizations for our projects and dissertations.

Why did you choose National University of Ireland Maynooth?
The main reason is the style of education here which relies less on books and not at all on memorization. The system encourages the student to explore concepts on their own and apply it to real scenarios with guidance from the professors. The course format and the subject modules offered at NUIM matched my areas of interest.

What do you enjoy about campus life at NUIM?
A particular aspect that makes life at NUIM interesting is the presence of clubs and societies. Apart from providing an opportunity for students to exercise their interests, this is a good platform to make many friends and also to practice leadership skills if you are on the committee of any of these. I am on the committee of the International Students Society through which I organize trips to tourism destinations in Ireland for large groups of students and also organize cultural and social events on campus. It has been a great way to meet other students from all cultures. We have celebrated Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year and are looking forward to St Patrick’s Day and Holi Festival in the coming months!

Would you recommend NUIM to other Indian students? Why?
I would definitely recommend NUIM to other students from India.
There are various scholarship and funding opportunities available for meritorious students to aid with finance. I was awarded a scholarship by the Higher Education Authority which has greatly helped with the costs of studying abroad. There are also NUIM scholarships for Indian students entering in September 2013.
The subject modules are expertly handled and provide an application-oriented view that is rarely seen in Indian education.



Also, NUIM has a very friendly and inclusive atmosphere. To date, I have never encountered any racial or linguistic issues at NUIM or in the places I’ve visited in Ireland. Considering everyone speaks English here there’s no problem in terms of communication either. All of these factors make the university experience very fulfilling.

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To find out more about studying at National University of Ireland Maynooth as an international student visit: http://international.nuim.ie/study-maynooth, or read about NUIM scholarship programme for Indian Students here: http://international.nuim.ie/news-and-events/news/new-nuim-indian-student-scholarships-announced-2013-entry



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