Thai student Tiranat Srisaan Terawanij had already studied in Ireland so was confident WIT would be the right choice for him
Working in the construction industry has always been my passion. I believe that building will never be eliminated from the world because it is something that has to be done to facilitate civilisation.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in Thailand and working for a couple of years, I decided to continue my further education in a construction-related field. Back in 2013, I was a “Study Abroad” programme student at the University of Limerick and had an amazing time in Ireland. So, Ireland was always going to be my first choice!
As I started to do my research, I found that the MSc in Construction Project Management at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) was exactly what I was looking for. All the modules they offered look very interesting and beneficial for my future career in the construction industry. So I decided to apply and eventually got accepted.
Moving faster
When I arrived in Ireland, I was amazed by how much the country had changed over the past six years. For example, there had been a lot of development in communication technology. Six years previously, mobile internet had been quite slow and the phone signal was not as good compared to my country.
These days, the Irish mobile internet is fast and has a great quality of the signal. Additionally, I realised that there were a greater number of Asian students with more Asian shops in Ireland. So I knew I wouldn’t have any problem finding Asian food.
Open approach
As I started the course in September, I found every course interesting and was definitely going to be beneficial for my future career. Other than the course, I found that the lecturers at WIT had a better way to get the student to understand the modules than the lecturers in my country.
I believe the lecturers here always try to get the student to be more involved in the class by being very open for the discussion and allowing the students to have a group discussion on certain topics.
By allowing the students to share their opinions and experiences with each other, I found it was very educational since each student has a different background and work experience. Also, this allows students to improve teamwork and communication skills.
Real world
Moreover, I feel that the lecturers are very kind and helpful. Whenever I have any questions, I can always ask the lecturer for help and they are always happy to do that. In terms of assessment, most of my modules are assignment-based with which I am very satisfied. In my opinion, the assignment could allow the students to be better at applying the course in the real working environment. For instance, most of my assignments are based on the problems that appear in the real world and I have to think about how I can manage them.
On the whole, it seems that Ireland has never disappointed me. I really enjoy studying here and look forward to being here as long as I can. Most importantly, I think I have made the right decision to study MSc in Construction Project Management at WIT.