Student Ambassador Sweta understands how important it is to experience life to the fullest. So, she decided to go back to university after time in the corporate world! Moving from India to Galway to pursue her dream course, she has made lifelong friends, while soaking in all of the beauty of the cultural capital of Ireland…The purpose of life is to experience the most, reaching out eagerly for newer and richer experiences. I live by these words and strongly believe that one should always allow for new avenues to occur. My name is Sweta Patnaik, flying all the way from India to pursue Masters in International Management at NUIG. The National University of Ireland, Galway is one of the most refined universities in the world. What first comes to mind is that difficult opportunities are often the beginning of great achievements.
Heading back to student life!
The best part of life is the opportunity to be a student again after working in the corporate world! With ‘the luck of the Irish’, I got this golden opportunity to land in Galway, back being a student, in the cultural capital of Ireland! As a previous corporate employee, who is buckling back onto the journey of being a student, I can reflect and say that your time in Ireland is going to be phenomenal.
Class trip! (photo: Sweta)
Student life here is especially breath-taking because of Irish culture. A pint of Guinness with friends after an exciting day at university, a walk down the Christmas market at Eyre Square on the last day of Semester 1, enjoying a beautiful sunset by the Spanish Arch and the view of the Corrib River as the ducks pass by – these are not just memories, but lifetime experiences that only a student of Ireland could cherish.
Taking a dip in the freezing water (photo: Sweta)
Not only this, but, you can push yourself to your highest limits! And, be as weird as you want to be! In my efforts to be weird, I went down to Salthill at 5:30 pm in the evening for a dive when it was only 7 degrees Celsius outside! The nightlife in Galway is amazing, and stunningly beautiful! Especially if you take a walk down Quay Street during the evening. There is a wave of music as you pass across through the walkway and honestly, nothing on earth feels more wonderful! Life flows like a river here, and being a student, you tend to flow too, not constrained by the pressures of corporate project deadlines and bug fixes. All you need to do is embrace the change and enjoy the learning. Choose your course carefully, choose what moves you, and don’t follow the crowd.
Sunset (photo: Sweta)
Time to explore new parts of you!
Ireland is a big ocean of opportunity. Even as a student, you have space to explore yourself and your interests. I got a chance to be a part of the Galway International Arts Festival as a volunteer, and the sheer number of beautiful performances I saw left me awestruck. No amount of words are enough to explain the ecstasy of my mind living here in Galway as a student. The course I have chosen is what I have wanted to do my whole life, and therefore I enjoy going to class daily! Being on campus and interacting with students from a variety of nationalities, while being exposed to new culture, diversity and the schooling process, helps shape your personality going forward. This is the best part about being a student again.
Sweta is studying International Management at NUIG.