Considering Business as an option for postgraduate study? Our Vietnamese ambassador and student at Athlone Institute of Technology, Tan Long Nguyen tells us why AIT is the best option.
I could not have chosen a better location to study for my Master of Business. Athlone Institute of Technology has everything I could want or need and has still surprised me. Here are my seven reasons why you should study here too.
1. Small, diversified class
My class this year for 2018-2019 has 19 students coming from seven countries: Vietnam, Ireland, Morocco, Belarus, China, Nigeria and South Africa. A great mix of different backgrounds and cultures.
Business faculty building at AIT
2. The lecturers
As we have such a small class, lecturers are able to get to know us all individually. They are enthusiastic, dedicated and always willing to help. The greatest advantage for me is that we work quite closely with our lecturers, which would just not be possible with larger class size.
3. Free learning materials
We have the standard online platforms such as OneDrive and Moodle to access learning materials and academic journals but I also got ALL of my textbooks for free too. One lecturer actually uses a novel as the main textbook which was a total surprise to me. I would like to keep it as a secret and I am sure everyone will have their minds blown away knowing which module that is used in.
4. Facilities
We have our own private classroom we can access with our student cards. We share this room with no other students and there is another computer lab with limited access to anyone other than Master of Business students. This is a huge advantage for us when we want some private place to study, to do our research or to cram for the exam when the library gets too full.
5. The Midlands Innovation and Research Centre (MIRC)
As part of the course, we have the chance to work closely with entrepreneurs from the MIRC. This is thanks to AIT working in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, to provide incubation and business support for innovative start-ups, to support client companies and enterprise in the region. In our project, my team needs to help an entrepreneur to develop a business plan and market options for their start-up. This is not only a great chance to learn practical experience, but also an opportunity for me to get to know more about the current start-up situation in Ireland.
Private classroom
6. Career opportunities
This course has taught us of the invaluable opportunities available to us following graduation in areas such as business development, service marketing and international management.
7. Low cost of living in Athlone
From my experience, accommodation costs (the biggest concern for most students) in Athlone is about 50-60% of that in Dublin. The town is quiet and only two hours away by public transport from Dublin. It gives me a peaceful environment where I can focus on my studies but I am also close enough to the excitement the capital city can offer.
I hope this list has encouraged you to opt for Athlone Institute of Technology as your university of choice for further study. I know you will love it as much as I do.