Preparations
In the spring of 2010, it was initially a fleeting idea to do my master’s degree abroad. Through a recommendation I was in MicroEDU attentive, making this “obsession” fairly quickly took shape. The contact persons at MicroEDU were open to all questions from the start and the answers usually came within a few hours (a few days at most).
The application effort was slightly higher overall than for German universities, but this was mainly due to the fact that in addition to the letter of motivation and TOEFL test, two English reference letters (university and employer) were required as well as a translated and certified bachelor’s degree and other translated internship / job references. Visit ehuacom.com to get information about 8 best universities in Belgium.
MicroEDU checked my records and forwarded them to the English university. Within 3-4 weeks I received a confirmation by email, whereby you should allow a little longer on average for a response. A week later I already had the “Welcome Package” in my mailbox and I was already full of anticipation for the upcoming stay abroad.
I then clarified other organizational issues directly with the university’s “international office” by phone or email. I also had the opportunity to fly to Sheffield for a few days in June 2010 to get an idea of the location. I would recommend this to anyone who has the opportunity, as it allows you to clarify many questions in advance and to get in the mood for what exactly is in store for you. For example, I was able to meet a lecturer in my field for a short conversation, find a room and get to know the city.
There are enough rooms, shared flats and smaller apartments in Sheffield, but price is a decisive factor here. I decided on a “private hall”, very centrally located and only inhabited by students. Here, too, the price was at the Munich or Frankfurt level.
Study on site
I flew to Manchester the weekend before starting my studies and used the university’s “pick-up” service, which even took me to the door of my dormitory. The first introductory week was for all new students and therefore mixed with all departments. Here I had the opportunity to get to know a lot of new people right from the start. There were many different activities on offer: from games to get to know you, film screenings and city games to day trips into the surrounding area. In the second week the subject-related introduction took place and we got to know our future fellow students and lecturers.
I was very impressed by the support given by the lecturers and professors throughout the entire course of study. You usually did not have to wait longer than a few hours (a maximum of 2-3 days) for e-mail replies and content-related discussions on assignments (i. e. homework or exams) were offered regularly and most of them also used them.
You should be prepared for the fact that lectures take place on 2-3 days and the rest is for self-study and is really necessary in some subjects. However, grades in the range of good to very good can be achieved if you work from the beginning and do not try to write the homework during the exam phase.
In my subject (Human Resource Management and Development) there were 2 exams at the end of the semester (i. e. in January and May) and an additional 4-6 term papers of different lengths. That sounds like a lot at first, but it can be achieved if you divide the work up a bit in terms of time.
In addition, students of this subject have the opportunity to take an additional qualification in HR, the requirements of which are already included in the course content. For example, the exams and a presentation were part of it. But these requirements can also be met very easily.
Still relevant for a master’s application: You have to be aware that most courses have a very high international share. I find this primarily very exciting, but it doesn’t necessarily make studying easier because you work / study in a very heterogeneous group. However, this also offers a lot of learning potential.
Otherwise, I was also impressed by the general support provided by the university and business school. Both at the SHIP (Student Help Desk) or in the SHU card office (student ID etc. ) or in the international office you will almost certainly receive answers to almost all questions.
I would also rate the library equipment and the on-site service as good to very good, especially the opening times (throughout the week) offer the opportunity to work later in the evening.
Life besides studying can be sweetened in many ways. The university also offers a variety of events in a wide variety of areas: sports & fitness, culture, parties, trips or meetings with people or families from Sheffield. But not only about the university, but also “Sheffield Life” had more to offer than I had thought. Many pubs, bars and restaurants as well as shopping and cultural activities offer everything a university town needs, including prices in English
After the 2nd semester on site, the master’s thesis (dissertation) usually follows. However, I interrupted my studies for an internship in Germany because I was able to write my master’s thesis in this company afterwards. In principle, it was required in my subject to write the thesis in connection with a company. But here too there are differences from subject to subject. It turned out to be quite straightforward to interrupt my studies without incurring additional fees.
Supervision of the master’s thesis
After completing my internship, I spent an intensive period doing my thesis, but here, too, the support from my supervisor was first class. E-mail contact and regular phone calls made it possible for me to receive feedback from her again and again, and two short stays in Sheffield enabled us to meet in person. Here too I was enthusiastic about the commitment and interest of the lecturers.
Now I am about to hand in my work and in retrospect I can only say that I have never regretted the decision to go to Sheffield and that this stay abroad has enriched my life very much and that I have had a multitude of valuable experiences.
