My introduction to Cranfield University
17/12/2021
Hello! My name is Maria, I’m proudly Mexican, and I want to introduce you to my journey at Cranfield University. My background is nutrition, and I decided to go for a Food Systems and Management MSc. I’m sure you are thinking now, “well, nutrition is about food, and food systems sounds like it’s about food “… in some respect, this is true, but coming here was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done.
In my first lecture, I discovered that almost all my classmates have a food technology background, which got me a little bit scared Food Systems and Management MSc is very technical; in the first module, we talked about crop breeding, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in a more chemical way. As a nutritionist, I know about these macronutrients, but physiologically. I mean, what happens in your body when you eat those delicious carbs and eat that muscle-building protein. Additionally, I realised that almost all my classmates have a food technology background, so I felt out of place. Listening to new accents that at first felt like impossible to understand and listening to new concepts in the lecture was overwhelming. But, believe me, after one week, you think the accent is no longer there, and as you study and deliver your assignments, you feel like an expert in the modules. I have been learning new concepts, listening to different ideas, working with people from other countries and trying to express myself in a different language every day since I joined Cranfield. It has been one of the most formative and enriching experiences I’ve ever had.
I’ve got to say that having the first meeting with the fellow Net Zero Scholarship winners group gave me confidence. I realised that there was a particular reason why we were selected and that there’s a group of people in the same situation as I am. Deep down, I knew that I had enough courage and capacity, but still, having this group of people supporting me and my fellows relieved my soul.
Another thing I can say that helped me adapt and feel free from all the school stress is to do exercise. Sometimes I go out for a ride on my bike; it depends on the weather as I am not used to these temperatures. I also rediscovered one of my childhood and adolescent passions – volleyball. Unfortunately, there were not enough girls for having a woman’s team this year, but anyway, I go to the training sessions during the week, and it’s awesome.
So, if I could go back in time and give some tips to myself before coming here, those would be:
1.- Don’t feel out of place; you will do great.
2.- Be patient and don’t stress out.
3.- There’s a lot of people feeling the same way as you, and you can rely on them.
4.- Don’t forget to exercise, it is vital for your mental health.
5.- Buy an appropriate jacket as soon as you get here, it will be freezing!
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Systematic Literature Review – combining your search strings
Our previous posts on the systematic review have looked at: Systematic Literature Review – Where do I begin? Systematic Literature Review – Selecting your Sources Systematic Literature Review - Identifying your search terms and constructing ...
Academic writing and being critical
Academic writing is daunting. Capturing all your thoughts and analysis and putting them down onto paper in some sort of understandable fashion is a challenge. Did you know we have resources in our Cranfield Study ...
Bank holiday hours for Library Services: Monday 6 May
Library Services staff will be taking a break on Monday 6 May for the early May bank holiday. You will still be able to access all the resources and help you need via our library ...
Cranfield’s Manufacturing and Materials Students’ Showcase Innovation at Project Day
On 26 April, Cranfield University buzzed with excitement as students from across our Manufacturing and Materials MSc programmes presented their group projects at the annual Group Project Presentation Day. This annual event presents ...
Come to a virtual study session in May
What are virtual study sessions? These are online study sessions facilitated by Library staff, where you can study independently alongside other students via Teams. They are a great way for you to dedicate specific time ...
Getting started on your School of Management thesis
Writing a thesis, business plan, internship project or company project can be a daunting task, and you might have some uncertainty or questions around how to get started. This post will share some ideas and ...
Hii Maria ,Your post is so inspiring .Within few months ,i will be Joining Cranefield in Your Course Only. You really gave me a sense of Homely Feeling .I could definitely relate Your feelings.
Thank You.
Hi Atish, I’m so glad it helped you!! I’m sure you’re going to be as happy as I am here at Cranfield.
Best wishes!!