Cranfield is a home away from a home

Hi, I’m Poovazhahi Asokan from India, to be more precise I’m from Theni, Tamilnadu, India. I’m the first woman to study abroad from my small village. I aspired to become a Food Technologist and with my family’s support and endurance I have managed to complete my Master’s in Food Systems and Management.

Pursuing post-graduate studies in the UK was one of my childhood dreams. I started sending my application to several universities in the UK, but Cranfield was my first choice because of it’s reputation and friendly support to overseas students.

I applied during the peak of the Covid-19 situation where everyone in the world was collapsing, except the Cranfield team. They gave me the light of hope for my future. The student immigration team at Cranfield guided me in all possible ways to get a successful visa. I was completely speechless and excited to the nerve during my travel! It was completely a new place and new faces, but Cranfield University had arranged a free airport pickup service which helped a lot to reach the University without hassle.

Finally I have reached my dream land but the new covid restrictions had locked me up in the room for 14 days those days are quite difficult to handle. During quarantine, the Cranfield accommodation team took good care of me by giving foods on time loaded with energy drinks and bars.

Soon the induction week started where we had the opportunity to meet the faculty and course directors via Zoom. The coursework is quite intense but I would say that it is very essential in this fast growing world. Then in the middle of the taught modules, I felt completely down because of worsening conditions of covid in India, however the Cranfield mental health and wellbeing team helped me to overcome the hurdle in handling those emotions. My academic tutor shared her own experience to reflect the reality and she made me feel good in those tough days.

After the taught modules, I gained more confidence in presentation skills and academic writing. The group project is the next milestone to the degree. This collaborative work shaped me up in loads of soft skills like leadership, conflict management, project management, working with deadlines etc. The thesis I believe will shape me as an individual ready to deploy in industries as a graduate. In the meantime, I also had a great time with friends from Spain, France and more countries. We had a great time together in coffee shops and in campus kitchens. We also have a good Indian community at Cranfield which will make you feel at home. We had prepared dinner together and shared beautiful moments together. In a nutshell, Cranfield is a home away from home for me.