Swathi Yogeshwar Rao

MSc Interactive Multimedia Systems

From India

The following is quoted from Hobsons in A Study Guide for International Students.

" I did my undergraduate degree in Britain, studying computer science at the University of Kent. Then, when I finished, I came to Liverpool to do my Masters degree in multimedia. I decided to come to the UK to study mostly because of the quality of the education over here. In India, going to university was working out to be quite expensive and I wanted the best value for my future. Also, I was very interested in computer science but there were no good courses in India at the time. I wanted to be able to learn for myself - in India you do tend to get rather spoon fed.

During my first degree, I became interested in multimedia and started looking for somewhere to study it at a higher level. I chose Liverpool because it's a city with lots of culture and art and I felt I could learn a lot here. The facilities were also very good, and I liked the course content. There are lots to do with software development, and there is also a bit of programming so it is interesting and varied.

When I first came to Liverpool the university held an induction week just for international students. It was very helpful because they showed us around the campus and all the facilities, and also it was when I met most of my friends. The International Office at Liverpool John Moores was also helpful in finding me accommodation. I'm living in the centre of Liverpool in very nice self catering accommodation. I'm lucky because I'm sharing with just one other girl which means it's not too noisy when I study and I have a lot of privacy. It's also close to where I study, so it's very convenient for me.

For my course, I spend 12 hours a week in lectures, plus time for private study. I really like the assignments on my course because they are always interesting. They really make you think because you have to develop new software and come up with something innovative. It's much more practical than exams - there's no point in just memorising things to spit them back out on paper. In real life you have to think of different ideas and that's what I'm doing here. We have lots of group work and they let us choose who we want to work with, so I am always able to work with friends. The projects really help us to learn how to work as a team and to solve problems jointly. Also the course is quite international and I like being able to share different ideas with people from all over the world.

For my dissertation I'm studying video conferencing as a means of communication for distance learning. One of lecturers has a website for this and because of my project, anyone who's interested will be able to register and have face to face discussions with other users. It's exciting to do something for real.

I live next door to the Empire Theatre in Liverpool so I go to see lots of plays and musicals. Most recently, I saw Mamma Mia which is based on Abba's music which I really loved. Liverpool is very multicultural and has lots of nice restaurants. I like to go out with my friends and try different foods from all over the world. Another thing I enjoy is going on the day trips the university organises for international students. I've been to Wales, York, Leeds and Stratford upon Avon so far. It is also a good way to meet new people because the trips are organised with the other university in Liverpool.

After I finish, I am planning to go back to India or to the US to work in a job related to multimedia. I think this course will be very useful because the skills it gives me can be applied to the jobs I will be doing for real. The work assignments are particularly good because they give employers an idea of what I'm capable of. At the end of this course, I will have a portfolio to show to say look, this is what I can do.

I would definitely recommend studying in the UK because you learn so much here. The facilities are state of the art and much better than you would find in India. You get your own independence and learn how to live on your own and manage your own life. Since coming here I am much more confident about myself and about my future."