Getting out of my comfort zone

Hi, I’m Palak and I’m in my second year of BSc (Hons) Business and Management with a placement year. I'm an international student from Mumbai, India, and I moved to Bradford to achieve my goals and experience life as a student.

For a bit of background, I've been actively involved in extracurricular activities. I joined the Badminton society and started a women-only fitness group called Diva Fitness.

Making the most of my time here

Along with my experiences with the University of Bradford Union of Students (UBU), I have been able to explore opportunities offered by the Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem (BREE), and enrolled myself in the Accelerated Student Entrepreneurship Programme (ASEP).

I've had so many opportunities whilst being at Bradford, and in my first year, I was able to secure an internship during the summer. I worked with a small local charity called Relate Bradford & Leeds to help them with their marketing and communications.

My experience doesn't end there! I'm also a student and careers ambassador at the University and have worked as a PAL leader to support first-year students in my faculty.

I know what you're thinking... "that sounds like a lot". I know - but it doesn’t really end here.

I really enjoy being creative and have worked with the marketing team at the University to help with photoshoots and video campaigns. I've also assisted the Outreach and Recruitment team with making fun vlogs and blogs like the one you’re reading.

The freedom of study

Let’s get into the boring stuff now, eh? Although it's not really boring...

That’s the beauty of studying business. When studying my course, I have never once felt bored.

All my modules have helped me catch a glimpse of how different industries work. Some modules, like marketing, helped me refine my presentation skills - something which is super important if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

I love that my course gives me the freedom to choose who I want to be and what I want to do! Alongside business, I study accounting, marketing, and human resource management - I can choose to specialise in any field I want. I enjoy the freedom and don’t feel restricted.

Time to grow

Over the last two years, I have seen real growth in my confidence and soft skills.

As part of my assignments, I've improved how I work within a team and have had the chance to lead a group. I've had to learn how to navigate through deadlines and exams, and sought help from my lecturers when I needed it. 

On the flip side, I've been juggling making friends with unlocking new experiences and working with the university staff as an ambassador. These things have really helped me make the most of my time here as a student.

This is just the beginning

I don’t want it to stop here.

From this summer, I will enter the real, corporate world. As a placement student, I get to work in the industry as an intern for a year and expand my horizons.

Securing a placement can be challenging and competitive, especially as an international student, but so worth it. I get to work with professionals and gain mentorship from them. This experience will help me build even more confidence and gain soft and technical skills.

After completing my placement year, I hope to come back to Bradford with a wealth of knowledge that I can apply to my final year of studies and long into my future after graduation.

I also want to explore study abroad opportunities and hopefully tick a box off my bucket list in my final year. There’s so much to do, but very little time.

Life as a student is truly amazing. I’d recommend you try everything, explore, make mistakes, and basically just make the most of it! Most importantly, don’t forget to be YOU.

Your possibilities? Endless.

Get stuck in.

Turn your passion into purpose and explore Business and Management at Bradford.