New country, a bright future

From meeting the world to preparing for a new career, hear from Prithwiraj about his Manchester experience.

What do you think of Manchester as a city?

Manchester is full of arts and culture and I try to balance exploring this with my studies and get involved in as much of the music scene as I can.

So did you get the opportunity to explore Manchester before you came here?

No, it was completely new. I chose Manchester after my English teacher recommended it for Economics.

What did you think when you first arrived?

I was nervous leaving home for the first time. Once I got here I was still nervous, but excited to start a new journey.

I met people from all over the world – the UK and internationally. It’s one thing I love about studying abroad because it is a wonderful experience. It’s also helped myinterpersonal skills and how I communicate with other people.  I’ve had something to learn from every interaction I’ve had.

One advantage of living in university accommodation is that I also met people who study vastly different things from what I do. I learned about how their courses are structured differently from ours and the kind of mind set they have when going into their work, it was really inspiring to see. 

What’s it like being a student here?

The facilities and support are really great – lots of library and study spaces and the amount of academic support I receive is invaluable.

Being an economics student, I also have access to fantastic opportunities at my fingertips. I’m taught by world leading academics that I can talk to openly about ideas.

It’s also so flexible studying here and you can tailor your course, I had about 100 modules to choose between. Studying a vast range of modules in my first year helped me realise what I wanted to specialise in for my second and third year.  

I’m also more independent, I’m more proactive, I do things by myself and I’m not afraid to go that extra mile to get things done.

I’ve also met like-minded people. I’m not alone, everyone is going through the same thing and developing in the same way that I am. I’ve also met second and third year students at society events which is so useful to get more guidance

How has Manchester prepared you for a future career?

As well as my general studies I’m secretary of the post-crash Economics Society and have organised lectures and discussions around topics such as inequality and pluralism. In my first year I was also in the United Nations society where I learned a lot about communicating and getting my points across in way that was clear and coherent. I want a career focussed on research in third world countries, perhaps doing economic consultancy and all this experience will really help. 

Prithwiraj Ghosh
BAEcon Economics and Finance