AFTER completing his master’s, Student World catches up with Jonas Dumdum, an international student from the Philippines, to see how he reflects on the year, his course, and if he has any advice for international students.
It would be best described as a mix of relief, humility and excitement. I told people that I finished the craziest experiment of my current lifetime!
Over the course of one year, we were taught the major parts of renewable energy sources and how to maximise the resources that we hold dear such as the soil and the waters around us.
The challenging part of it all was how to condense everything into one year. There is so much to learn but it was a faster pace than undergraduate education.
The biggest thing that I learned is that in order for us to move forward, we need to change the way we think about the environment. However, we also need to balance this with the needs of the people around us because fully abandoning other sources of energy will cost jobs and lives would change in the negative when not done right.
Location
I initially thought I would be doing this in Australia or New Zealand, but UK and Wales eventually came up on top.
Indeed, I am. No turning back even if I would do this again.
I went to education fairs in the Philippines and talked to agencies that are linked to UK Education. They were quite helpful.
Wales was surreal. It is not like your usual UK postcard photo that you would get in the mail, so I had to think how to do things from an empty canvas.
I did consider other universities, but South Wales had a special appeal to me as if I really wanted to be there. It seemed new and fresh at the same time.
Hilly (which still bothers my legs haha!) but quite modern and informal at times. People here are friendly and helpful whether you are a local, a Home student or an International student. The surroundings are peaceful and there has not been a case of bad behaviour around.
In the course of one year, I became our course representative and helped improve the course based on student feedback, became a university student blogger and student ambassador, and I became the co-team lead of the USW International Welcome Programme. In between, I have met influential people from Welsh academia, the UK renewable energy industry, and even our chancellor Lord Rowan Williams. I did my dissertation on fuel cell research and it was also a rewarding experience.
It can get too cold here sometimes, but I have learned to deal with it!
It has surpassed my expectations, to be honest. It went to beyond the realm of ‘It is so crazy but it is fun’ kind of expectation.
Perhaps I needed to explore more of the UK now that I’m done!
Whatever notions you know about the UK and Wales, drop it. Start with a new perspective and immerse yourself when you get here.
Singing ‘Hymns and Arias’ on an Autumn International Rugby match!
I would love to experiment now, especially after I've seen Jamie Oliver’s version of the Welsh cake!
Find a job. Hopefully in Europe where my field is most advanced.
Thanks, Jonas, best of luck for the future!