A journey that changed my life

This is a story of the journey that kickstarted my career; a journey of wonderful and thrilling experiences; a journey, which was no less than a dream come true

I hail from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur, also known as the Manchester of the East. It was the first week of May when I received an email regarding an internship at the University of Cambridge. An opportunity to work with such a prestigious institution is something only a few get to experience. I immediately informed my father about the internship, expenses and other intricate details related to the program to seek his permission. 

I sent out my nomination to the placement incharge and the international department. That was the beginning of my journey. A little nervous, I gave my interview in the third week of May, along with 16 other students. I got a call from the international department in June, and they confirmed my internship. My happiness had no boundaries.

After receiving an official confirmation mail from the University of Cambridge, we were advised to apply for a visa instantly. We received constant support and guidance from the international department regarding visa and other documentation.

I was a little anxious, which was to be expected, as it was my first ever international trip. We arrived at Cambridge on August 1. I was directed to my accomodation. After settling down, my co-intern and I went out and about the city to explore and have fun.

A day after, our mentor, Dr. Nalin Patel, came to pick us up. He exposed us to the entire West Cambridge campus, where we were going to work. He also informed us about our work profiles, roles and responsibilities. To be honest, he was like a godfather to me there. In the course of the day, we also met Dr. Darshana Joshi, our mentor in true sense of the word.

We worked under Dr. Alexander Patto and Dr. Alicja Dabrowska and learnt a lot from them. The WaterScope team, the organisation under which we were interning, was extremely supportive and I acquired some life-long skills working with them. As a bonding exercise, they took us out for punting and we also saw the classic Shakespeare comedy. We were also introduced to various technologies used during our project and the brilliant ideas put forth by the student entrepreneurs of the Cambridge University. 

To sum up, it was the most exhilarating experience I have ever had in my life. I am thankful to our faculty and mentors for constantly guiding us, teaching us, taking care of us and getting us acquainted to a completely new culture.

(The writer is a B.Tech Mechatronics student)