By Srinath Panchavati Ramakrishna, MSc Computing & Security, Department of Informatics
I completed my Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering in India and then worked as a Java Developer for 13 months. I had a desire to study security related subjects for a long time. To learn more about it, I attended quite a lot of workshops and seminars related to security, but my thirst for knowledge never got quenched. Sometime in January 2017, I decided that I should put a pause to my professional career and find a good college to pursue my MSc in Cyber Security. I came across King’s College London’s MSc in Computing and Security and I fell in love with it. It had a balance between both the theoretical and the practical aspects. I prepared a Statement of Purpose, took IELTS, made sure I had all the required documents and applied for it and fortunately got accepted. There has been no looking back since then.
Since most of the Postgraduate courses in the UK are just one year, I had to make myself mentally tough because the work load was going to be double when compared to a normal two year MSc. Of course, in Bachelor’s, you do have to hand-in a lot of assignments and projects but the quality expected out of a MSc student is much more. The expectations are higher in the latter’s case as well. As a postgrad student, you are supposed to be always on your toes. If you’re planning on working after the MSc or pursuing a PhD, in that same year, alongside your studies, you also have to find a job or look for a university or else, in the case of an international student, you will have to leave the country four months after your course ends as the student visa is only valid for 16 months.
I would suggest a prospective postgrad student to attend as many career and networking events as possible to increase your contacts and reach. I would also suggest starting really early (1-2 months after you start your MSc course) with the job applications because it is always the early bird that catches the worm!
As an international student, it is very much possible to get a job here but it does take a lot of effort, and more importantly, planning. It is absolutely essential that the MSc is pursued with utmost positivity. I have completed very challenging assignments and projects, found the best of friends during this one year and had loads of fun, both on and off the campus. A postgraduate course and particularly a MSc at King’s College London is for people who like challenges and want to make it big in life. I have had the time of my life at King’s and wouldn’t trade this for anything.
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