Saeed Ahmad, BSc student in Mechanical Engineering, spent the summer in California, studying at one the US’s top schools, UC Berkeley, during a study abroad program sponsored by the UAE Ministry of Education.
As one of only 30 undergraduate students selected from all universities across the UAE to participate in the MOE’s Ambassadors Program, Saeed is extremely grateful for the study abroad opportunity and described his experience as “unforgettable.”
“I was always motivated to participate in a study abroad program from the moment I began my education at KU. And I am so glad I did it! I would definitely do it again if I could,” Saeed shared.
During his two-and-a-half-month visit, Saeed gained key skills and life lessons that have reinforced his interest in mechanical engineering and in learning.
“This experience reinforced my future goals in many ways. It made me focus more on what’s important in my life. While I was there, I started planning what I am going to do when I come back. For example, I now want learn to learn a third language – Spanish! I also want to do my undergraduate internship somewhere outside the country, for more experience.”
Saeed took the course ‘System Dynamics and Controls’ at UC Berkley, which is one of the most important courses in the field of Mechanical Engineering.
“UC Berkeley is considered as one of the top 10 best engineering schools in the world. The outstanding reputation of the university was enough to push me to apply for it. With so many courses offered there during their 4 summer sessions, it was really easy for me to pick the right course that is relevant to my graduation plan.”
The young mechanical engineer enjoyed learning about the culture and found learning in the classroom with the other students to be truly inspiring.
“One thing I definitely liked about the classes is that everyone seemed to be motivated and well-focused in their studies. In all the classes, students were constantly engaging with the lecturer; positive energy was all around. The classes were quite large compared to our classes here, at KU which gave me the chance to meet many different people of different cultures.”
“I noticed that education seemed more stressful there, but at the same time, the students enjoyed it and dealt with it differently. I could tell that the students were dedicating all their time to building their life so they can be financially stable later on.”
The experience also helped him learn a lot more about himself. “The simplest way to say it would be, I value education. I find passion in learning and educating myself. I find that knowledge is ‘power’. The more you learn, the more successful you become, and the better you handle your life.”
The UAE National hopes to be able to use his education and passion for learning to give back to his country.
“I am extremely motivated by what the country does for its youth, and I want to return this favor by educating myself as much as possible, and use my knowledge and cognitive abilities to improve this country later on in any way. I would also like to thank KU for giving me the chance to be the student that I always wanted to be.”
Erica Solomon
Senior Editor
23 September 2019
