Student Stories

"Keep moving, don't settle." - Steve Jobs

Share with us about your studying experience in Coventry, UK.

As PSB Academy has a collaboration with Coventry University (CU), they have very similar modules in the second year. This kind of continuity and similarity did help me overcome the environment change smoothly at first. Meanwhile, PSB Academy and CU have the same assessment methods which consist of coursework and finals. The coursework I did in PSB helped me develop a good base which allowed me to be able to handle more challenging coursework in CU. Also, the teaching at PSB Academy is all delivered in English and it did help improve my English skills which enabled me to get used to the studies and living quickly.

The strongest feeling, I have is an excellent learning vibe here. As I have been surrounded by scholars all the time, I’m always fully motivated. In this term, there’s a module called Control System Engineering. When it was coming to the due, I could only sleep for 3 hours a day, but I didn’t feel that tough since my colleagues and I stayed together. The last thing is the resources and equipment here. The library is open all year round, and there’s an app on the Moodle page called Appsanywhere, which allows us to use professional software like Matlab, CATIA, etc wherever and whenever we are. This definitely gave us a huge convenience for using the resources either at school or at home.

Since when did you start to be interested in Aeronautical area?

Since I was a kid, I have been developing an enthusiasm for mechanics, especially for aircrafts. I used to read books that are related to space and planets, but to be honest, I didn’t plan to learn anything about aeronautical engineering until my 3rd year in Mechanical Engineering. There was a lecturer for solid mechanics and dynamics whom I inspire the most. I chose him as my supervisor for my final year project which was about a drone, and I realised that I’m pretty good at dynamics and structure related modules. So, I decided to choose Advanced Aeronautical Engineering as my postgraduate study.

What were some of the most valuable takeaways during your education journey with PSB Academy?

During my two years with PSB Academy, I have gained a lot more than I imagined. Firstly, the increase in self-confidence. As I was Vice-President of Chinese Student Club (CSA) and a member of Student Council, I was given platforms and opportunities to give speeches. These experiences transformed me from someone who always hides behind the scene, full of stage fright to a student leader who delivered speeches with confidence and charisma. As a Vice-President of CSA, I got to plan and organise team bonding and charity events. Through these experiences, I honed event management and time management skills. Prior to my student life at PSB Academy, I never have any chance to organise large scale events and my only focus was on my studies. However, PSB Academy let me discover a different side of me and pushed me to my full potential. I was able to organise events and excel in my studies at the same time!

Secondly, it would be an improvement in English Language. During the 2 years when I was in Singapore, my English proficiency has undoubtedly improved. I took the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and achieved a high band score of 8 out of 9 for the Reading section! The learning environment that I was placed in, played a part in making this possible. There are only two of us from China in the Mechanical Engineering class and therefore I forced myself to brush up on my English language in order to communicate with the rest of them. This proves to be extremely beneficial when I transited to the United Kingdom (UK) for my studies. With a strong foundation built in Singapore, I was able to ease into my studies at Coventry University (CU). Out of the over 200 Mechanical Engineering students, less than 20 of them were Asians. Had it not been the journey I had with PSB Academy, I would not have imagined how life would have been for me in UK.

Share with us your experience with our transfer desk service and how it helps you transfer to Coventry University.

I transferred to Coventry University in September 2018. At that time, I literally knew nothing about the process of transferring, so I had to seek help from PSB Academy’s transfer desk service. I still remember the warmest help from the staff and thanks to them, I was able to manage all the transferring processes smoothly and successfully. Also because of the good collaboration relationship between PSB Academy and Coventry University, the Coventry University side also offered me a lot of help including Visa issues and accommodations. Without PSB Academy transfer desk’s service, I might not have managed to transfer to CU. So, I really appreciate all the staff in PSB Academy who once helped me and also miss the time I spent there.

Share with us your personal quote or mantra that you live by.

Steve Jobs' "Keep moving, don't settle" and Kobe Bryant's "Second place just means you're the first loser" are the two quotes I like the most.