UNAIR NEWS – Imaging Radiology Technology student from the Vocational Program Universitas Airlangga, Elza Rhenata Rahmadhani, shared her joyful experience at the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) for the Indonesia International Student Mobility Awards for Vocational Student (IISMAVO) program at the University of Portsmouth, UK.

“I first learned about IISMA in 2021. I’ve wanted to study abroad since high school. I was about to enroll in the program, turned out it was offered to students in undergraduate bachelor programs only. As I’m in the diploma program, I couldn’t enroll. In 2022, the opportunity for diploma students was opened. After that, I prepared everything and enrolled myself in the IISMA for vocational students,” she told UNAIR NEWS on January 26, 2023.

Elza has prepared well. The Faculty of Vocational Studies (FV) has supported the IISMAVO registration by providing the latest information and updates on the program. However, she dug for more information on Instagram.

After getting through a long process, Elza was selected to join the student exchange program at the University of Portsmouth, UK. The UK was chosen due to the spoken language, the country’s advanced development with better technology, and learning facilities.

However, the adaptation was really challenging for Elza. The different accents forced her to adjust. “Once I arrived in the UK, I experienced language culture shock. I used to speak in an American accent, while the British accent is very different. In the beginning, I found it hard to comprehend what people say,” she said.

Preparing for IISMAVO registration

Elza believed the first thing to do before registering for IISMAVO is to get to know yourself. The essay writing and interview stages will require applicants to describe themselves. In the latter, the applicant must know their achievement, potential skills, and common problems during learning.

“If we don’t understand ourselves, it takes more time to reflect on that. Knowing yourself helps smoothen the next stages,” she stated.

Tips for the interview

The interview session was quite challenging for Elza. Therefore, she shared the following tips.

1. Practice interviews in English, as interviews are mostly spontaneous.
2. Understand your personality

The UK, especially its academic facilities, left her fascinated. The universities were provided with excellent facilities and advanced technology. The libraries are open 24 hours with accessible laptop facilities.

The other fantastic opportunity Elza gained was to meet new friends from different countries. “I got new friends from Greece, Germany, and Spain. It strengthens the networks and adds more insights on their learning experiences from other universities,” she said.

Finally, she advised her fellow interested students to join the 2023 IISMAVO to keep up the good spirit for the selection process and not to indulge in the competition. “Don’t overthink about the competition. Do your best, and let God do the rest. Don’t be afraid to join IISMA, it’s a golden opportunity that doesn’t come twice,” Elza ended.

Author: Saka Wandhana Putri

Source: https://unair.ac.id/en/selected-for-iismavo-program-unair-vocational-student-shares-tips-and-overseas-learning-experiences/