Muneeb Ahmed Khan discusses applying for the Saltire Scholarship at RGU and his first impressions of Aberdeen and the university.
About me
I chose civil engineering as my undergraduate course because of my interest in buildings and the built environment. After graduating as a civil engineer, I worked at Pakistan’s biggest housing development project i.e. Bahria Town Karachi as an Assistant Engineer for construction audit. I chose to pursue a master’s because of my passion for learning new and fresh knowledge. I decided to study my masters in UK due to industrial advancement in construction sector. There is also footprints of international accreditation bodies that paved the way for career advancement both academically and professionally. At RGU I aim to explore and learn new construction technologies and methodologies such as Building Information Modelling and develop my skills further on the MSc Construction Project Management course.
“If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again.”
Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland.
My journey to RGU has been very long. One year, a lot of statements of purpose, hundreds of hours proofreading and dozens of scholarship applications with plenty of rejections. Then I discovered RGU and the Saltire Scholarship.
First impression
Robert Gordon University caught my attention back in April 2021 when I was exploring scholarships on the British Council Website. Upon exploring the RGU webpage further, I found the MSc Construction Project Management course which covers advanced modules such as Civil and Construction Engineering and Building Information Modelling. The course accreditation bodies and experienced faculty is what I was looking for as a civil engineer, it created a passion inside me to begin my master’s application at RGU.
Receiving Saltire Scholarship
RGU’s tuition fee grabbed my attention straightaway. Furthermore, I heard about Saltire Scholarship from RGU Scholarships and Funding page. I applied for this bursary in middle of May after obtaining my first offer to study at RGU. In the last week of June, I received the magical email that almost made me shout “hurrah!” in my office. The email telling me I was successful in my scholarship application was a massive source of happiness for me and my parents.
Life in Aberdeen
Since accepting the scholarship, I have been searching about life in Scotland and Aberdeen’s environment with regards to students. The picturesque view of Aberdeen City flourishes a calm image in my mind and it reminds me of the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, in terms of natural beauty. I am expecting a fun and lively time in Aberdeen which is quite opposite to my life in Karachi. The thing I am most excited about is the amazing RGU Campus and the historical castles around the city of Aberdeen.
What I will miss from home?
Family is the main thing that I am going to miss the most from home and the food might be the second. Moreover, my cat (Rocket) may not miss me, but I will have a hard time living without her. Hopefully I meet some fluffy cats in Aberdeen and they will be good company.
Life in Aberdeen seems great and it may fill the absence I feel being away from home. I am at the stage of packing and waiting for my visa to arrive, and it feels like days are turning into months. I have also chatted with the previous Saltire Scholar, who graduated from RGU in the same discipline that I am going to study. He helped me understand more about the RGU and Aberdeen experience.
I am thrilled and a little nervous, which is completely normal, to start this wonderful season of my life with many episodes of achievements, experiences, friendships and much more at RGU.
Muneeb Ahmed Khan
2 responses to “Receiving the Saltire Scholarship”
Great job Muneeb
[…] Receiving the Saltire Scholarship 5 things I wish I knew before starting university Moving from Pakistan to RGU […]