• I nurtured the dream of studying in New Zealand ever since I joined Bombay Veterinary College. It offers the best education in my field - veterinary public health - especially in food microbiology, safety and quality. Also, New Zealand is one of the safest and friendliest of places for a foreign student.

I applied to Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand because I wanted to study food science and it had most of the courses. I finally joined the postgraduate diploma course in applied science.

SELF STUDY

• In New Zealand there are no exams like we have here. Each student is assigned a topic on which he or she has to submit a paper within a deadline. The grade a student achieves is through his or her own work for which there is reasonable time. Exams on a vast syllabus at the end of the year, on the other hand, leave you no option but to cram.

The other thing that helped me here was the exposure to people from various cultures and countries. We were divided into groups for laboratory or research work. This taught me to work with different people.

Tutors at Lincoln were extremely helpful. They are immensely knowledgeable about their subjects of specialisation and ever ready to help, no matter how busy. They were also prompt in marking assignments and replying to emails. All this helped me score an overall distinction in my course.

Life on campus was never dull. Lincoln University Student Association, along with the various clubs that exist on campus, made sure of that. I became a committee member of the Lincoln University International Students' Club and also president of the Indian Students' Club. These experiences helped me develop my people skills and leadership skills.

In the beginning, for about four months, I stayed in university accommodation. Since it was a bit expensive at $195 per week, I then shifted to a shared apartment at $170 a week. At both places, I had to cook for myself.

PICTURE PERFECT

• During college breaks, I travelled across the country and photographed the spectacular landscapes including places depicted in the Lord Of the Rings movies. Such travel rejuvenated me and motivated my mind to work harder.

After finishing the course, education promotion agency Christchurch Educated Inc. helped me format my CV and write cover letters that would appeal to "a Kiwi employer". It also told me which job websites to look at and how to handle interviews.

My first job was with Tegel Foods, an iconic poultry brand of New Zealand. After having worked there for nearly a year, I got the opportunity to join Fonterra, a global dairy and nutrition company based in New Zealand. The job is to test samples of various milk products from different Kiwi processing plants and for international clients in a state-of-the-art microbiological laboratory. The salary is good and the job challenging.

I aim to work for the Food Safety and Quality assurance department at Fonterra in future.