According to Ma Gao-ju, alumnus from Group T and Beijing Jiaotong University, “life abroad is neither as romantic nor as relaxing as it appears to be in the soap operas. To exchange students the beautiful scenery is just a backdrop; what you have to focus on, though, is studying and every day life."
Hands-on
"Many courses at Group T require hands-on participation, i.e. using what you have learned to get things done. This poses a great challenge to Chinese students, most of who are not used to this practical approach. To acquire competence in both theory and experiments and to obtain good marks, I spent plenty of time in the lab. It was a pleasure to me, really, and it contributed to the fact that today I can solve problems at work with great ease."
Never a dull moment
"It is hard to be lazy as a Group T student. The evaluation required you to either create an intricate object or to do an oral defense. If you do not have a full grasp on the subject matter, then it is not easy to pass. Hurried preparations the night before the exam do not suffice. Each experiment presents you with a challenge.”
Communication courses
“What impressed me the most were the Group T courses on communication, courses rarely taught in other engineering schools. Obviously, we had to study for these, but we were also assessed on our communication skills during the presentation of our final-year project. The course deals with how to write meeting reports, how to give presentations, how to make slideshow-presentations, etc. I highly appreciated it, because these are exactly the skills I have been using most since I got a job. Most specialized knowledge I acquired has in the meantime already passed its due-date, but these skills will stay with me all my life.”
Unique experience
“What we really learned from studying abroad is not merely some subjects, but a true study method and how to hold our own in a working environment. I think this is what makes Group T unique and all the time I put into it was worth it. At the moment, I am working for Microsoft Shanghai. When this interview came up in a talk with my boss, I was told that it was exactly this special experience that won me my job.”
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