Inspired to become a successful engineer and follow in her father’s footsteps, Adila’s first choice of university was Canterbury.

‘I wanted to study in New Zealand,’ she says, ‘and from the very first time I heard about UC, people always talked about how good its College of Engineering was.’

Adila is strongly motivated to succeed. Coming from Shah Alam in Malaysia, via secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, she is aware of the opportunities that studying away from home offers. ‘I like to challenge myself and improve myself day by day. Taking Engineering at university is not just about studying for a degree – it is teaching me to grow as a person and develop innovative thinking which will help me serve the people in my country later on.

‘I want to turn the sacrifice of being away from home into something worth the distance and make everybody back home proud of me.’

Adila says that she is enjoying her subject, Chemical and Process Engineering (CAPE). ‘It is interesting to learn about things we see in everyday life. CAPE is not entirely about chemical engineering, but the relationship between physical, mechanical and chemical. It’s about standard processes, from raw materials to a complete product – basically it’s getting to know how stuff is made up and understand how engineers make things useful to man and the environment.’

As an international student, Adila says she has fallen in love with Canterbury. ‘The study environment at UC is very nice, and the place makes me feel at home. I like travelling and sport, and living in New Zealand gives me the opportunity to go to many beautiful places and the chance to do all sorts of fun activities.’

When she started at UC, Adila immediately joined the Canterbury Malaysian Student Association and serves on the committee as vice president. She adds that she has made ‘awesome friends’ and had ‘unforgettable college experiences’.

Adila does not hesitate to recommend UC and Engineering to others. ‘Canterbury is the best place to obtain all the theoretical and practical knowledge. With advanced technologies and experienced lecturers, the learning here goes beyond the book. And if, as a student, you are seeking life experience rather than just academic, this is the right place for you. Everyone should enjoy college life, and UC will give you more than you expect.’