Why I chose Warwick Business School

Undergraduate student, Navya, explains why she chose to move from India to study in the UK at Warwick Business School. 

My interest in studying abroad began, quite fittingly, the way many good stories do, with a city dressed for Christmas. When I visited the United Kingdom in 2017, the Regent Street angels made London feel briefly magical. Beyond the festive glow, however, what stayed with me was a sense of academic familiarity. Having studied the Cambridge curriculum through IGCSEs and A Levels in Mumbai, the United Kingdom felt less like a leap into the unknown and more like a natural continuation of my education, just with colder winters and unfamiliar accents.

As the time to apply approached, that early certainty became more intentional. I knew I wanted an education that balanced theory with real-world application, structure with independence, and academic rigour with opportunity beyond the classroom. Choosing the United Kingdom over destinations such as the United States or Australia felt both practical and personal. It was closer to home, the academic style suited how I learnt best, and it offered a strong framework for an eighteen-year-old moving out for the first time.

Warwick was not my original plan. I had imagined Scotland and assumed Coventry might feel too quiet for someone raised on Mumbai’s constant soundtrack. That assumption changed after attending an offer holder event in Mumbai. Warwick revealed itself as calm, not quiet. It felt purposeful, energetic, and grounded in a genuinely inclusive student community, including a strong Indian presence. Academically, the decisive factor was Warwick Business School. The Management with Marketing with Placement Year course stood out for its employability focus, industry alignment, and academic reputation. I explored options across countries with professional guidance and even received a full scholarship from a leading Indian university, but my intention remained set on studying in the United Kingdom.

Since arriving, my experience at WBS has been shaped by three standout learnings that continue to define my journey.

The first learning has been academic ownership. The shift to fewer contact hours initially felt daunting, but it quickly became empowering. Achieving above seventy per cent genuinely felt like an accomplishment because it required independent thinking, time management, and intellectual confidence. The expectation is clear that students take responsibility for their learning. At the same time, support remains accessible. When I struggled with accounting, office hours with my professor helped rebuild both my understanding and confidence. This balance of rigour and approachability has shaped how I learn, encouraging me to ask questions early and engage deeply rather than relying on last-minute pressure.

The second learning has been the importance of community in growth. In my first term, I lived in a flat of eight with twelve nationalities represented. Our kitchen became a shared space for late dinners, cultural exchanges, and conversations that bridged unfamiliar experiences. Those evenings taught me that belonging is built through small rituals rather than grand moments. This sense of community extended beyond my accommodation through initiatives such as One World Warwick, where a campus-wide lights procession for the University’s sixtieth anniversary made the campus feel like a shared home. Studying abroad has shown me that independence does not mean isolation. Instead, it teaches you how quickly connection forms when everyone is navigating something new.

The third learning has come from involvement beyond lectures. Alongside my degree, I have taken on roles that translate classroom theory into practical experience. I serve as Head of Marketing and Design for the Warwick Women’s Careers Society and the Warwick India Forum, and I also contribute as a Student Ambassador and Student Communications Influencer for Warwick Business School. These roles have developed leadership, cross-cultural collaboration, and stakeholder management in ways no textbook could. They have also opened doors beyond campus. I studied Luxury in Venice for two weeks, bringing academic concepts to life in a fitting setting, and through the Warwick India Forum, I interviewed Barkha Dutt, a leading Indian journalist. These experiences reinforced a consistent lesson that initiative at Warwick is encouraged and rewarded with real responsibility.

Studying at WBS has made me more independent, reflective, and less interested in comparing timelines. What began years ago under the Regent Street angels as a sense of wonder has become a sense of direction. Choosing WBS was not only about rankings or reputation. It was about finding an environment that values curiosity, rewards initiative, and equips international students to navigate a bigger world with confidence and purpose.