Peyush Bhatia
Don’t Let Your Background Define You
My 3 Gs empower me to stand out in my own unique way.
As we trekked back home from school that day, my classmates and I chatted about what universities we wanted to end up in, I was 16yrs old and in my final year at Secondary school.
Each of us took a turn excitedly discussing our university choices and where we wanted to end up. My classmates mentioned some of the top Universities in Nigeria – Unilag, Delsu, Uniben, etc. When it was finally my turn, I told my friends I wanted to go to Oxford University, we all laughed sarcastically, the kind of laughter Sarah must have laughed in disbelief when the Angel of God told her she would be pregnant at the age of 90.
I knew Oxford was one of the most prominent universities in the world, but at that young age, I didn’t even know what country Oxford University was in, but I knew it wasn’t in Nigeria! Even though I had no idea how I was going to get there; my parents couldn’t possibly afford to sponsor me to study abroad, but in my overambitious head that’s the school I’m going to!
Unfortunately, but fate driven, the ‘Oxford’ I later ended up in was DELTA STATE POLYTECHNIC OGHARA… A Polytechnic! Not even a university, Sorry to burst your bubble, you were prolly expecting to read that I actually ended up in Oxford as I said, but hell no!
Anyway, I have no regrets because I had a wonderful time at the Polytechnic studying business administration and was among the top students in my department. After graduating, I started dreaming again. This time a bit less ballsy, but I still didn’t know HOW.
Barriers to Study at My Dream Institution
My persistence paid off with an unconditional offer from the world-renowned University of Sussex, the top institution for Development Studies.
I had found a new passion for Communications and Development and wanted to pursue a Master’s degree in that discipline; fantasies of studying at an international institution were creeping up my sleeve once again. My parents were still not in a position to financially support me, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming my dream!
I was able to save some funds from my meager pay at the time and began applying to UK institutions; the second challenge I faced was having an HND. As with many Nigerian universities, I had numerous rejections from UK universities when applying for a direct Master’s degree using my HND degree. This was not because of my grades (I had great grades!), but rather due to the dichotomy that existed between HND and Bachelor’s degrees. This was a significant barrier for me. But I was not dissuaded.
I applied to about 20 UK universities and eventually received three offers, two of which were conditional, requiring me to first complete a pre-masters course, and only one was unconditional – The University of Sussex, and this was just perfect because, amongst all the Universities I applied to, Uni Sussex was and still is No. 1 in the world for the course I wanted to study – Development studies – and highly reputable worldwide, and this was my ‘Oxford’!
And so a new path began with my “Oxford”. Another path opened up after graduating from Sussex and began building my career internationally. Now, using my skills and experiences, I support others in the following ways:
- I currently host a podcast for international students globally called “The international Students Podcast (TISP)” https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-international-students-podcast-tisp/id1651195683, where I get to support other international students with useful information garnered from my own experience, as well as through the knowledge and expertise of guest speakers.
- I’ve had the opportunity to speak at various occasions both online and in person, talking about my passions including diversity, gender equity, and inclusion, as well as personal growth. I am also a writer, and I get to lend my voice and share ideas on many social topics through my platforms (and soon-to-be-published book).
Like everyone else, I believe I am still on the journey to make the most of my life by making a difference in the world in my own unique way, and I trust in the process!
On this journey, RESILIENCE is something that has helped me so far; being able to consistently push oneself and go against the odds takes a lot of Grit, Guts, and Gumption! These are my three Gs!
Get In Touch
Lead, Succeed, and Grow with Yuni
Whether you’re an individual seeking personal growth or an organization fostering a thriving workplace, Yuni is your guide to unleashing women’s limitless potential.
