Leila Nathoo secured a prestigious scholarship to study at Harvard this year. We were interested in how and why she ended up at (apparently...) the world's number one university...

I left New College, Oxford last Summer (2007) having studied PPE. My time there was really great – I loved the variety of my course, so many opportunities to get involved in things, meet great people and - of course - the chance to live in such a beautiful town.

Deciding that student living was too good to give up (and also having developed a passion for studying South Asia) I set about looking for Masters’ degrees in South Asian Studies. Unfortunately for my field, there wasn't a huge amount on offer – not many places provided such a course, and universities that did didn’t really have what I was looking for.

Thankfully, I then heard about a scholarship that New College offered to do a one year ‘Special Student’ Programme at Harvard. It’s a non-degree course with ultimate flexibility so you can basically study what you want. It seemed like such a great opportunity; and especially for me, because I was very keen to pursue the study of South Asia through different academic disciplines.

There are numerous national bodies in the UK who offer funding for further study in the US, and different scholarships from Oxford and Cambridge. The application process is pretty much the same; a statement of purpose and then a panel interview. All very daunting! But somehow I survived, and was awarded the place. As with anything, I think the key was to be genuinely committed to what you are applying for – people see through insincerity easily – and to just be yourself!

Further study seems increasingly valuable in today’s job market and I think it provides a really good chance to focus your interests, especially if - like me - you did a fairly broad degree with no thesis (and chance to specialise). The American education system is really different and takes some adjusting to, but has loads of advantages. I had never thought of going across the Atlantic before, but now I’m here I think it's giving me a fantastic experience. The one year place suits me perfectly, and its lack of pressure is welcome after finals (!), but the Masters’ and PHD programmes are also exciting. At Harvard you take many more taught courses than you would as a graduate in the UK, and MAs are 2 years and PHDs up to 7!

Having not been a graduate in the UK, I can't speak authoritatively when comparing, but from my experience graduates in general are much more committed to work than undergrads! Social life and ‘extra-curricular’ life is different from being an undergrad – it’s definitely not a continuation as I expected, but is fun all the same. It's an amazing international environment filled with great minds and a diverse age group. There is plenty going on at Harvard to rival Oxford in terms of speakers (at least a President a week!), talks and film showings etc. Cambridge is a lovely town and Boston is ten minutes away, and New York is a mere 4 hours down the road!

I would really recommend anyone who is thinking of further study to consider opportunities in the States. There also seem to be more funding prospects here, whether from independent organizations or from the universities themselves. I am hoping to work here over the summer and beyond, while my visa allows! Because my year is not a formal qualification, I will probably end up doing an MA at some point, though as yet, am not sure where. I’m hoping to go into NGO/ think tank work and am reconciling myself to months of unpaid internships, which hopefully will pay off in the long run!