Work

Being an aerospace engineering student, I was always fascinated with how to improve the durability of materials used in aircraft and spacecraft and this internship provided me exactly that. I was a research intern in one of the top colleges in Thailand where I worked on a new and exciting topic which I had never even heard of before. My work was focused on analysing the damage a composite underwent when it was subjected to a low-velocity impact. My daily routine required me to read research papers, code and then run various analyses. This not only improved my love for the R & D sector, but it also helped me improve my programming and analysis skills.

Experience

Since it was late in the exchange year, there were just two other interns besides me but they introduced me to their friends and got me well acquainted with my surroundings. I was lucky to have a room at the dormitory all to myself which included air conditioning, a refrigerator as well as a private balcony. I would pick up breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria and then walk to the office. In the evenings, I would explore the nearby markets, street food stalls as well as the bi-weekly campus markets. I usually travelled during the weekends during which I shopped till I dropped and ate the most exquisite food. My guide was extremely friendly and was an amazing mentor, who always encouraged me and supported me. The staff at IAAI always took me for outings. They organized office hot pots, invited me for a special Chinese New Year's dinner and even took me to Chumphon for the annual IAAI conference.

Discover

I learned quite a bit during my stay in Thailand. I became more confident and independent due to my living alone in a new country. Due to my travelling, I became more adventurous and bolder. My field of interest was broadened as I learned something new and interesting and I also realised that I am more suited for the R & D sector. I discovered that I need to study further and also need to explore new countries.