Studying Abroad in Five Words According to Graduate of Kaunas Faculty Aniket Chauhan: “Collaboration, Excitement, Culture, Friends, Opportunities”

This is Aniket Chauhan from New Delhi, India, a graduate of the Bachelor’s programme in Information systems and Cyber Security at Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty. We are glad that he agreed to talk about his choice to study in a foreign country, his impressions of Lithuania, the community of Kaunas Faculty, his future plans and other things, which we think will interest the reader. We invite you to learn more about A. Chauhan.

Did you always know you wanted to study abroad? Why did you choose Lithuania for your studies?
Not really, I was more specifically looking for a course in Cyber Security, which is rare for a Bachelor course. Looking at all the similar degree programmes and comparing their course materials and reviews, I decided to choose Vilnius University, which had the course material I was looking for. I went through the reviews and noted that Vilnius university was rated very high by graduates. When comes to the country, I heard a lot of great things about Lithuania and I found them all to be true.

How did you choose your programme?
I chose the Information Systems and Cyber Security programme as I have always been interested in Computers. I was exploring fields in Computers and trying out such topics as graphic designing, programming, and cyber security. I developed a very deep interest to pursue a degree in Cyber Security, for which this course fits perfectly.

How did you get involved in the community of Kaunas Faculty?
I got involved during a few events, which were organized by the Students’ Representative organisation. I was also an Erasmus Student Network mentor, so I got involved in the community a lot more at that time.

Did your studies in Lithuania have an impact on your future goals?
Yes, they did. Coming to Lithuania and studying at Vilnius University helped me grow my knowledge and skills.

What are your future plans after graduation?
I am currently working in Lithuania as a Security Engineer focused on Incident response, which directly relates to my studies. I am going to stay here while I am working. Later, I have plans to pursue Master’s and PhD degrees at a university that has a good course in Cyber Security.

In your job, have you further developed any of the skills acquired during your studies?
Yes, I have developed a lot of skills that I learned during my work, such as risk analysis, ethical hacking, and digital forensics.

Let’s talk more about your impressions of this country. What was the most surprising thing you did or saw in Lithuania?
The most surprising thing I saw was the Fat Tuesday Festival (Užgavėnės) in Rumšiškės, as it is very similar to a very popular festival in India called Dusshera, where the victory of good over evil is symbolically celebrated by burning a statue. It was very surprising to see the festival celebrated here in an almost identical way.

Was there anything unique about studying abroad?
I would say the most unique part was meeting people from all the different places around the world and experiencing the different cultures from all around the world.

What is the one benefit of studying abroad that is totally worth it?
The best benefit is the fact of experiencing new cultures and meeting new people from all around the world.

Did you find any cool places that you weren’t expecting?
Kaunas as a whole was very different from what I was expecting as it is a very cool, cosy place with a lot of things to explore and a great atmosphere surrounding it.

How would you describe your experience of studying abroad in five words?
Collaboration, Excitement, Culture, Friends, Opportunities

What advice would you give to students?
The advice I would like to give to any fresh student is to enjoy the university experience and to participate in all the team-building and orientation events since they are the best places to meet and make new friends. I would also highly recommend putting effort into studying individually and strengthening the topics that you learn at the lectures every day to avoid all of the nightmares before the day of the exam.

3 May 2022