The University of Nizwa Makes Me a Better Human
By Rawan al Nadabi
Mashood Khalid is a Pakistani young man who was born on May 5, 1994, in Peshawar. He studied in Peshawar public school. Talking to Ishraqah, Mashood said, “I studied till grade 9, I did perform very well at school and it has certainly given me a strong base, any child would wish, before I moved to Oman along with my family”. Traveling to Oman was a major event in Mashood’s childhood. It was a turning point for him and as he said “I would never have imagined that an adventure is waiting for me in Oman.”
“It was difficult at first to settle down, but time, making new friends, the beauty of Oman, people, and the culture made it easier” said Mashood. He joined a Pakistani school here in Oman, where he graduated from the 12 grade. After graduation, Mashood’s dad contacted the University of Nizwa to inquire if the university offers engineering degrees for international students. Mashood mentioned that he was considering the two options, whether he continues his higher education in Pakistan or in Oman. After a long detailed discussion, he chose to study at the University of Nizwa in the major of Civil Engineering.
In 2014, Mashood was enrolled as a student at the university. Talking about his years as a student at the university of Nizwa he said, “the university had provided me the proper platform with all the facilities a student would need during the studies”. “The environment was amazing, Teachers were helpful, and facilities were more than enough for any student to use openly and be benefited from” he added.
Speaking about his major, Mashood confirmed “Studying engineering is never easy and it takes a lot of effort and time to achieve the desired grades, but thanks to my teachers for supporting throughout my studies, that has helped me a lot”
Mashood is an ambitious and determined individual who participated in most university activities. Mashood listed the activities he took part in, he said “I joined a marathon race which was held at Muscat as a representative of the university, I went with a team of 3 students to perform a debate on environmental issues held by Oman environmental society at Crown Plaza Muscat, and I even organized many events engineering day and Foundation institute open day”. He described that the university showed great support to international students, he said “the university never made us feel that we are excluded from the university community”
Mashood has thrived during his studies at the University of Nizwa, he mentioned that the university made him a better human and enriched his human part, sidelong with his education, through voluntary work, helping others, and learning to treat everyone with respect.
In the memory of the university, Mashood showed a constant nostalgia for the university days and some figures at the university, he said, “I truly miss the university, I would certainly want to study again” “My Engineering professor would always show up before the commencement of lectures, I believed every student got inspiration from that, me in particular, it helped me a lot at my work. And how punctuality plays a vital role in your success” he added.
Mashood graduated in March 2019. He received his first job as a project engineer in one of the leading companies in Dubai. Providing advice to all students, he said” Trust your abilities and don't waste time, those 4 years would change your life if you properly utilize them. Use all the resources the university has offered, and then the sky will be your limit”
