Airaa Srinivasan
Airaa Srinivasan’s passion for IT started early, shaped by a tech-savvy environment at home. With her father working as head of IT for a company in Dubai, she was introduced to gaming and coding at a young age. As she got older, she started exploring the field more on her own.
“After finishing my IGCSEs and A-levels, I wanted to go to a university that offered practical learning and an international community. That’s what drew me to NHL Stenden and the Information Technology programme: the hands-on learning approach. It helps me understand concepts better because I can apply them directly.”
Finding her way
“The transition from high school to university wasn’t easy. I thought the lecturers would walk us through everything step by step, maybe even give us templates for our assignments. But it turned out we had to be far more independent than I’d expected. It took a little while, but thanks to my lecturers, study coach, and teammates, I eventually got the hang of things. I now especially enjoy how the programme gives us a taste of how things work in actual companies. Not just because we’re working on real assignments, but because we work in teams. We learn the invisible rules of the working world, things you won’t find in textbooks.”
Challenges and growth
“It’s this side of my studies that I actually struggled with the most at first. Not the course content but the teamwork. It’s tough when team members don’t communicate well or fail to plan what needs to be done. That’s something we’ve all really had to work on. I now know a successful project depends on effort, planning, and collaboration.”
“I also had to get used to the way feedback works here in the Netherlands. We’re asked to evaluate our teachers regularly, which was totally new to me. Where I’m from, you never critique your teachers. But here, it’s part of improving the learning process and I’ve come to really respect that.”
Settling in
“Despite there being clear cultural differences, I’ve also enjoyed a lot of shared experiences. People are curious, kind, and open-minded, and I’ve made some great friends here. I’ve gotten used to the Dutch weather, know my way around and I’ve grown as a person. I’ve learned how to manage my time and speak up more. I’ve even got involved in organising events – something I wouldn’t have dared to do before.”
Eyes on the future
“I’m still working out where I want to go in IT. At first I thought about cybersecurity, but I’m also drawn to design and game development. The programme is broad but also gives me a chance to specialise, so I feel I’d be prepared whichever path I chose. Everything we do is like a simulation of the real world. And with each project I learn something new.”
Check out the Information Technology programme page.