Jaina Umesh Chandwany
"Most remarkably, Monash really opened up my mind to the community and world, at large."
Bachelor of Communication (2014)
1. Full name / nationality.
Jaina Umesh Chandwany / British
2. Where are you working / studying presently, and describe your general work scope.
Finished interning with Conde Nast India in Digital Marketing. My profile includes copywriting, branding strategy & commercial execution.
3. Why did you decide to study at Monash University Malaysia?
High world rankings & peer influences.
4. What/who influenced your decision?
My father decided to send me to Monash Malaysia upon the recommendation of his business partners based in Malaysia. Additionally, I really liked the idea of studying abroad, especially in an Asian county.
5. Describe your study experience at Monash University Malaysia.
My years at Monash will always stay close to my heart. It was an absolute roller-coaster experience, juggling social life, sleep and deadlines all together. Most remarkably, Monash really opened up my mind to the community and world, at large. Supportive friends, teachers and family helped me get through the stresses of a challenging university degree. On the other hand, on-campus accommodation, group studies and a strong course material framework with good inter-campus exchange opportunities really helped me make the most of studying abroad.
6. Were there any obstacles faced while studying here, and how did you overcome them?
The temptation to procrastinate on assignment deadlines was one of the biggest obstacles I faced while studying at Monash. The trick to overcome this issue is to start researching your assignment topics at least 2 weeks before the deadline. This helps you get your mind in motion, so that by the time your deadline creeps up, you have a possible and fair direction to your essay with a few valuable points, even if you haven’t started writing yet.
7. What qualities did you acquire during your studies at Monash Malaysia?
Working in the digital media domain means meeting tight ‘deliverables’ under excessive stress. Having managed multiple assignments at Monash, I learned to work under pressure- a highly under-estimated quality that a lot of employers value. Moreover, having studied several case studies as part of final year coursework on communication and media tools, I’m quite acquainted with current scenarios and practical demands of a changing audience.
8. What advice would you offer to the current students on how to succeed in university?
- Don’t hesitate to clear doubts, confusions and ask questions that you might have from your lecturers, however silly it may sound. Its not a silly question if it is contributing to your awareness in some way.
- Keep up-to-date with your readings and don’t miss out on tutorials. It is as important as the lecture in building your understanding of the topic.
- Read your course material before answering an essay to get the right drift of the topic and what it is exactly asking you to do. If you have time, take a few days off in between your research and then resume it again, this helps because sometimes I get a better understanding of the topic from a different angle.
- Understand your readings. Exams, assignments and debates are all nothing but a test of how well you understand your readings.
9. What single experience from your time at Monash University Malaysia stands out?
This has to be the day I received best graduate award for my course.
10. Now that you have entered the working world, how does a Monash education now help define your career?
Monash as a world-class university with a well-structured course planner, allowed me to choose the subjects I was interested in. This helped me gain a good understanding of what I like to do. After undertaking the writing experiments course, I realised that I would love a career in writing and since then I have pursued the very same career.