Bal Sandher

What attracted you to Kent?

I fell in love with the campus on an open day. It had a remarkable view of Canterbury and gave me a positive impression. I left feeling this was where I wanted to spend the next three years of my life.

How did you find the course?

In a word, challenging. I never expected that a degree in Biomedical Science was going to be easy. After the initial shock at the sheer volume of learning required, it was easy to get into a rhythm and things started to click into place.

Did the course live up to your expectations?

It was a lot more enjoyable than I imagined. The first year was intense, but well-structured and gave a good introduction to Biomedical Science. In the second and third years, things became more specialised with more choices based on our own influences. My final-year project was structured around the Cryogenic freezing of humans, which was very interesting.

What part of the course most interested you?

The more hands-on parts of the course, the labs, the practicals, were the most enjoyable for me. I enjoyed my final-year dissertation; it was great to be able to use three years of learning and knowledge, culminating in one final piece of hard work.

What about your lecturers?

The lecturers were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and made learning a difficult subject easy. We had some real characters in the School of Biosciences; it was never dull.

What was the level of support like in your studies?

I appreciated the fact we were assigned a tutor on day one. I felt his door was always open if I was struggling. Biosciences was a close-knit environment, but also a nurturing one, providing a good balance between support and pushing us out of our comfort zones.

How did you find university life in general?

I loved my time at university and made many lifelong friends. The social aspects were a big part of university life, which helped take the edge off the stresses of the final year of studying, as everybody seemed to be in the same boat. I have many good memories.

How did Kent help you with your career plans?

Having a degree helped immensely with interviews and, with the alumni network, it never felt like the door was closed. It was good to have that safety net in place. I sought advice several times after graduation, and found the process straightforward and useful.

What are you doing at the moment?

I am Managing Director of a multimillion pound supplement manufacturing company. We have grown from virtually nothing to where we are today in seven years. For any budding entrepreneurs out there, the University of Kent is the perfect place to realise your potential. I am also a member of the Kent Advancement Committee, a campus-wide scheme to help students achieve success in business. There is no other scheme like it in the UK. It provides students with free, impartial advice from successful business professionals, as well as the support to spur your concepts into fully fledged and viable businesses.

How do you see your career progressing?

The dream was to be semi-retired by 35. Whether that’s still reality, I don’t know, but as a business we keep growing and innovating, and it’s hard to walk away from that.

What would you say to someone thinking of studying at Kent?

University tends to be when you grow up from being a naïve teenager into a fully-fledged adult. There’s no better place to do this than at Kent.