Muhammad

Why did you choose to study your course at Surrey?

Choosing where to study is one of those decisions that feels enormous at the time, and looking back, Surrey was the right call for more reasons than I initially realised.

Practically, it was one of the very few universities offering an MSc in FinTech with a February start. That flexibility mattered. It meant I could begin when I was ready rather than waiting out an entire cycle for a September intake.

But what really settled it was the reputation. When I compared Surrey against other institutions offering similar FinTech programmes, most were sitting somewhere in the 800 to 1000 range globally. Surrey was in a different league entirely, and I knew I wanted a degree that would carry genuine weight with employers.

Then there was the geography. Being close enough to London opened doors I hadn't fully anticipated, from careers insight events with major companies to industry conferences and the kind of networking that quietly shapes a career before it has even begun.

The affordability of accommodation sealed it. I lived in shared rooms on campus, and I genuinely don't believe you'd find university accommodation at that price anywhere else in the UK. Add to that Guildford itself - safe, green and quietly beautiful - and it became difficult to argue with.

What are the best things about Surrey and your course?

If I had to name one thing, it would be the people.

The faculty at Surrey are genuinely accessible, and I don't say that lightly. More than a year after graduating, I'm still in touch with professors who wrote recommendations for me and supported me through reference checks long after their obligation had ended. That kind of relationship doesn't happen by accident. It says something about the culture of the place.

There's also a constant hum of professional development on campus. Surrey doesn't teach you and then leave you to work out the rest for yourself. Employability is woven into the experience rather than bolted on at the end.

And then there's the student body. Studying alongside people from all over the world reshapes how you think, quietly and continuously, in ways that are difficult to measure but impossible to unlearn.

What are the best things about life here as a postgraduate student?

Postgraduate study can be an isolating experience if you let it. At Surrey, it rarely was.

Living on campus was easily the best decision I made. It's affordable, it's convenient, and more importantly, it puts you right at the centre of everything the university has to offer rather than watching it from a distance.

Practical support made a real difference too. The university's own employment agency helped me find my first part-time job, and crucially, it was on campus. For an international student, that matters more than people realise. It removes a layer of uncertainty at precisely the moment you're still finding your footing in a new country.

I also had the chance to take part in the Student Enterprise Hub, which functions as a small incubator for student ideas. Being able to test an idea in a supportive environment, surrounded by people doing the same, gave me a confidence I carried well beyond the classroom.

As a Muslim student, I was struck by how alive the campus felt around Eid and Ramadan. There was always something happening, always a sense of belonging. Being able to attend Jumma prayer at the heart of the university was non-negotiable for me, and Surrey made that effortless. It sounds like a small thing. It isn't.

Beyond all of that, there is always something going on, whether a professional development event, a society gathering, or a careers session. You never feel like you're simply passing through.

What are your career plans?

My time at Surrey pointed me somewhere quite specific, and I've been walking steadily in that direction ever since.

The MSc in FinTech leaned heavily into data science and business analytics, and that shaped how I think about the industry. I'm now working to break into fraud data analytics within financial services, a field that sits precisely where my interests converge, at the intersection of data, financial systems and regulation.

Since graduating I've been building toward that through hands-on experience in financial services and industry certifications, and the foundation Surrey gave me across both the technical and compliance dimensions of finance has proved directly relevant at every stage.

It's a competitive space, but it's the right one, and I know exactly why I'm in it.

What advice do you have for students thinking of doing this course?

Be deliberate.

The course spans three distinct themes: core finance and investment, data science, and compliance. My strongest piece of advice is to work out early where you actually want to end up, and then focus your energy on the modules that genuinely serve that ambition.

Be intentional with your assignments and projects. Don't approach them as boxes to tick. Choose topics and approaches that will strengthen your CV and give you something substantial to speak about in interviews. A well-chosen project can become the thing that gets you hired, so treat every one as an opportunity rather than an obligation.

Know where you're heading, and let the course carry you there. Drift through it, and you'll finish with a qualification. Engage with it purposefully, and you'll finish with a career.