For Tejesvi Nagin Patel, enrolling in Pacific Technical and Further Education’s (Pacific TAFE) Foundation programme has been nothing short of rewarding.
Tejesvi graduated from a Foundation Science programme in 2017, a Bachelor of Science in 2020, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Chemistry in 2021 from The University of the South Pacific (USP).
He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Chemistry whilst working as a lab demonstrator at USP.
USP’s Pacific TAFE provides a variety of Foundation and Preliminary subjects to choose from.
Tejesvi claims that the Foundation Science programme provided him with the necessary skills that were required to further his studies and career.
“The early introduction to Foundation studies made it easier to transition into a degree programme. The lessons learned have stuck with me and have helped me develop as a student,” he said.
He highly recommended the Foundation Studies programme to students who have completed their Year 12.
Pursuing his tertiary education at USP was a dream come true for Tejesvi and USP had been on his mind ever since he was a high school student.
“I accompanied my father to USP on a weekend when I was a high school student a few years back and while walking past the USP Science labs I admired the facilities and standards of USP,” he said.
“I had promised myself that I will end up in these labs one day. Five to six years later, I am still in those labs.”
The 24-year-old stated USP had not only developed his skills but also brought a positive impact on his life.
“Studying with different groups of people has instilled understanding and patience in me and it has also helped change my way of thinking,” he added.
He mentioned that carrying out laboratory experiments on his own has made him independent and self-reliant.
“Most of my fond memories include carrying out labs independently and doing everything on my own because most of the labs were carried out by our teachers in high school so this was an exciting and amazing experience for me,” he shared.
Tejesvi described his parents as his inspiration in life and he hopes to provide them with a comfortable life after all they’ve done for him.
“Seeing my parents work hard in their respective fields has always inspired me to keep going and do my best in everything I do,” he said.
According to Tejesvi, one must never stop learning and strive to build new skills and develop as a person.
Students who are yet to enrol in either the Preliminary or Foundation programmes are encouraged to do so. Applications close this Friday, 8 April 2022. Students will also be eligible for a 10 per cent discount for full fee payment by 8 April.
For more information, visit; https://www.usp.ac.fj/pacific-tafe/pacific-tafe-schools/college-of-foundation-studies-cfs/
