Mohammed is now an Instrumentation Engineer at Abraj Energy Services

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Mohammed Musahli from Oman. After high school, I got a scholarship from the government to study abroad and that’s when I came to the Netherlands for the first time. I first studied in Deventer for six months to improve my English and get my IELTS. Then I joined the Electrical and Engineering course in Enschede and stayed there for four years, for the whole bachelor’s degree.

Was it the first time you went abroad?

No, before coming to the Netherlands I spent a year in Ireland with members of my family, to study English. That’s where I discovered what it was to live abroad for the first time, a very different experience from Oman! In Oman we wear different clothes, our food is also not the same and we spend more time together, with family. In Oman, it’s not usual to have a member of the family leaving for an extended period and far away. It was a big challenge for me.

How it was perceived by your family?

My mom was very emotional: I was the first person in the family to leave for a long time and far. But my family took it by the time and we kept in touch via social media, WhatsApp…etc. When I came back, they were very proud. Before my graduation, my family came to visit and we travelled around the Netherlands and even went to France.

How was your student life in Enschede for four years?

I met most of my friends at the university and spent most of my free time with them. I met Dutch students but also international students coming from everywhere around the world: Spain, France, Germany…etc. We always went to the cinema and went cycling together. Friends from Germany came to visit me here in Oman for two weeks, they really enjoyed it!

And I also became a photographer on the side. It started as a hobby, but I realised that companies were interested in getting pictures. It was both a hobby and a side job. Now in Oman, I have a main job but I also started my own photography studio.

What about your current job?

I’m doing instrumentation engineering at Abraj Energy Services, it’s an oil company. Instrumentation is related to electronics, mostly small electronics like screens and sensors. What I learned at Saxion during my bachelor’s programme was a combination of electrical and electronics. Now my job is more on the electronics side.

Can you tell me more about the bachelor’s programme in Electrical and Electronic Engineering you followed?

First of all, the education level is great. The first two years are a mix of theory and practice, and the last two years focus on the practice. I did a six-month internship at IACT in Haaksbergen and also went for an exchange semester in China, it was part of the study programme. The semester in China was challenging on the cultural side: there weren’t a lot of international people there and very few people spoke English. But overall, this study programme prepared me well to land a job: not only with knowledge and practice but also with learning how to do job interviews.

To whom would you recommend studying abroad?

To anyone who wants to make a change in their life. If you want to stay in your comfort zone, in your own country with your family, you won’t gain as much experience. Studying abroad gives you the chance to meet people and learn from them, from their culture. You also learn to depend on yourself.