Travel and Personal Growth: Krishna Harish from Sheffield Business School On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings
Speak with locals. The greatest way to learn about a place’s history, way of life, and current events is to engage in conversation with locals. Slang can often be difficult to understand, but it’s polite to ask the speaker to repeat it, and this process can expand your vocabulary. When people feel that you are paying attention, they are more likely to open to you and provide more information about the area. Ask them about the main attractions in the area they call home; they are also the finest people to ask about the undiscovered natural wonders there.
Thankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Krishna Harish.
Krishna grew up in India, earning a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering and an MBA in Operations Management and Marketing. She went on to work as a freelance new product development researcher for three years in India, before deciding to study abroad in the UK. She is currently working towards her MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Sheffield Business School.
I spoke to Krishna about how studying abroad has helped with her personal growth and development, and why she would encourage others to study abroad.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a bit about your backstory?
As a teenager, I never knew who I wanted to be when I grew up. I wasn’t even aware of the term ‘higher education’ until I was 16 years old. I recall attending a programme at my school where the speaker discussed the value of earning a university degree, becoming financially independent, and how doing so gives one the confidence to explore the world and study abroad. It made me realise that’s what I wanted to do.
I will always be grateful to my high school instructor who, after seeing me fix a projector screen remote that had been inoperable for three months, urged me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering. I enrolled in an MBA degree in my hometown to grow myself, convey my ideas and engage in critical thought. This boosted my self-assurance and gave me the courage I needed to pursue my dreams of studying abroad and travelling to new places.
Now, I am pursuing MSc Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Sheffield Business School and will be graduating this November.
What or who inspired you to pursue your master’s at Sheffield Business School (SBS)?
I selected my degree as it was something I was interested in. I researched SBS and found that this master’s degree incorporates engineering and management concepts and would help me develop a significant curious career trajectory in STEM innovation, combined with modern technology, emerging theoretical research, and sustainability. These are skills which every UK manufacturing business is currently looking for. I hoped that the school and the course will help me to to develop my employability, critical thinking, and personal skills as well.
Sheffield Business School is the ideal environment for international students like me who want to pursue work-integrated educational experiences, acquire industry insights, learn to solve real-time business problems, and be creative and optimistic from the minute they decide to join the institution.
The school and its faculty have always pushed me to venture beyond of my comfort zone by motivating me to join societies, sports, and volunteer. These things helped me gain the confidence that has undoubtedly helped me carve my own path. I am pleased and proud of the person I have become since studying at Sheffield Business School.
Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve had the good fortune to know a lot of people who have inspired me to go after my aspirations and fulfil my ambitions.
The largest source of inspiration for me, though, has been my mother, who has been a distinctive person. She taught me the value of an ambitious, independent hard-working woman, and she inspired me to achieve my best. She really urged me to seek further study in the UK. She never lost faith in me and pushed me study a degree in a subject I was passionate about. She was there for me every single day while I studied at Sheffield Business School, offering me advice and emotional support. She was there for me whenever I needed encouragement or a reminder of why I had begun in the first place.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your study experience so far? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
Being offline on the first day of the first session makes it even more exciting as it was my first time visiting the campus in person. To ensure that I would arrive on time, I ran to my Finance lessons half an hour early. Two of my classmates, who were equally eager for the first session but had no idea where the lecture hall was, were stumbling about the parking lot, so we made the decision to get there together. Since the building was being renovated, we could only enter the hall by a separate route.
We made every effort to locate the location and arrived in the lecture hall after the five-minute mark. Everything was well until we learned we were in the incorrect lecture hall and were attending lectures for the BSc in Biochemistry! I lost my lecture attendance on my first day.
The lesson I learned was to always be sure where you are going, to become familiar with a route map, and, if I ever get lost, be aware of the help desk services available at any facility. Also, make sure you are familiar with the reading materials and PowerPoint slides for your tutorial so that you don’t end up in the wrong tutorial group. Tutors and slide shows may also confirm whether you are in the correct lecture hall.
Based on your personal experience studying abroad in the UK, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth?
My personal development and identity have benefited much from my solo travel. I believe that exploring unfamiliar locations on my own helped me develop a global viewpoint and better comprehend the culture, language, and way of life of the locals.
Travelling has helped my personal growth, as I try to engage with those I meet and examine their outlook on life. Travel always lifts my spirits and spurs more original thought in me. Travel has changed my identity and helped me become a more fully realised being.
A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem-solving or decision-making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?
People lead active lives. Although they would like to have some downtime in their schedules, they might not be able to since they have so many other obligations. Many of them choose for travel as a leisure activity they couldn’t fit in because of hurdles in their personal, professional, or material lives. I used to encourage the people in my immediate circle to take short or long vacations once a month because it can help them unwind from their daily routine, ensure mental stability, and revitalise the brain to think positively, giving them space to solve problems in their lives and make good decisions. Ensuring a proper work-life balance is essential. This is the advice I have offered to many people. It’s advice I would stick to, and my friends and family do as well.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
While studying in Sheffield, I would often travel around the UK or go on walks to see new locations. There were instances when I spent 4 hours by myself in a train, 5 hours in a bus, or 6 hours in a station waiting for a connection. Some of these caught me off guard. During these periods, I tried to be active by picking up a magazine or newspaper, striking up a conversation with a stranger, or getting some food. I made sure to book safe lodgings by looking at their facilities, nearby attractions, visitor helplines, travel links, top restaurants, and other factors, in addition to Google ratings.
I will always be thankful to all the individuals I have met on my travels. I once travelled to Scotland in a group with individuals from China, Vietnam, and Nigeria. Experiences like these, where I learned about other people’s interests in travel, how they see sights, their habits, etc, were very much appreciated by me. I’d recommend establishing a circle of friends you can travel with.
From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?
Many facets of comprehending human nature and conduct may be learned, relearned, and unlearned via travel. Once, when I complained to the hotel employees about the malfunctioning water heater in the bathroom during my stay, they yelled at me. They even attempted to attribute my whole mother nation’s problems on a broken switch. The only time I have ever regretted going to a city is this one. Such occurrences can occasionally ruin the excitement of travelling and undermine the essence of a place’s natural beauty since we may mistake a single individual’s actions for the behaviour of the entire local population.
In your opinion, what are 5 habits you should develop to make travel into an opportunity for personal growth?
1. You should at least attempt solo travel once in your lifetime. It is the ideal method to express thanks for your efforts, successes, and hardships. You can go with your family if you like, but I might advise setting apart some time for reflection and rest so that your answers to personal issues are at their most effective.
2. Preserve a memory of your adventure. I used to travel with a camera to capture the locations I saw in all their breathtaking glory. Additionally, I used to acquire keychains, fridge magnets, and little exhibit objects that embodied the feel of the places I travelled. As the greatest approach to remind me of who I am and how I got to be who I am now, I have also started writing in a notebook in which I highlight the lessons I have learned and the difficulties I have faced while travelling.
3. Check out regional cuisine. Make sure you eat the greatest cuisine that is readily available in the area you visit. Research eateries or locations that provide the best meals at affordable prices.
4. Speak with locals. The greatest way to learn about a place’s history, way of life, and current events is to engage in conversation with locals. Slang can often be difficult to understand, but it’s polite to ask the speaker to repeat it, and this process can expand your vocabulary. When people feel that you are paying attention, they are more likely to open to you and provide more information about the area. Ask them about the main attractions in the area they call home; they are also the finest people to ask about the undiscovered natural wonders there.
5. Do some planning. Plan your travels after conducting thorough research. Research should focus on things like what to pack, where to shop, how to travel, what to eat, and other travel-related decisions. Don’t forget to pack your speaker if there may be a brief walk between locations so you can consider the ideal track.
Thank you for your time! We wish you continued success!
