Interview conducted in April 2020
It is always a pleasure to get to know a little more about the students who are part of our big family. This time we focus on Arshdeep Singh Singh, fifth year student of Medicine at the International University of Catalonia. This is his fifth year living in our student residence in Sant Cugat.
Taking advantage of her studies, we review with her the exceptional situation we experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic, especially during the first months of confinement. She will also give us her opinion on how everything was handled in our country.
- Why did you decide to study medicine?
I have always wanted to be a doctor and there is no specific reason, except that it has always been there, so when the opportunity arose I just took it. In the future I would like to do internal medicine or cardiology, depending on whether I like one or the other.
- Coronavirus: What did they say in the lectures?
Well… precisely because I come from a medical school, we were pretty sure that something was going to happen. We knew that if Italy had fallen, we would be next, but right up to the last moment, the Rectorate of the University told us that nothing would happen, that classes would continue. More or less, we and the professors knew that it wasn’t true, that the country would probably go into quarantine.
- Did we react well as a country?
Well, I am not going to judge the action of the Spanish government, but we have examples of countries that have done much better. South Korea is a good example. They started before us, they have not reached such an important peak and they have finished before us. We have not been the best, if I can say that phrase; there are countries that have done much, much better, definitely. There are also some that have done a lot worse.
- How was the confinement in Unihabit?
The first month I didn’t go out of the residence at all, now I do go out more, to throw out the rubbish, do the shopping at the most, but we are all still confined here. On the other hand, as my flatmate is not here, I have a bit more space, so I take the opportunity to do some exercise, sometimes I go for a little walk around the residence, don’t I? At least to stretch my legs a bit and… It’s quieter, basically because there’s hardly anyone there and I can leave the door of the room open… It’s absolutely quiet!
Now come the questions to get to know you…
- Do you know a proverb?
The early bird catches the worm, my favourite.
Can you recommend a book?
“Factfulness” by Hans Rosling.
- And a film?
Inception.
- Favourite genre of music?
None, I listen to a bit of everything.
- Which historical figure would you go to dinner with?
Hippocrates because he is the father of medicine.
- Would you travel to the past or the future?
The present is the only one worthwhile.
- What super power would you like to have?
Teleportation, definitely!
- What is the weirdest object in your room?
I’ve had several objects that people think are weird, including a plastic skull, first of all, to study it. Then workman’s helmets. It became fashionable in the library and people wore workman’s helmets, to be even quieter. Then other objects like a phonendo or sutures, things like that, more medical, which usually attract attention.
- A sport?
I like all sports, well especially running.
- Do you cook in the residence?
I do cook now. I’ve always been good at it, that’s true, I’ve been cooking since I was a child and now I cook even more. The dish I’m best at is an Indian dish called “Dal Makhani” and that’s a very simple dish, but I’m pretty good at it.
- Any advice for future students?
Well, I think the priority should always be your own happiness. A lot of us are too caught up in our careers. We have to remember that we are people too, give ourselves a break from time to time, and above all consider our own happiness.
- Would you recommend living in Unihabit?
Well, to start with, the area of Sant Cugat is absolutely wonderful! There is a lot of space and it is very quiet. In the residence hall as well, both the rooms and the common rooms are very spacious and there is a lot of space for yourself, to keep your things, and that, I think, really helps. Well, I would of course recommend it 100%. And the main reason is that you don’t just have a room, it’s almost a flat, isn’t it? You have your own kitchen, your own bathroom, and I think that’s a really big plus, compared to having a tiny little five by five room. I think the main thing that hooks me the most about Unihabit is the fact that there’s so much space, isn’t it? I can go out and if it’s sunny outside I can stay there and study in the sun, or just sunbathe if I don’t feel like studying. That’s a point that I think is interesting.
We are pleased to know that Arshdeep is doing so well in our residence in Sant Cugat and we are happy to have her with us, in our Unihabit family.
Are you looking for university accommodation in Sant Cugat, Barcelona or Girona? Come and live in the Unihabit residence halls. Contact us for more information.
