Photo by Adam 艢migielski on Unsplash
By Javeria Zahid, data science postgraduate student
“NAA? What’s that? And why?”
That was my reaction as an undergraduate student in Malaysia three years ago. A friend mentioned the Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) as an extracurricular opportunity, but I didn’t think much of it at the time.
I had only discovered it in my final year, so I signed up without thinking too deeply about how it might fit into my future career.
I chose three modules simply because they sounded interesting: Intercultural Awareness, Introduction to Security and Investment and Exploring Your Careers - Skills to Make an Informed Career Choice.
At the time, they were just interesting choices. Looking back, I realise they offered much more than I expected.
From academic knowledge to real-world skills
After graduating and gaining industry experience, the real value of the NAA became clear.
My academic studies taught me the theories and technical skills needed to secure roles.
The NAA modules, however, helped me develop the skills needed to succeed in them. They encouraged me to think beyond theory and build practical abilities, such as:
- communicating ideas clearly
- working with people from different backgrounds
- approaching unfamiliar challenges with confidence
In other words, academic knowledge opens doors, but practical skills help you navigate what comes next.
The Capital One Product Challenge as a postgraduate student
As I gained more experience, my focus shifted from general professional skills to something more grounded in industry. I wanted a challenge that felt real and tangible.
The NAA’s Capital One Product Challenge provided exactly that.
As a postgraduate data science student, the opportunity to work with realistic datasets and tackle problems similar to those faced by financial firms was one I couldn’t pass up.
It also provided valuable insight into the finance sector and helped me explore whether this industry might be the right fit for me.
The experience as an international student
Starting something new in a different country can feel intimidating, especially when working with people you have never met.
What if I don’t do well? Was my biggest concern.
However, the structure of the module makes the experience far less daunting than it seems. Everyone is there to learn, and everyone brings something different.
Working with people from different backgrounds in a supportive environment made the sessions feel collaborative rather than intimidating.
There’s something for everyone
Students often wonder whether to choose NAA modules related to their degree or something more general.
From my experience, there really is no wrong choice. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that every NAA module offers something valuable.
Skills that seem unrelated to your degree can turn out to be surprisingly useful later. Sometimes it is the smallest insight from an extracurricular experience that helps you navigate future challenges more effectively.
My advice
If I had one piece of advice, it would be this: have fun with it.
The NAA should not feel like another item on an already long list of academic tasks. Instead, see it as an opportunity to step away from lectures and deadlines, meet new people, and explore skills you might not encounter in the classroom.
The NAA is a safe space to experiment, challenge yourself, and grow. If someone had told me at the beginning that these short modules would give me greater clarity about the professional world and more confidence in my abilities, I might not have believed them.
But they did. And that is exactly why the experience is worth it.
Discover more about the Nottingham Advantage Award and the different modules on offer. If you have any questions, contact the NAA team.
Posted on Tuesday 20th October 2026