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 My Koenig experience started with trying to decide exactly which courses I wanted to take. There are so many courses on the website that I would have liked to complete, but my advice here is to keep in mind exactly what direction you are planning to go in and then decide accordingly. I decided on the MCSE XP 2003 on a one to one basis, which meant that I would be in India for eight weeks and I also decided to stay in a Serviced Apartment.
Next was a trip to the Travel Clinic based at my local GP’s in Manchester City Centre and after talking to the advisor it was decided that I would need some vaccinations which were free. I was given a combined injection of Tetanus, Polio and Diphtheria (Revaxis) and another combined injection of Hepatitis A and Typhoid (Viatim). As I wouldn’t be in India at the same time as the monsoon I didn’t have to have any Malaria tablets and I also didn’t need to have any Rabies tablets either.
I decided to apply for my Visa in person at the Indian Consulate in Birmingham. First you need to download the application form from their website but make sure you download the right application for the consulate you are attending. Make sure you arrive at the consulate as early as possible in the morning, people start queuing at around 06:30 and the doors open at around 09:00 and I was told that they only hand out a certain number of Visa’s per day. Be prepared for a long wait as the queue is a long one. Once inside you are given a ticket and you then have to wait for your number to come up, when it does you are then told to come back in the afternoon after 15:30 to collect your passport with its visa. Again you have the same queue as the morning, if I was to go again I would take a folding chair with me.
I booked my flight two months in advance online through Etihad Airways. There is no direct flight from Manchester to Delhi and my stopover was in Abu Dhabi. If you book online remember to have hard copies of your e-ticket as you will need to show it at all the airports. The travel weight allowance with Etihad for Coral Class (Economy) is 20kg and 6 kg for hand luggage. I also took a laptop with me (a must for training) which wasn’t included in the weight limit. On board you are given free headphones and had a choice of over 200 movies to watch, also all the drinks are free. I had pre-ordered my meal which I must say was very nice.
On arrival in Delhi and after the initial panic that my luggage had gone somewhere else as my bag must have been the last off the plane, I was met by one of Koenig’s drivers who then took me straight to my apartment in West Patel Nagar. One thing you have to remember about traveling by car in Delhi is that no one respects the road markings, signs and/or the traffic lights. If the light is on red people still go through it and don’t be surprised to see the odd cow or two roaming the streets. The use of the car horn is part of the driving process and people drive one hand on the horn and one hand on the steering wheel.
My apartment is good and it is kept clean by housekeeper. It’s a fixed menu and the food is actually very nice, mainly curry dishes, rice and chapatti’s. I have had no stomach problems at all during my stay in Delhi.
On you’re first day you are picked up from the apartment by a Koenig driver and taken to the training centre. You then go through the registration process with one of the staff members. All the staff at Koenig are very polite and courteous and if you have any worries or issues you are able to discuss these with them and if it is at all possible they will try and sort any problems out for you. After registration you are taken to meet your trainer in your lab (computer room).
My trainer was very knowledgeable and had actually had industrial experience. With the one to one course you can go as quickly as you comfortably want to go and don’t be afraid to ask any questions. I thoroughly enjoyed my sessions with my trainer and coming from an academic background and having no industrial experience at all, I can actually say that I have gained an awful lot of knowledge and passed all of my exams. I actually finished my course early and was offered to do some practical work experience.
The work experience I must say has helped me an awful lot and I would advise anyone who completes the MCSE course to do it. I was given scenarios that one would face in the work environment and an Internet connection if I needed any help as you have to complete the scenarios on your own. I took my time and eventually completed the scenarios; all in all it was a good challenge.
I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my stay here in Delhi and my time at Koenig. I am already planning to come back next year for another course and I would recommend Koenig Solutions for IT training. |
