UEA International Student Ambassadors

Hi! I hope everyone is having a great time back home. I am still at uni and it is very quiet here, which is not very good :( I've got 4 course tests right after the Christmas break and on top of that, I've got a lab report, an essay and another course work to do. Now you can see this break is not really a break to me. It is a break for revision and and coursework!! How about you? Have you got much to do during this Christmas time? Even though the amount of studying that I have to do is staring and laughing at me, I am going to enjoy the Christmas fever :) I will be back in 2013, yes, 2013! Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy new year!!!!xx Saem-UEA Korean Student Ambassador

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The UEA Ambassadors joined together for some Christmas Cheer last Wednesday.  We swapped names a few weeks ago to play "Secret Santa."  This is a game commonly played in the UK around Christmastime.  Members of a group (a student society, colleagues in an office, etc.) will pull names out of a hat.  Everyone is responsible for buying a small present for the person they have been assigned.  At a group party, the big sack with everyone's presents is distributed...but the gift tag only says who the present is for, and is only signed by "Santa."  Depending on how you play, you can either guess who bought your present and have some laughs as people guess wrong, or it's just a permanent mystery! I got a really fun container from my "Santa" - which is perfect, because I was actually about to buy a tin for my tea!  So thanks to whichever International Student Ambassador bought my present... And there are a few presents yet to be picked up in the of...

Hi everyone, It's official! The first semester of my second year has come to a close, and its amazing how quickly it's all gone by. The last week and a half has been a blur of all types of activity. First of all, this marks the half way point of my law degree! There was quite a buzz about it, as everyone prepared to attend the Law Society Christmas Ball (I'll post a link to the pictures below). Being on the law society committe, we were all pretty busy the past few weeks selling tickets for it, organising the transport, food, entertainment and venue (at the very classy Dunston Hall). In addition to this, the other societies I'm a part of also organised all sorts of christmassy events, ranging from dinners to socials at clubs in town (one of which I attended last night at Tau, by the African-Carribbean Society). Us international ambassadors also got together two nights ago to exchange secret santa presents at the Union Pub and then joined in on the ch...

Hi guys,   Christmas is coming!! Have you all done your Christmas shopping yet?! Are you planning to going back home or travelling to some exciting places? Yes, it's time to relax now...haha. Most of the students will finish everything today. I have submitted my coursework and also got my computer test done yesterday, so now I can plan for the holiday..haha. Found some nice photos of London Hyde park's Winter Wonderland, it looks soooo brilliant! I might stick it in my Christmas plan!!     Merry Christmas everyone!!!! UEA Chinese Student Ambassador

Did you know that there is a group for UEA Korean students including current students and alumni? If you are not aware of this, check the link below. It's a great chance for you to get connected with other Korean students. https://netcommunity.uea.ac.uk/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1400  Christmas is coming. Merry Christmas everyone!! :D Saem - UEA Korean Student Ambassador

The clock is ticking away and Christmas is in 13 days. What are you looking forward to? Is it getting away from university, seeing family and friends, opening your Christmas presents, shopping on boxing day, staying up all night on 31st of December to watch the fire works or singing your way into the new year. Whatever it is you are looking forward to, I hope you have the best of it and enjoy Christmas the best way you can because it is a season of joy and celebration. Have a very Merry Christmas everyone and see you back in the new year. Josephine, UEA Ghanaian International Student Ambassador

There are so many interesting things going on at the UEA campus and in Norwich. For all jazz lovers and people who are passionate about music, UEA Music Society presented two concerts 2 weeks ago. It was amazing! The first one was an annual tradition event- Jazz in the Hive, where the musicians played well-known songs. The second one took place in the church and theme was Chrismas. We enjoyed a mix of lovely songs, like "We wish you a merry Chrismas" and "Let it snow" and even joined them in singing! If you are interest in similar events, check out our blog or Facebook page :   http://www.facebook.com/uearussia?ref=hl#!/groups/191617244294615/?fref=ts  to take part.

Hello everyone! It is already the 12th week of university, which means that the first semester is coming to its end and most importantly the Christmas break is insight! A lot of the UK students are going home, but there are also a lot of international students that are planning to spend their Christmas in the UK, or travel around Europe. For some it is the first experience of a cold (and maybe even white) Christmas. Some students who can’t go home might even join friends to celebrate it with their families. As for me I am not going home for Christmas, which some people might find sad, but I am going to spend my Christmas in Portugal and I can’t wait! One of the greatest advantages of studying in the UK is meeting people from around the world since there are a lot international students at the university. I love hearing stories of how people celebrate Christmas in different countries. And being friends with people from all over the world can give you some great vacation addresses! ...

Now that Christmas is getting close, it was time to have a "Mexican Posada". On Saturday 8th of December some friends from Mexico and myself organized a Mexican party, we made some traditional Mexican dishes, and of course a piñata. The trick of a piñata is filling it with candies so in the moment it breaks, candies come out. Most of the guests were not familiarized with this game, so it was really interesting and fun. This event was very special since it gave me the opportunity to meet more Latin American students and make new friends. With delicious traditional mexican food and a little bit of the Mexican culture (which I truly miss) it was definatly an evening I will never forget. Harlen González Mexican Student Ambassador

  Streets, shops and falling snow (finally!) are telling us that the biggest winter celebrations - Christmas and NYE are coming. For a first time during my university years I am not going home for holidays. Never thought I could handle to celebrate Christmas away from home. Final year in University with many deadlines in January and dissertation which I have to write next semester were the main reasons for me to stay.   The fact that student will not go home for holiday might sound a little sad at first but my Christmas in Norwich will not be so bad at all. Many friends of mine from different countries who were graduated from UEA last year or a year before are coming to Norwich to celebrate Christmas and NYE so I believe we going to have a great time all together. Also I am planning to escape home for a week or two in the end of January so it makes things even easier. Talking about Christmas this is Christmas Tree we bought and decorated last week:   It is q...

Do you know your look alike? As we are apporaching the end of this lightning fast Autumn semester at UEA, I am pretty sure now many of us have encountered different type of people, be it your friends, friends of your friends, house/flatmates, work colleagues or any casual stranger you came across in the library or lecture theatre. I happen to come across these fantastic student-describing pictures and I confident many of us will suit these. Do not forget to comment below to share which one is you. Please practice your sense of humor when looking at them. :{D Enjoy and have fun! It is Xmassy time peeps! :) P.S: These drawings are not mine. They are owned by Chuck Dillon ( http://blog30x30.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/which-student-are-you.html ) Hussein Wahedally UEA International Ambassador

No matter what religion, ethnic background, heritage or traditions you have you cannot deny that Christmas time is the perfect opportunity to shed some light on some rather dark days, and spend some extra time with friends and family. So take a break from the books, get together and get into that Christmas spirit! Last week will be the end of this term, and many of you might be going home for christmas or do some travelling. But before you leave there are lots of great events going on around Norwich. First of all, if you have not been out walking in the city centre lately - do it! The streets are beautifully decoratet with lights and pinetrees, which definetely lightens my mood when doing some Christmas shopping! Other Christmas events include: The Xmassy LCR, Wednesday 12th of December Dress up in your most festive Christmas outfit and dance the night away to all those Christmas classics! UEA Choir Christmas Concert, Thursday 13th of December, St John the B...

It's funny to notice that I've learned more about Latin America in the UK than during all the years I lived there. Being born and raised in Brazil, I have never visited any of the neighboring countries; maybe just cuz Brazil is so big that you can travel and travel and always still have a new place to go for vacations within it. There are still many places I don't know in my country, but I was surprised as to how little I knew about the countries around us. When I came to the UEA, however, I finally met my first Venezuelan, Mexican, Colombian, Equatorian, you name it; UEA has a little of them all. I've been having a vary rich cultural experience here, and it's cool cuz when I go back I won't only just know a little more about the UK and Europe, but I'll even know more my own neighbors.  Jonathan C. B. Macedo Brazilian Student Ambassador http://www.facebook.com/ueabrazil

Hello everyone, In these times of essay writing and exam study I thought it would be nice to give you a little tip to improve your concentration skills. I know some of us cannot start writing or studying without a good funky sound in their ears... The problem is that the brain gets easily distracted by lycris. The best option is therefore to listen to instrumental playlists. Here is a link to a cool one I found on the internet! http://8tracks.com/sarahtheotaku/the-science-of-studying Hope this will help you guys! I am sure we will all do very well! xx Charline Student Ambassador for Belgium Belgianstudents@uea.ac.uk www.facebook.com/ueabelgium

With all the rush and stress involved in the last weeks of a semester, it's easy to forget that life exists beyond academia. But as we try to cope with submissions left and right, it's good to remember that end-of-the-year holidays are a time for family, friends, and energizing oneself for the year ahead. I  am personally very excited for my flight back to the Philippines. England has been fun, but there's nothing like home, especially for Christmas and New Year. There's still a bit of stress involved, what with booking flight and coach tickets and the prolonged agony of a 15-hour flight, but it's definitely going to be worth it. Even Norwich is sending blessings from above in the form of snow and hail. Brrr. Remember to cover up and keep warm! I hope we all enjoy our holidays. See you all in 2013! Michelle Student Ambassador for the Philippines filipinostudents@uea.ac.uk http://www.facebook.com...

The temperature's approaching freezing and the library's packed every day, this can only mean one thing, the end of the Autumn Semester and all the stress and eventual relief that comes with that. The last couple of weeks of term can be a stressful time with deadlines, exams and assignments mixed in with the Winter blues and people being ill due to the cold weather. The shining light at the end of the tunnel is of course the one month of holidays that comes after this and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to either going home and being with their families for Christmas and New Years or travelling or just generally having a break from the stress of last minute essay writing and exam preparation.  The universal sign that the Holidays are coming!! The best way to deal with the stress and worries that come with the end of term is to not let it take over. Try and do things that aren't to do with school or work for at least a couple of hours a day just to keep y...

I can not believe we're already 5 days into December. It seems like 2012 started only a few weeks ago but December comes with a lot to look forward to and a lot to celebrate so am getting into the celebration mood and enjoying the season. I hope you are all looking forward to Christmas. Josephine - UEA Ghanaian International Students Ambassador

I have decided have a sustainable Christmas this, I'm going all ' local ' I have ordered my turkey and ham from Crawford the butcher , (his sausages are great, he has black pudding, but sadly no white pudding) and have put in my request for all the veg, the usual, carrots, spuds, cabbage and turnips. Most exciting of all was my visit to the Christmas tree in Cawston , I was so excited on Saturday that I went back to where I'm staying and put up the tree. Looks great! (I think) Finola - UEA Irish Student Ambassador.

As the end of the first semester in my first year in Post-Graduate Reasearch program is drawing to a close, I am reflecting on these past few months and relishing the festivity period approaching soon. "Feeling the Christmassy period already!" I have really enjoyed what I have learnt. I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy the program as much as I wanted to. I felt that I had talked the program up to myself and then it wouldn’t be as great, but it is. It has its issues because it is a new type of post-graduate study. It is challenging but, I still really enjoy every bits in it. DISCOVERIES What is funny is that for most of the students here, this first semester is ending as if more discoveries are being made. Even when packing for home, you discover stuffs that you brought for home and yet did not know they were in your bag somewhere! :P From the beginning of September to now, I feel like I have gained new perspective, experience and more motivation. I am ...

Greetings Everyone! "Selamat Datang" - It means Welcome in Malay Language (Bahasa Melayu). Reading a few news articles and the Met Office (Official Weather Forecast of the UK) reports online, it is likely that UK will be suffering from severe cold weather across most parts! With temperatures expected to plummet this weekend, do make sure everyone covers up properly as low temperatures can be dangerous, especially for the young children. Further information can be found in this online news article: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/408995/20121127/weather-flood-freezing-temperatures-plummet-ice-severe.html However, set that aside, one main factor to look forward is the fall of SNOW! Snow is probably one of the things that I look forward to. It's the time for you to play around with your friends and having a friendly competition of building up snowmen. This picture above was taken hours after the heavy snowfall in February earlier this year, behind UEA...

UEA's Drama Studio is a popular destination for all theatre goers. Opened by Harold Pinter himself, the studio is host to plays ranging from classic thought provoking dramas to one act shows written by students themselves! Each week there is a new play and the shows are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They are great value too: only £3.50 for students! So why miss the chance to watch some of the greatest plays of all time right on your doorstep? This semester alone, the studio has hosted "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, "One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest" based on the novel by Ken Kesey, "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare as well as a one act play called "Wagstaff" written by our very own creative writing students. We are now all anticipating the epic production of "Jane Eyre" that will be put on next week by third year drama students. Word on the street is that it will be amazing, and tickets for the Saturday perfor...

This year, I celebrated my first Thanksgiving abroad.  It was also my first Thanksgiving without access to my female relatives' turkey-cooking abilities. As you can see from the pictures below, it didn't turn out to be a problem! I and several American friends teamed up to put on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for our international friends on Thursday night.  We hosted several British mates, as well as folks from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Thailand.  I also took pumpkin pie to my classes and introduced people from many other nationalities to the bliss that is cinnamon, pumpkin, and whipped cream! We served: A full local bird.  Norfolk County, where UEA is located, is actually the UK's "Turkey Capital."  We got a huge bird, and my flatmate stuffed it with apples, cinnamon, and cinnamon, as well as buttering under the skin.  It was delicious and oh-so-juicy. Mashed potatoes.  Those are pretty easy, no matter where you are! Mac and cheese....

House hunting at the end of the year is never a good idea. But I'm being stubborn and resolute, and so far things are looking up. Here are some links to help whoever might need it! http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/ http://www.rightmove.co.uk/ http://www.homes24.co.uk http://www.zoopla.co.uk http://www.homesforstudents.co.uk http://www.homerunstudentpad.co.uk/Home And of course there's UEA Home Run, http://www.ueastudent.com/housing . Good luck to all of us! Michelle Student Ambassador for the Philippines filipinostudents@uea.ac.uk http://www.facebook.com/ueaphilippines

Ah, the trees are now losing their leaves, And the morning grass, is tasting the frost, If only, if only, Autumn were longer, And the waning leaves, could be a little bit stronger. --------------------------------------------------------- Right. So, after that failed attempt at being vaguely poetic, hello everybody! It's all back to work at UEA! My second year started with a sense of purpose, with assigments here and submissions there. Within a few weeks my brain just resorted to making a buzzing noise; it sounded like ''bzzformativesummativebzzassessment''. Oh well. After 6 weeks of a gruelling work schedule I finally have some time off to shift down from overdrive. But I rather liked the intense work period. I like my capacities being stretched, my intellect being worked, my resolve tested. It's what I came to university for. I always find it amazing how we all shift worlds from home to university and back. Effortlessly, it...

With summer now a distant memory and the haze of freshers week and meeting up with all our UEA friends to begin another year now passed, its time to properly settle into the academic sides of being University students. I just wanted to say a big UEA Welcome to all the new students who get to enjoy all Norwich has to offer for the next few years and a big welcome back to all the returning students! Campus is once again buzzing with activity, with a lot of new faces getting to know the Lecture Theatres, Library and especially the LCR! I'm sure I speak for all returning students when I say enjoy the experiences of first year and the great memories that you will be creating in your time here.. Good luck to everyone for this academic year and I hope you all have a fantastic enjoyable year at UEA. Best Wishes, Andreas UEA International Ambassador for Cyprus 

I hope everyone has been keeping well from the bad weather we've been experiencing these past two weeks. Due to the massive floods in some parts of UK, we've been having lots of heavy rain and hailstones even though the temperatures are around 17-19 degrees. Looking at the weather forecast we will be expecting more rain during the day and drier and colder nights. The link below is from the MetOffice where you can check for hourly weather forecasts for Norwich: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ee/norwich_forecast_weather.html There are still sunshine at times even with the gloomy weather. Remember to wear proper clothings and shoes during this bad weather. Till Next Time, Samantha UEA International Ambassador Brunei

The weather has been much nicer for the past few weeks although there were still bits of rain over the past few days but that does not stop us from enjoying the outdoor weather. Its the end of June and most of us students will have to face our examination results. Of which definitely none of us wants to see/hear/know about our examination results. This especially goes out to the final year students including myself. STRESSED OVER RESULTS?? THEN   ■Drink water, 8 glasses a day. ■Eat fruit and vegetables every day; however I do recommend bananas as they stimulate brain activity. ■Using exercise for stress relief is a good way to keep your body active and healthy. ■Get into the routine of a healthy diet and eating all 3 courses, breakfast, lunch and tea. ■Reduce consumption of sugary products and caffeine. ■Get enough sleep. ■Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. For more information visit http://howto-relievestress.com/how-to-relieve-stress/ Relievi...

It is well understood that Brazil has great ambitions. As we see the country develop into a truly international hub for business and tourism, so we have seen an increase in the amount of Nationals travelling to other parts of the world. Be it for business, pleasure or the pursuit of knowledge. I have been studying at UEA for nigh on three years; however, there is a sincere lack of the ‘Brazilian Pride’ that is so prominent in other parts of the country. Only last week, I was wolfing down a plate full of Feijoada whilst watching a troupe of Capoeiristas performing by the locks in Camden Town. In actuality, within the vicinity of UEA, we are a breed that is relatively rare; with only a dozen full time students haling from our tropical nation. Our plan is to change that. As Brazilian Ambassador my role is to liaise with potential students, handling any queries or concerns they may have with regards to student life in the U.K. and Norwich. I will also be answering any questions ...