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Showing posts from March, 2016

Poll shows UEA has UK’s best campus environment

              The University of East Anglia has the best university campus environment in the UK, according to students polled by the Times Higher Education (THE) Student Experience Survey. In THE’s biggest Student Experience Service to date, UEA retains a top 10 position for the sixth consecutive year, with an overall ranking of 7 th . For the measure ‘good environment on campus/around university’, UEA came joint top in the country. It also tops the ranking for the Eastern region, having displaced the University of Cambridge which held the regional top spot last year. The survey, now in its 11th year, looks at a broad definition of student experience, created by students to include the aspects of university life that matter most to them. UEA Vice-Chancellor Prof David Richardson said: “Students rightly have very high expectations when they come to university, so for UEA to perform so consistently well across all ...

A home away from home: Brunei's National Day in UEA

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Hello Hello! Studying abroad is never easy. You're tossed into a different culture, a whole new environment, possibly a different climate and heck you might even have to speak another language altogether! Whilst some people are able to make the transition very easily, others struggle. International students don't get to see their family as often as home students. We cant just take a train back when we miss mom's home cooking or dad's lame jokes. Some of us have to wait a year or 2 before we can see our parents again. And to add to that, some of us have to deal with the time difference which means we cant call as liberally as we want (I cant call my parents past 4pm or at night as they're a good 7 time zones away and it would mean waking them up at ungodly hours). Although they are obviously perks of living/studying abroad (Not going to deny that I do enjoy my time here), one of the biggest downer is not being able to celebrate special occasions with the family (I...

Easy-peasy, UEA library

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Cool things about UEA library In addition to 24/7 opening, UEA is super cool 1. Different floors have different colours! Studying can be sometimes dull. I guess UEA library was aware of the fact because 6 floors of the library all have different colours. The zero floor is in pinkish red, purple and as far as I know, this colour is proved to be the most productive colour. But if pink, red are just not your things, there are a vast green area on Floor 3, another oceanic blue on floor 2 I guess. 2. There are SILENT SILENT study rooms! The library is supposed to be quite all the time anyway. However, there is a space the level of silence is pushed to its peak: Silent study rooms. There is one in Floor 01 and I swear, when you come in, you only want to do work! 3. Mysterious Floor 02! This floor is full of cool things! There are special shelves that can move!!!! You can also find very old, ancient scripts kept there. Who knows if there are spells around? 4. A beautiful and...

How to spend time between classes productively

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Having my accommodation shifted from staying on campus to living off campus, walking back home after classes often has become a chore, hence I prefer staying on campus. Here are some tips to gain a more fruitful time whilst being on campus so you can accomplish all your goals and dreams. 1.        Pack your bag the night before     I realise that being organized helps when you are trying to plan what you want to do for the next day. So packing your bag the night before ensures you bring all your studying materials with you so you can focus on them instead of spending your free time idling around. In addition, take a few minutes to jot down all of your tests and assignments that are coming up so that you have something to start on. 2.        Make lunch for the next day the night before     Staying on campus and spending money on campus food can create a hole in your wallet. ...

Brunei Darussalam National Day

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Hi everyone! Brunei Darussalam just recently celebrated its 32nd National Day on the 23rd of February 2016. Here's a link to a video of the celebration as filmed by the local newspaper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a7d2rwxYBhs Back when I was in school, I have vivid memories of lining up outside the Istana (palace) with all my classmates and students from various different schools and waving small flags as the royal family drove past. National Day celebrations are often celebrated in a big and many times lavish manner in other parts of the world and Brunei is no exception. After all, it marks the day we became independence- the day we existed as a country of its own entity. Residents of different age, race and religion come together and celebrate this very special day. Primary school students are often found right outside the palace cheering and waving Bruneian flags as the royal family makes their way to the main park where the festi...