UEA International Student Ambassadors

A scholarship is probably THE most important criterion for coming to a university especially for an international student as it definitely was for me. Coming to UEA was an unexpected journey. Arduous and awesome, it was incredible and surprising.   Scholarship recipients are often celebrated at UEA with flutes of champagnes and a fantastic coming together of other scholars. I was able to meet friends from around the world at this celebration at this event who eventually became my university family. This is a quick HOW TO in momentous commemoration of lo and behold- MORE SCHOLARSHIPS! I’ll give you a short glimpse of my journey- what I did and why it worked for me along with a close personal’s friend’s account who won the same award as me. Finally, for the most important bit: We have some professional and important advice for you from UEA’s very own John Nelson who works with UEA as an admissions officer! So, how did I get from crying ceaselessly about the s...

Hellooooo! Recently, I have received several inquiries regarding the Vice-Chancellor scholarships for Prospective undergraduate international students. So, I think that a blog entry of some tips will be helpful. Here are my advice gathered from my experiences.        ( Credit: Clark College) First question : In approximately 250 words, please tell us your reasons for applying to the University of East Anglia. You will need to research about UEA (google, website) to outline unique/ distinctive features of UEA and tailor them to your major/ course. For example: if you apply to a Pharmacy course, it is helpful that you mention the prestigious position of UEA in the national ranking. What is beyond  your course? Student life, help/support from other services (such as Dean of Students, MyCareerCentral etc.), societies and clubs, facilities (Sportpark, LCR, etc). UEA is highly ranked in Student Satisfaction Survey. What does it mean to you? ...

Hilang di Mata, Di Hati Jangan.  Being an international student often means missing out on big events held back  home. Some festivities/ occasions are celebrated worldwide whereas some are just held locally. Today marks the 33rd National Day of Brunei. It is so easy for students to forget national days/ local celebrations being so far away/ distant from home. The lines above is a Malay proverb which translates to "Disappear from sight but not from the heart". Definitely not your typical "Out of sight, out of mind" sort of thing, In essence the proverb urges us to remember our roots- where we come from and on special day like this, this certainly rings true, Therefore, to all Bruneian students far away from home, far from the merry-making and fun fare of National Day, please dont forget the day our country became independent. As the Bruneian student ambassador. I would like to wish everyone Happy National Day! SELAMAT MENIYAMBUT HARI KEBAN...

One of the most daunting things about going on exchange, no matter where you're from, is the idea of leaving all of your friends from home.  These are the people who you spend most of your time with, confide in the most, and who you know you can count on. When I first moved to the UKI was really scared that while I was here I would grow apart from the friends that I loved so much back in Canada.  Luckily, in the modern age that we live in, keeping in touch has never been easier. So here are some tips on how to make sure that those people who you hugged goodbye at the airport will there to welcome you home a year later. 1.) It's Going to Take Some Work! You and your friends now live on opposite side of the world, this means that your schedules won't match up like they used to.  You won't always be able to text them and get an answer within thirty seconds, because tbh, they will probably be asleep.  You are going to figure out when works best for both of ...

The journey started when I was selling Thai Milk Tea drink and dessert under the name MELLOW UK during UEA Christmas Market in 2014. UEA gave students an amazing opportunity to bring ideas to the market!      I've got a really good feedback on the day so I tried to participate in UEA Student Pop-up market monthly and during Summer Holiday 2015, I went back to Thailand with the idea of developing my business further. I came back to the UK with my new business idea of Thai herbal tea trading under the name of Chaya. UEA has not only gave me an opportunity to showcase my business but also provide a range of support and funding. I got a £500 'Try it' funding to develop my business idea further, I can say that the opportunities I've got from UEA were amazing. Not to mention the academic excellence and amazing student life at UEA, I could say I enjoyed my life at UEA a lot that guiding me to choose to do my Master degr...

If you're studying in the UK and you're a Harry Potter fan, you have to visit the studios where they filmed the movies. I went last Monday with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time and we grew up bonding over Slytherin and Draco Malfoy. So this reunion at the studios was the most perfect plan for both of us. This was my first time visiting which is a bit crazy considering I have been here for 3 years already. My friend and I taking a selfie at the entrance So what is it exactly do they have at the studios? They have all the authentic sets that they created to film the movies: so think Dumbledore's office, the Potions classroom, the Gryffindor common room and dorm room, Umbridge's office. Within the sets, all the original props and costumes are there too and you cannot imagine the amount of things they created from scratch for all the films. For example, the Great Hall is an actual real life hall and it is so beautiful. You got to see outdoor sets too such as...

As an International Student and even more so when you are an ethnic minority, you might question why you should you get involved with your union and actively work to effect change in your union and on campus as after all, it is not your country and you would most likely leave after you complete your studies. My first and foremost answer is why not? You will gain several skills such as leadership, teamwork, negotiation and communication which will be essential regardless of the career you decide to pursue or the country you decide to pursue this career in. Some of this skills are often required by employers and even when they are not, in this increasingly competitive job market, this will certainly send your application to the top of the queue. It also helps builds personal and character development, aside from the gains to your career, it can help you understand yourself and often help you become a better person, dealing with sensitive situations, handling aggressive peop...

Mozambique President : Filipe Nyusi Prime Minister : Carlos Agostinho do Rosário Mozambique is a country located in Sub-Saharan Africa that borders the Indian Ocean to the East, Tanzania to the North, Zimbabwe to the West and South Africa to the South-West.  There are 24.5 million people in Mozambique : half below the age of 17 with half the women giving birth before 19.   About a third of the Population is Christian with the majority being Catholic, about a quarter practice Islam and more that half practicing traditional animist beliefs (beliefs in their ancestors and their power and ability to affect the lives of the living) which some incorporate into their Christian or Islamic beliefs. Mozambique is a multilingual society with  Portuguese being the official language. The people also speak Swahili and variations of Bantu including Thonga, Ndau, Sena, and Yao .  Some people do speak English but most of those that do are those who n...

Norwich is filled with all kinds of hidden gems; the cutest little creole restaurant tucked in an alleyway, the oldest pub in Norwich under the shadow of the cathedral, and one of my favourites, the antique’s shop on the lanes. What makes this place so special is not only the vast number of very cool items sold in the shop, but the actual building that houses these collectibles. Located in St. Gregory’s church, a 14 th century structure decorated still by stained glass and high arches that make it a perfect site for all the little trinkets that have survived time, much like the church itself.     Calling this place and antiques shop is rather an understatement, really, considering things are piled and piled upon each other in glass cabinets that protect the breakables from grabby and grubby fingers. It’s more like an antiques fair except it’s on every single day, even Sunday!   It’s a shame I’m currently a final year international student because ...

As part of my dissertation I am putting up lots of nets and catching loads of birds every week! Last week we had a special visit by two greater spotted woodpeckers! Male greater spotted woodpecker I was the lucky one who got to ring this beautiful male woodpecker. To ring a bird you close a small ring around their leg that has a number code on it which is entered into a massive database. This way, if the bird is ever caught again - even in another country -  we can identify it using its ring and track its movements! We also take a few measurements such as wing length and weight and look at the overall condition of the birds by looking at their wings. female greater spotted woodpecker Then we take a few pictures before releasing the birds back in to the wild! As you can see from the picture above the UEA lake is in the background - anyone can get involved with the ringing group and we often have dog-walkers stop by and ask a few questions. It's great to see s...

So it is coming to the end, I am telling you. In fewer than 5 months, there will be no more coursework, no more exams, no more essays or presentations. But to get to that point and to guarantee my presence at the graduation in July, I need to get my research project, a.k.a my dissertation, done properly (well, besides my coursework for other modules and 4 exams in May - let's not talk about that now, shall we?) I am in the final year of my BSc Biomedicine, Bachelor of Sciences. Every year have 120 credits, but  the first year does not count towards our BSc degrees at UEA. So, the grade in the 2nd year will weigh 40% while the 3rd year will bear the rest 60%. And in the final year (3rd), for students studying natural sciences courses, such as Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Biology, we all need to do a research project of 10-8 weeks long or an alternative option of a shorter period time in the lab (but more something else). I chose the first one and my research project (includ...

For some of us who are used to a tropical climate, coming to a cold country can be challenging. Most of us are not used to the extreme cold conditions and we often find ourselves getting ill. Being ill is such a nuisance especially since we are all trying to get good grades, attend our classes and have a social life at the same time. If you feel that you are going to be down with something but have no time to visit the clinic, here are some tips on what to do/get when you are ill 1) Lemsip Boots does a variety of lemsips ranging from strong to flavoured. My favourite one is the lemon because it makes me feel refreshed in the morning. When I am having a chesty cough or a really bad cold, I drink a sachet every morning and night and usually my cold goes away after 3 days.   2. Another remdey for a bad cough is to take cough syrup. I usually take the Robitussin Chesty Cough Syrup to help with my really bad coughs, they work for both dry and wet co...

GREAT DESTINATION - SOUTHWOLD Hi everyone, Today we are going to discover a small beautiful town, Southwold ! Firstly, It is not far away from Norwich, It takes less than an hour. The distance is less than 32 miles. It is a north Suffolk seaside town on the Suffolk Heritage Coast. Beautiful Coastline Southwold has a long gorgeous coastline which is vibrant and peaceful at the same time.  The Best Fish and Chips in the UK There are cooking it with fresh fish which makes it tasty. Yummy yummy ! Drink your tea on Southwold Pier ! - Spectacular View-  Southwold town center has colorful building and shopping areas for visitors.  Blackberries in everywhere !  If you want to have an enjoyable day you should go and visit Southwold ! It has a great atmosphere and it is more than a small beautiful British town! Mehmet AKKOYUN