UEA International Student Ambassadors

Having lived in Kenya my whole life I have never seen snow. Imagine my excitement when I woke up one morning to this?  SNOW?! Was this snow? Was this the moment I would run outside and make my first snowball? Nope. It was frost. A frost bad enough to freeze the astro-turf pitch we play hockey on leading to the match being cancelled. Admittedly it was nice to have a lie-in one Saturday morning this Semester! Maybe snow will come closer to Christmas. As an international student you will come across a multitude of things you don't understand or had never previously experienced. It's is both exhausting and exhilarating ! Has anyone else had a similar experience? Let me know! (: Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year everyone! Regards, Elleni - East African Student Ambassador

The harlequin ladybird was introduced to Europe from Eastern Asia to control pests such as aphids, but has grown in population number so greatly that it is posing pressure on native species and could lead to their demise. Because of this, methods to reduce their numbers are being increasingly researched and resorted to - insecticides are the most successful but their potential harm to other insect species is great too. Harlequin ladybird -  Harmonia axyridis This harlequin ladybird ran across my notebook in the Unio Cafe on the UEA campus. As I reached to pick it up it released a light brown liquid over my fingers with a very unpleasant smell - urine? I later found out it is actually a chemical it uses in defense and stores and releases it from the hemolymph. Next time you pick up a ladybird you can safely declare this and dispense with the urine misconception! Regards, Elleni - East African Student Ambassador

Hello everyone, After my New Year post last year, I am bringing today yet another Spanish custom that might seem a bit odd. I'm sure you have heard about the Three Wise Men, or the Three Kings: Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar. According to the Bible, they brought gifts to Jesus after his birth. In Spain, it is precisely them who bring gifts to everyone for Christmas! Yes, that's right, not Santa. And they don't give them on the 25th of December, but on the 6th of January! (However, it's becoming increasingly common for Spanish families to give presents on both Christmas and the 6th of January--it's just a matter of personal choice). On the eve of that day, all around Spain there are parades where children can welcome them before they bring their gifts that night. They (and their pages) throw candy to the public as well! In order for the Kings to know where to leave whose presents, we leave our nicest shoes out, usually in the living...

It is already December, and end of the first term! For undergrads back in India, I imagine that this is the season for college fests and a bit of a breathing time before getting on with university exams and the most grueling affair of our times: applications for postgraduate studies. I think it's great that UEA has been recently doing a lot of exciting collaborations with organizations in India. If you are interested in literature or activism, do take a look at reports from the first international symposium organized by UEA in Kolkata . Pretty awesome, right? But what I really wanted to draw your attention to is that is some excellent news for Indian students applying to postgraduate degrees. The university has recently announced 10 new scholarships ! The scholarships are for postgraduate applicants and have a wide range of subjects: Energy Engineering Creative Writing Humanities (History; Language & Communication; Film & TV)  Law MBA Computing To app...

Hi there! Just some cool pictures from UEA's campus. It's beautiful all year round, but especially in summer. One of the reasons why I chose to study here.   When I need a break from studies, the lake is just a two minute walk away from the library. View from my kitchen last year in Suffolk Terrace, one of the residences. Sunset behind the ziggurat residences. The best spot to live on campus (in my opinion). Just a few minutes to walk to this cool spot in the broads. Sunset at UEA - If you are lucky and live in Colman house, you can see this every day from your window. Lukas - UEA German Student Ambassador

The Giant Polypore is a common bracket fungus that can grow rather large. I stumbled across one in the UEA forest which was easily 2ft across! It is not known to be particularly tasty and is often confused with the more palatable Hen of the Woods bracket, which looks rather similar. However, I would be curious to harvest a little and try a few different recipes.. There is a lot of it after all! They often grow at the foot of large trees, commonly the beech tree, and can digest the cellulose and lignin in the cells, causing potential weaknesses in the structure and stability of the tree. Regards, Elleni - East African Student Ambassador

I recently watched 'The British Property Boom' on Channel 4, and all I could think of was "OMGosh, how lucky we are to be living in Norwich!" People often ask me, why I chose UEA and why I like living in Norwich, and I often tell them about wonderful green campus or beautiful architecture of Norwich, but really, one of the main things that I like about being a student at UEA and living in Norwich is simply the comfort and affordability of its accommodation. You can live on campus or off campus, there is a lot on offer and for less than half the price of what you would be paying in London. UEA student newspaper Concrete recently published an article on student lettings in Norwich, so if you want to find out more, just follow this link and have a read: http://www.concrete-online.co.uk/letting-agents-student-housing-norwich/ Hope everyone is warm and cozy wherever they are on the globe! :) Love, Ksenia, Russian Student Ambassador