UEA International Student Ambassadors

Animals around Norwich As you all know, Norwich is a more countryside kind of place and naturally, there would be lots of wildlife around. They can be really friendly and they might just make your day. Cats (Meow!) I’m not completely sure about your individual areas but there are many of these feline buddies around my area. Some of them gets really affectionate and comes over for a quick pat but there are a few which are really timid and would bolt once you enter their personal space. That is completely normal, it does NOT mean that you are not lovable. If you do have a cat that comes to you frequently, check if they are owned before feeding them because you might not be helping if you are feeding them the wrong food. If they aren’t owned, you can start by laying out a bowl of water and some dry kibble separately (Cats do not like it if you place their food and water together, it would appear like an ambush to them and they won’t consume it) and gradually you would find ...

My experience about getting National Insurance number in the UK. Working part-time job in the UK: conditions          Many international students find it really important to get some part-time work experience while being in the UK. It gives us a chance to explore what it is like to work in the British work environment as well as to improve our CV. There are a few conditions that we have to follow as international students in order to start working part-time in the UK.   The conditions depend on where you come from but generally speaking   they are quite similar for all international students. First of all, on your visa it should be indicated how many hours you’re allowed to work while you are studying in the UK.  This rule is very strict and you have to follow it so that there will be no problems regarding your employment as well as your monthly pay  in the future. In my case it is    up to 20 hours a week. No...

How to travel around Europe without spending much One thing that I know for sure about myself is that I LOVE travelling. I plan my whole life around it and one of the biggest advantage of studying/living in the UK is the convenience of being able to go anywhere in Europe quickly and without having to spend much. If you are like me, I have some tips for you: Where to go Of course this is very personal but I have my favourites. If you’re interested in: Food: ITALY, ITALY, ITALY!! Who doesn’t like good pasta and pizza? Match that with amazing gelato for desert and you’re in food heaven. Museums: Almost every country has amazing museums, but my favourite has to be GERMANY , especially if you’re interested in learning more about the World wars. You can visit old bunkers, concentration camps and classic art museums. Cultural immersion : Poland , because is not an extremely popular touristic destination you can wonde...

Guide to packing for Kazakhstani students. Dear students, I  had an idea to write a guide on what to pack to embrace the British weather but I actually decided to write a general guide on packing which  hopefully  will not only help you to  stay warm while being in the UK but also to  overcome the  homesickness and to neglect  overweight fee in the airports.  Alright, It’s a few days left till  your departure to the UK for the first time.  There is already enough to worry  about but here comes another problem : luggage organization. First and foremost, sit down, pour  a  cup of tea and take a piece of paper and pen.  Divide the  piece of paper into two columns. On top of the first one write ‘ urgent’, and on the second one write ‘important’. Meanwhile, I am going to provide you with the    examples of the things which  usually  are useful  for people that go to study ab...

I will be very honest with you and admit the fact that I didn't know there is such a thing as "British traditional cuisine" when I first came to the UK. United Kingdom is very multicultural and if we open Wikipedia and read a little bit about British history and colonisation in particular, it becomes clear why you can come across to such a variety of food from different parts of the world . There is a huge number of Turkish, Kurdish and Middle-Eastern restaurants in the UK with my favourite dishes as well, therefore I didn't even put an effort into finding out more about British cuisine until the last year. Well, this is something that I regret not doing as soon as I came to the UK as I lost the WHOLE YEAR of enjoying some bits of the British cuisine that I fell in love with! As I am the real FOODIE, I spend as much time as I can, exploring Norwich cafes and restaurants. Prepare yourself for some juicy photos and recommendations: 1. Afternoon Tea.  Afte...

    Layer your clothing A number of clothes is better than a chunky big thick sweater. The more number of clothes you wear the more air gets trapped between them. The principle comes from the fact that air is a good insulator for heat and thus your body heat cannot move out easily à keeping you warm. Don’t forget or feel embarrassed when you go out with a full set: hat, scarf, gloves and jacket. Oh, yes, socks! Personally, if my feet are covered, I deal with the cold breeze much much better!   Turn up the themorstat No less than 18 o C guys, advised by NHS. As a student who lives outside of campus (I am sure many of you do), I am of course concerned about the energy bill, but of course I do not want to get cold or ill during this time of year (haha, anytime really). Be sensible really. The heating system should be only on when the majority of people are around. 3 Cook! If your housemate refuses to turn on the heaters while you are at home during the d...

Picking a course at university, as we all know, is meant to give us the skills and knowledge that are required to succeed in our professional life. However, as I have learnt in my two years at UEA, we all need as much help as we can get! Internships, part time jobs, workshops and lectures are all necessary and welcomed parts of university life, as ultimately, it is not only the knowledge that you are getting in your lectures that will land you your dream job, but all those hours of practical jobs, reading emails, internships, learning from more experienced people, and career fairs that help you out with your aspirations. Knowing that, I started to become interested in the internship programmes UEA, Career Central, and my own school of study could offer during my second year. After a few visits on the websites and meetings with CareerCentral, I learned about an opportunity to work with Graduate Women International (GWI). GWI is a non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Swit...