My University experience started as a gamble. It was the year the pandemic started and I was ready to study abroad, when it all almost came to a halt with cancelled exams. After several changes in where and what I wanted to study due to the unforeseen circumstances, I was sat on my flight to Birmingham, fingers crossed that the University I chose would be worth it – and it is.
The University of Birmingham has a bright, student-filled campus, with great networking opportunities with fellow students, alumni, and a wide range of graduate employers. With free workshops, trips, and other events organised by many of the departments within the university, life outside the classroom never gets boring. Within the classroom you receive a great education from people that have worked both in industry and academia for several years, with most of them always willing to help you with guidance not only regarding lectures, but also with what happens in the ‘real world’.
Of course, nothing is perfect – you have to be a proactive individual if you want to see change, which on the Birmingham campus can often be seen by student organised protests/initiatives/gatherings, but the responses the University gives regarding that makes me hopeful that sooner or later changes will take place. In many instances the staff has decided to work alongside the students to implement that change, and that means the student voice on this campus matters.
I am very glad that this is the place where I ended up, as it keeps me pushing and growing daily, with all the support I could need. Even as an international student, my years in Birmingham will always be the reason I can call this place home away from home.