Student review [#27192] for Social Work
at University of East Anglia - UEA

My experience studying social work at UEA
So far, I have enjoyed studying social work at the University of East Anglia. Despite studying more than half of my degree during the pandemic, I have been fortunate to do a lot of it in person and learn in various ways such as through group presentations, exams, interviews, placement etc. Before I started studying for my social work degree, I had a cynical and negative perception of the university as being stressful and the perception that being a uni student, you will encounter constant burnout. But that is not the case! Don’t get me wrong, there are times that I found stressful at university, but it wasn’t to the point I couldn’t handle or struggled to find solutions to overcome the stress. This is because I made sure that I balanced my workload and social life. For example, I organised the learning aspect of uni by keeping on top of my work before a lecture. I would have already gone through the slides, so I got into the lecture with a brief idea of what was going to be taught and questions raised when going through the slides before the lecture. Another helpful thing I did was form a group chat with individuals in my cohort. Whenever we struggled academically, needed motivation for various reasons, or experienced something at a relatable placement, I had that support network.
Is there anything the school could improve
Moreover, looking back, the only that I would say was a negative aspect of my uni experience would be the beginning of my first year of uni. This was the pandemic’s peak when everything was uncertain, and most of the lectures were moved online. I particularly struggled with this as I am very sociable and prefer being in a lecture theatre and seminar classroom when being taught. I also found it particularly awkward and uncomfortable when I was in breakout groups as I didn’t know a lot of my peers, and most of their laptop camera was on, so it felt odd. All these negative factors I explained above were unavoidable as other students across the schools and the UK were passing through similar experiences, so this was not UEA’s fault. But concerning this, UEA provided me with the well-being support I needed during this period as I struggled a lot to adjust.
Student life & International Students
Student life during the first half of my university experience was pretty much nonexistent as it was during the lockdown. But as things started improving, I participated in various activities on campus, such as student ambassador and becoming a mentor for high school students. Other than extracurricular activities, there were other great things that I got up or are available to do in Norwich, such as shopping at chantry place and going to Norwich market stalls that sell a range of food, bars, restaurants and niche cafes. There are great nightlife activities such as clubbing on campus and in the city. Don’t allow how small Norwich looks on the map to deceive you that there is a range of things you can do.
UEA is a diverse university with over 3,500 international students from over 100 countries worldwide. There are so many job opportunities for international students struggling with money. International students can do a range of part-time jobs along with their studies provided with the help of UAE’s career central and grants for international students.
How do I feel about my career prospect?
I am excited and nervous about getting into the world of work. I feel equipped and ready for my future practice as I have been provided with various learning and practical opportunities. Alongside this, so far on placement, it has been an insightful experience that has given me a great understanding of the field I would like to enter. It has also allowed me to grow as a person and understand the world of work if this is the right profession for me and how being a woman and an ethnic minority can have its disadvantages and advantages when reaching out to certain service users. Similarly, it has made me understand that not everything is as it seems, and there could be grey areas when trying to form a solution to help a service user. Creativity and individuality are essential when having their needs met. It broadens an individual’s horizons about their future career. That is why I recommend that students take a placement year if placements are not provided in their course or apply for internships related to your course if they haven’t been given a placement year.