Postgrad UK 2008/2009 - (Page 33) www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK Advice and Information 33 ‘There were activities planned through the week to help us get to know each other and to find our way around the city,’ says Jia. ‘We were shown around the city and taken to the best places to shop for food. We were also given our student and library cards and told how and where we could use them. ‘They also took us to Alton Towers, a big theme park, and to other cities like York and Oxford, so we got a chance to see other parts of the country.’ Nicola Walton is the International Students’ Welfare Officer at MMU.She says the orientation programme is to encourage students to make friends and to feel a part of the University. ‘We give our students as much information as they need, as well as organising activities to make them feel welcome,’ explains Nicola. ‘We make sure students know we are here and that there are services to help them. We don’t want them to be lonely or to worry about where to go if they need help. We also have student ambassadors for students to talk to if they do have any problems.’ immigration, housing, academic problems and finance. I also organise events and social activities throughout the year. I would be the person students would be referred to at MMU if they had any problems,’ says Nicola. MAKING FRIENDS Loneliness can be a involved in activities you wouldn’t normally take part in. ‘One of our lecturers took us to the most famous fish and chip shop in York. This is something we would never eat in China but I decided to try it and I did enjoy it. There were about 20 of us standing outside this shop eating our chips, talking and having fun. I found that immersing myself in British life was the best way to adapt and make friends.’ With so much information and support on offer, moving to the UK need not be as scary as you first thought. But, as Jia points out, make sure you get as much information as you can before you set off. ‘Get lots of information from the university you want to study at. Find out where you can go and who can help you. But don’t worry; somebody will be there to help. You need to join in though, and mix with people from all over the world, not just students from your own country.’ problem when you move to a new country but there are plenty of ways to make friends at university and find an activity that you enjoy. Jia joined the International Society in Manchester, which helped her stop feeling homesick. ‘I met lots of friends when I joined the International Society,’ says Jia. ‘As well as parties and activities, they organised celebrations for Chinese New Year which is when I felt most homesick, but it really cheered me up. A few friends got together and we cooked Chinese food. It was good fun.’ The range of clubs and societies at universities is endless, from Martial Arts to the Fair Trade Society, and joining a different club is a great way to meet people from the all over the world, including those from right here in the UK. Meeting DURING YOUR COURSE The support you receive people from the UK is a good way of getting to know more about British life. does not stop once you have settled in; as ‘There are many clubs and societies here well as having a personal tutor or supervisor allocated to you on your course, at MMU. We have a calendar of events and email students to let them know you will be able to use the international what is happening. Departments office throughout your studies. organise their own activities too, but we Nicola is a dedicated welfare officer at encourage people to join clubs and to MMU and most universities will have take part in university life as much as advisers for you to go and speak to if you they can,’ says Nicola. are having any problems. Jia says the best way to adapt to life in ‘My job is to give students welfare the UK, and to enjoy it, is to get advice, which includes advice on http://www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK
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