Blogs

With more than $5 billion estimated to have been spent on the 2018 midterm election cycle, politics in the US is a gamble and a business. The 6 November elections signalled the end of many months of heavy campaigning and voter registration initiatives on campus. On election day, my social studies class was half empty, with students choosing to miss it to phone bank for political candidates.

Wintegreat is a student organisation that aims to integrate refugees and empower them to achieve their full potential. My university, HEC Paris, has partnered with this organisation to deliver a programme which, as well as intensive language courses, pairs participants with students and alumni. 

As a person just beginning a PhD, there are many feelings floating around about my upcoming three (plus) years. Least of all is the fear of failure; that incessant thought that casts doubt on your abilities. Recently, I discovered a quote by the writer Samuel Beckett: “[E]ver tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

Despite the fact that this quote is from a typically bleak writer, it is comforting to hear someone so well respected express that failure is not only inevitable but entwined with any form of progression.

“Have you remembered to pack a towel? What about your dressing gown? The non-stick frying pan I bought you last week?”

The inquisition continued as I sat surrounded by a vast quantity of boxes filled to the brim with everything I was told I would need before I set off on my journey to university.

Chances are that you have attended a careers fair at some point. They all look roughly the same – a hall full of stalls emblazoned with company logos, stacks of business cards and brochures, and possibly some branded lollipops or free merchandise to draw in students.

For the first time in its history, every one of the sabbatical officers at the University of Sheffield’s students’ union is a woman. Our team of eight officers (president, union development, education, welfare, women’s, international, sports and activities), saw off tough competition to win their individual elections. Being part of the first all-female team presents some unique opportunities and considerations.

The last stretch of my busy summer was spent in the People’s Republic of China. My initial perception of China was largely formed through newspaper articles and reels, but it remained only a distant and mysterious country in my mind. Nothing could have prepared me for the reality of what China was really like.

I greet the bus driver with a cheery “good morning!”, as is the norm here in British Columbia, Canada rather than the head-down mutterings common in other countries at this early hour. Prior to becoming a geography and psychology student at the University of British Columbia, I had a set daily routine – which seemed to make life simpler. Routine at university is virtually impossible with varied deadlines and obligations throughout the term. However, a typical day for me goes something like this:

Last weekend I caught up with a coursemate over a coffee. Expectedly, the conversation led to what we did during our respective summers. She was surprised when I told her about my nine-week internship at a high street bank in London. When I questioned her surprise, she responded, “I thought all international students go back to their home countries during vacations.”

When I first toured the campus at James Madison University as a prospective freshman, I immediately felt that it was warm and welcoming. With friendly tour guides who told me I just had to try the buffalo mash from D-Hall and a beautiful campus with purple-and-gold flowers bursting on every corner, I felt like this was the place for me.