Study abroad

“It has to be China – it’s got the language of the future, and I’d be fluent!”; “I was only thinking about Germany, but if I studied in the Netherlands where they have loads of courses in English, I could visit Germany any time”; “I just love the US – it’s the only place I would go to university”.

I began my career in the private sector, having first obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Copperbelt University in Zambia in 1995.

After graduation, my passion for children’s rights led me to work for an international development organisation, providing public services to rural communities in Zambia. The role involved advocating government to develop and implement public policies for children.

However, I wanted a more influential and direct role closer to where public policies were developed. 

London is the most popular destination for students, followed by Sydney, Melbourne and Manchester in second, third and fourth place respectively, according to research by Student.com.

Student.com, an online marketplace for student accommodation, compiled the list by looking at the number of accommodation enquiries between 1 January and 31 December 2017. 

Even though the Dutch and Danish cultures are not that different from each other, settling in another country still takes more adjustment than one might think.

For me, starting my two-year master’s programme in another country felt quite different from going abroad on exchange during my undergraduate studies.

Prior to coming to Copenhagen for my master’s, I had undertaken a semester in Taiwan at the National Taiwan University. At that time, I was a bachelor’s student in the Netherlands – and that semester abroad was just a lot of fun. 

Going to the University of Oxford to pursue an MSc in higher education was the first time I had travelled outside Gaza for 14 years and the first time I had done it alone.

The strike action of academic staff over changes to their pension has dominated conversation among the student body here at UCL over the last few weeks. Some  whispered excitedly at the prospect of classes being cancelled. Others looked apprehensive about the issues facing their professors and vowed to join the student demonstrations. 

I began my first term at the Durham University International Study Centre (DUISC) in September 2017 as part of its first intake of students. I tried to research the DUISC before arriving, however, because it is a new institution, it was difficult to find information beyond their website. Although going blind into a new experience may make it more exciting, many prospective students might prefer to be more informed about an institution before attending.

Although Brussels isn’t commonly known as a popular university city, there is a lot that this small European capital can offer students.

Probably most famous for being the home of the European Union parliament, it is also known for its cobbled streets, chocolate, lace factories and, of course, the grand Market Square were one can sit and enjoy a coffee and admire the gilded buildings. 

I first visited the UK on a vacation as a curious and impressionable 15-year-old in 2013. The rich culture of London, the beautiful highlands of Scotland and the sunny beaches of Wales fascinated me. Having lived most of my life in the South Asian subcontinent and the Middle East, I was enthralled by the liberal ways of British life. I decided then that I wanted to pursue my university education in the UK.

I am a Syrian refugee living in the UK and studying at the University of Hertfordshire. My family and I had to leave Syria after I took part in a demonstration for political change. Soldiers knocked on our door and I hid. If they had found me, I would not be alive to write this. Many of the friends and family we had to leave behind are not.