Keep Calm and Go to University

BEFORE FLYING OFF TO MANCHESTER…

…get to know your university, even if you live at the other side of the world.

How do you do it?

You can order brochures/leaflets/guides, read the University’s webpage or connect through social media. UoM has various social media pages, so join them and ask questions. It’s the best way to know more, calm your fears and start getting excited about the future! If you have more specific questions on your degree, get in contact with your department. Even before being accepted by UoM, I had been pestering my department with the silliest questions, but it helped to understand the kind of people you will be dealing with: patient, kind and very friendly.

ONCE YOU’RE IN MANCHESTER…

…and have settled down, start exploring! It’s the best way to beat homesickness. Get as busy as you can by meeting new people, jumping into different experiences and studying a lot! Even if you miss orientation, you can join groups through the Student Union’s page. There will be lots of events both hosted by the University and the City of Manchester. Exploring the city you’re staying in will make it less unfamiliar and less scary, especially at night. Who knows what you will discover (cupcakes in Piccadilly Garden at £1, anyone?)!

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY…

..where art thou when I need you? As a student, we all know how tight our budget is, so here are some places where you can get freebies:

• Business, Management & Finance Fair; Engineering, Science & Technology Fair;Postgraduate Study Fair, and The Law Fair.
• Freebie Websites
• Research Volunteer

And don’t forget that with your student ID, some places will give discounts!

JOBs, CVs and COVER LETTERs

..but where do you start? The first place to visit is the Career Service. It is through them that I got to know about the various job websites in the UK and they’ve got some useful materials, especially when you don’t know what to do after you graduate! Moreover, they have an updated list of vacancies on CareersLink, so you can start job hunting as soon as you get to university.

The second place to visit are the Career Fairs mentioned above. Some jobs do require specific degrees, but I have discovered that many only require a 2:1 in any subject.  The reason is because they look for specific qualities which are measured through thepsychometric tests and assessment centres. It’s really important to practice for these tests as most are timed and you need to work quickly through the questions, especially if your mathematical knowledge has become rusty.

Fairs are also a  good opportunity to meet the HR of the company and to get their business cards. Unfortunately you cannot leave your CV with them, but you will receive all the information you need to leave a digital copy of your CV, especially if you want to apply for a graduate programme (with deadlines before Christmas, so you’d better start applying asap!). And don’t forget to ask a lot of questions, as it is an opportunity to understand the company and their application process better.

The third place to visit is the job centre in Manchester, which have jobs in the public sector, such as in the City Council, public schools, NGOs and apprenticeships.

The last place to visit would be the various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) as a lot of companies advertise job vacancies through their social media pages.

In then end, remember that even with all the ups-and-downs, it will be worth it! And don’t forget to enjoy your time at the University!

Ciao!

The post above is one I wrote for the UoM Careers Blog: http://manunicareersblog.com/2015/09/04/keep-calm-and-go-to-university-tips-from-international-graduate-renesa/

Useful APPS in Manchester

Hi everyone!

During my stay in Manchester there were several apps which I used continuously, as they were useful for my everyday life.

Here they are:

1. Airplane mode: with this switched on, you can sneakily take pictures without switching your phone off. 
2. Calculator: to add up all of my shopping and see if I went over my budget.
3. Currency: very useful. I used to check euros vs pounds. If the product was too expensive in euros, I wouldn't buy it. An effective way to not waste money. 
4. Calendar: not only was it useful to keep all my classes and events organized, but it got rid the use of a 'planner',  which wasn't convenient in rainy Manchester. 
5. Dream Diary: to not over think on nightmares. 
6. Flashlight: useful during winter, when the days are shorter and you get home late due to classes. Or to find the matching sock early in the morning without having to switch on the light.
7. Office: you can start the layout of your paper in the bus.
8. Adobe: no need to bring heavy books in class when you can read it in PDF version.
9. Shopping List: As the app's tile says. 
10. Weather View: you need to know in advance if you need to wear rainboots or not. Although the chance that it will rain is always high. 

I hope this helps! What app did you find useful to study abroad?

To Graduate or not to Graduate?

(First of all, let me clarify that this post is not about getting or not getting your degree. It is about whether or not attending the graduation ceremony is worth it.)

Graduation time is here again and it's already been one year since my graduation. Truth be told, I still do not regret not attending my graduation ceremony. Why? Read on...

For my undergraduate ceremony, there was no doubt I would attend it. As we were a small university, I got to know most of the student body, both my seniors and my juniors. At the end of the three years, the students, professors and staff felt like a second family, so graduating amongst all those people who have supported me throughout all those years, was exciting and emotional. It was a special day and we were made to feel special.

Instead for my Master degree, I decided not to attend it. Why? First of all, in less than a year, even if I attended all of the social events and parties, would I have been able to find a friend whom I could trust? Meh. I did get to meet a few amount of people, but that doesn't mean we became close friends. So there wasn't any strong attachment towards my fellow classmates and wanting to graduate together. We were in the same stormy sea but not on the same boat. Second,  I don't understand why I had to pay £40 outside my tuition for a black gown and a cardboard hat. And that's only for renting it for one hour. If I were to buy it for keepsakes, it would have been around £100. Third, the ceremony was so short due to other departments' ceremonies being all squeezed in two weeks, thus you had to be very quick with the shaking of the hand and grabbing your degree. I've seen the recording of my department's ceremony and there wasn't enough time to savour the moment.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that attending a graduation ceremony is exciting and nostalgic. It's exciting to hear one's name in front of a huge crowd, shaking the Dean's hand and flipping the tassel from right to left. It's a proud moment as after all those months of hard work and sleepless nights have now come to fruition. It's nostalgic, as from that day onwards you will not see your friends and professors everyday. It is also the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.

So should you attend your graduation ceremony? If it is possible, attend at least one. Preferably one where all your friends and family are gathered, so you can reminiscence through all the good memories and snap lots of pictures.

Congratulations to all the graduates!!

Difference between UK & US higher education

Hi everyone!

Today I am going to talk about the differences I found in a UK university compared to a US one. Having done a BA in an American institution, I feel there were several differences between the two types of education.

The first one was: There is more freedom of choice in an US system than in an UK one. By this, I mean that the UK education has core courses which have to be taken in a certain semester whereas in the US, you can choose when to take them. It does not matter if you don't take one core course in the first semester, as you will still need extra credits to graduate.

The second one is: You can have double majors/minors in an US system whereas in the UK you are stuck with one major. For me this was a disappointment, as I enjoyed having the flexibility of exploring other departments alongside my major. It also gave me time to realise that I wanted to do an Economics concentration one year before graduating, which gave me a chance to add a Minor to my degree.  Also, it gave me the opportunity to be able to apply for a wide range of jobs as I had developed additional skills outside my major (such as public speaking, web design, literature, etc).

The third one: Exam scores are cumulative in an US system instead the UK system depends hugely on the final exam/paper. I found that a cumulative system is more fair instead of relying only or mostly on the final exam/paper. In case one paper/test goes badly, there is always the next one which could help a student pass the course. Instead, having only one exam/paper at the end of a semester, is not enough to show the professor what you are capable of. I have also noticed that each professor wants something different from a paper. Yes, the way to write an essay is the same worldwide, but the content and how you present it, varies from person to person. Thus, how and what you show your argument may not be what the professor is looking for.

The fourth: UK system has lectures and US system has more small discussion groups. Both systems have lectures, but I have realised that the US encourages discussion in class frequently. This is also a way to help shy students to get the 10% (or more) of participation score and keep up with the weekly readings (it also puts the knowledge read in a book to be added in the discussions). The US system focuses a lot on the student experience and academic growth. More importantly, the students get to have a personal engagement with the professor, which helps with their future recommendations, as the professor gets to know the student as well. In the UK system, lectures are usually followed by seminars, but mostly it focuses on independent studying. There are small discussion groups called tutorials, but they are very few which limits the amount of discussion time between professor-student and the amount of topics to be discussed. Also, the student is supposed to do the weekly readings by him/herself and acquire knowledge for the final paper/exam. Instead, in the US system, the various in-class discussions, group projects, presentations and papers, all build up to the final exam/paper.

To conclude, yes, I am biased towards the US system. I have found that it gave me the opportunity to grow both personally and academically. I have enjoyed learning from other departments, students and professors. Of course, it must be taken into consideration that the American institution I have attended was very small compared to the big Ivy League ones. Maybe smaller UK institutions are very similar to the US ones, as they can focus more on the students. Maybe, Master courses in the US are the same as the UK. This has been based more on my experience, but I would recommend anyone who can, to attend a day in their chosen universities to see how they teach.

Remember, just because a university is world-renowned, it does not mean that it has a good education. Sometimes, only certain departments are renowned in those institutions, not all of them. Which means that some departments have more funds to improve their building. Also, not everyone who becomes a professor can teach. 

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education" - Albert Einstein 

Hi Everyone!

So today's post is going to be a list of low flight cost companies in Europe. Here they are!

Ryanair
Easyjet
Jet2
Lufthansa
JetAir
Vueling
Monarch
SAS

National Airlines:
Norwegian
Luxair
KLM
Iberia
Germanwings
Brussels
British
Austrian
Alitalia
Air France
Air Berlin

Have a good flight!

Job hunting websites in the UK

Today's blog is going to be about the job-seeking websites in the UK.

The ones I have registered to are:

• Guardian Jobs
• Rate my Placement
• Graduate jobs
• EuroGraduate
• Total jobs
• Prospects
• Target jobs
• Yougov
• Student gems

The good thing about subscribing is that they keep you updated on any new job openings/graduate program/career fair from various companies.
The bad thing is that it will be annoying checking the daily e-mails.

Good luck on the job hunting!

One of the first things I did when I started my MSc was attending Fairs and joining groups.

 The groups I joined were:

• Islamic Society
• Bangladesh Society
• Italian Society
• Manchester University Comic Collective (MUCC)
• Gospel Choir
• Yoga & Living Well Society
• Japan Animation Society

Good thing they were free and I did not have obligatory participation, as I only attended one session of the MUCC.

My main reason for not participating was either the meetings ended too late at night or it clashed with my lectures (I would also have them during lunch hour). If the societies updated their meeting hours in their page ( I am referring to the one under the Student Union), I would not have sent my request to join them. Even so, it is a good idea to participate actively, as you are meeting new people with similar interests and different backgrounds.

  Instead the Fairs I attended were:

• Ethnic Diversity Fair
• Business Fair
• Postgrad Fair

I highly recommend to attend these Fairs (or any other Fairs) as they have so many freebies! The most useful ones are pens (I have 3 mugfulls of pens), notebooks and bags! Other gadgets include magnets, bookmarks, pencils, highlighters, stress balls, keyrings, pendrives, t-shirts, sweets, chocolates and much, much more! Oh, and of course, information booklets on the companies/universities.
Fairs are the best places for poor students to stack-up on school materials, as they will last one year and you saved money :)

Warm country -> Manchester: What to Pack

Hi everyone!

I was talking to a friend who is planning to do her postgraduate in the UK and was giveing her advice on what to pack. So I thought back on my experience in Manchester and how I wished someone had written on essential stuff to bring. It would have helped make the first week less gloomy, as it was puoring every single day.

Have in handy in your waterproof handbag:

Umbrella

Folded raincoat

Extra cotton socks

Light cardigan

Wear:

Comfortable shoes (which can dry quickly after getting wet)

Warm jacket (can keep you warm when it snows. If you cannot find one, you can always buy one from Manchester. Also, it will not take up space in your luggage)

All the T-shirts you want to bring (again saving up space in the luggage)

Pack in your luggage:

Wooly jumpers

Wooly pjs (and normal ones)

Wooly socks

Wooly hat

Rainboots

Tights

Leggings

Scarf

Gloves

Socks, socks and socks!

Warm underwear (along with the regular ones)

A combination of light jumpers and heavy cardigans

Trousers as you can wear something warmer underneath them

jeans

a big, medium and small towel

travel size hairdryer (not only can you use it to dry your hair, but also to keep warm)

Tight, fitted tops (it will keep your body heat)

Travel size toiletries (once you finish these, you can buy the regular sizes there. You will be saving on luggage weight with the small ones rather than the big ones)

Extras

Sleeping bag (at least you've got a place to sleep in case your bed is a bit icky)

A string of elastics (you never know when they come in handy for an emergency belt to hold your trousers up

Plushie (they are very warm and nice to snuggle with when you feel down)

Photos of family and friends (it's nice to return after a crappy day to smiling and loving faces, even if they are 2D)

a light-weight, warm blanket ( sometimes the duvet is a bit cumbersome)

Final Points

1. Anything else I've missed you can always buy in Manchester, but my motto is: Why waste money if I already have it?
2. Layer, layer and layer! The weather in Manchester is very volatile: one minute it's warm and the next minute it's cold again! (Blame the wind!)
3. Also, bring clothes which you can mix and match.

I hope it will help any future student planning in battling the rainy and windy weather of Manchester!

P.S. Sometimes the sun does come out

Ciao!

Living with a family: Good or bad?

Hi everyone! Here is my post with the advantages and disadvantages of living with a family. First of all let me explain why I wanted to stay with a family instead of living in the halls or a shared apartment. Before leaving home, I decided that for the one year I will be away, I wanted to stay with a family. My main reason was that it would be cheaper, I did not have to prepare my meals and it would help me cope with homesickness. Was I right? Yup, my expectations were achieved! I paid £150/month (including room, food, bills, internet, etc); I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with the family, and there were two kids whom I got along with really well, which helped lessen the homesickness. The most important thing was that we got along and thus I have a second family :) Now the disadvantages. I did not have as much privacy as I was used to ( I am a single child, so most of the time I do not have kids sticking their noses in my business). The kids were nice (one was 14 and the other 9) but they wanted to know what I did, especially the little one. Mostly, I was the one who brought a little bit of fun ( I guess having a bubbly, nutty personality helps :P ), so they wanted to watch movies, cartoons, play games, but most importantly I was someone wthey could talk to openly about their problems. The second disadvantage was that I could not come home after dinner, not only because I lived far from the uni (so not a lot of soicalization in those areas), but also because it would be rude and I would have to miss dinner :( (I love food! Check out my other blog: http://bdgcooking.blogspot.it/ ) The third disadvanatge is I had to be a role model for the younger ones, which means I could not be the lazy, sloppy person I usually am at home. On the one hand this could be a good thing, but on the other, having a day where you get to your 'bad' self relieves your accumulated stress. In the end, it really depends on what kind of family you end up with. Everyone will have different experiences depending on their personalities and the host family. I was lucky to have a good one with whom I got along :) Ciao!

Free Stuff

Hi everyone! In the last time I wrote that in this post I will talk about the pros & cons of living with a family...change of plan! In this post, I will give you links to get your hands on free stuff. As poor students, saving money in an way is very important. So when there are free stuff, let's go for it! :D

1. www.studentbeans.com
2. www.freestuffworld.co.uk
3. www.freebies.co.uk
4. www.latestfreestuff.co.uk
5. www.4freeuk.com
6. www.ilovefreebiesuk.net
7. www.freesamples.me.uk
8. www.savethestudent.org

Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the inactivity of the post! I became very busy, but first let me recap what happened during the first semester in PG in the UoM: -I did end up changing my pathway. I went from International Development: Economics and Management of Rural Development to Poverty & Development (always MSc). What made me change? Well, I had to take this course (Economics of Rural Development) but in the end it was basic Microeconomics. I dropped it but that meant I had to take another econ course in the second semester. All this was fine, but when I saw it clashed with a course I really wanted to do (Devolopment of finance) I decided to change pathway. Poverty & Dev had Dev of Finance as an option for the 2nd semster whereas the other pathway didn't. This also became convenient financially, as my tuition dropped from £12,900 to £12,300. £600 pounds less really helps with my rent! (BTW, I've seen the tuition fees for the yr 2013-2014, they went ridiculously high!) The only drawback for this change of pathway is I won't get to go on the trip to Uganda, which would have been a good experience and something to add in my CV, seeing how the job market nowadays isn't the best for development graduates. - This yr UoM started the online submissions for papers (At least the IDPM department has staretd it. I'm not sure about the other departments). I wonder what took them so long! My undergrad uni already had something similiar. I find it much better than actually wasting paper and bringing it in person. -My first assignment was not exactly good...it just barely passed! :( Neverthless, I took it as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes and try to understand what the uni wants. So far, they want us to be critical and focused. I just hope I managed to do it for my second assignment. -Made some friends! Woohoo! I'm usually a friendly person so I do not have problems talking with people I don't know, but at the same time I'm also reserved. It's really interesting meeting new people from different parts of the world and hearing their perspective of the world. Next time I will talk to you about the pros and cons of living with a family! I wish you all a Happy New Year! Ciao!

Hi everyone! This is my third blog and it will be about my stay as a potgrad student here in Manchester. I am enrolled for MSc International Development: Economy and Management of Rural Development at the University of Manchester. In 1 year I will be done! But first, a little bit about myself. I am of Bangladeshi nationality but I have always lived in Italy. So, imagine the shock of moving from a sunny and warm country to a cold and rainy place! The first week was awful for me, as it was raining non-stop; it was cold; I was feeling terribly homesick and I hated everything! I kept comparing everything to Italy and how much better it was there, which definately does not help! This just made me more emotional and miserable, which led me getting sick with a fever and sore throat. Thank God I had to go back home first week-end to renew my permit to stay! This helped to calm down and become a bit more optimistic. It also helped that I bought a cheap tablet for my parents so we can Skype :D Today is the end of the second week of classes and I am undecided whether I want to change my pathway or not :S Also, this is going to be my first w/e here in Hyde (I live with a family). Hopefully I won't fill too homesick and hw will keep me busy! Ciao!