Student experiences
Mauricio Hern谩ndez Serrano
BA (Hons) Visual Communication (Film and Animation)
Mauricio spent some time at 探花直播 as part of an exchange programme with his home institution in Mexico. He relished the opportunity to enhance his language skills as well as gaining an insight into a society and culture very different to his own.
鈥淢y home institution and BCU partnered up and the possibility to come over and study for a year opened up. The opportunity was offered to me and I accepted it as it represented a chance to develop my abilities and learn new ones in a different country, and do so in a language that is not my mother tongue, in the midst of a cultural background completely different from mine. It didn鈥檛 hurt that the United Kingdom was a place I鈥檇 spent years idealising and wishing to be able to visit.
Sarah Isabel Torres Bravo
Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico
BA (Hons) Business and Finance
鈥淢y home institution has a partnership with BCU and I鈥檇 always wanted to come to the UK. I鈥檝e enjoyed it here from the start. Everyone is really helpful.
鈥淭he facilities are great. I use the Library a lot and have been using the gym here. The teaching style is different, but I really like it. The teachers give us copies of the PowerPoint presentations so we can actually listen during the lectures instead of frantically trying to write everything down!
Leslie Carolina Martinez Olivas
Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico
BA (Hons) Fashion Design
鈥淢y home institution has a partnership with BCU and I wanted to visit the UK. The teaching is different but I鈥檓 enjoying it. I鈥檓 not used to just doing one project at a time, but it鈥檚 great to have more time to focus on something.
鈥淚鈥檝e met other students in my classes who have been really helpful. The machinery is great and it helps me to create, such as the laser cutters. We are freer to use the machinery here, and the hires and loans help a lot. We can also collaborate with one another. Sometimes the teachers forget that we may need more support as Study Abroad students, but if you ask for help, they always do help you. I have also used the ASK helpdesk a couple of times.
鈥淎t first, I imagined 探花直播 would be like London with ancient buildings, but it is more industrial. Every day I love it more and more. I really like the Bullring and the canals.
鈥淚 would like to have my own fashion company or my own workshop, perhaps in custom design or with my own collection. Studying abroad has helped me so much. The Business module in particular has helped as I have learned more about fashion brands, merchandising and the legal bits! It鈥檚 great to have a variation of content and helps me to feel more prepared for the world of work.鈥�
Bohwa Seo
Hanyang University, South Korea
BA (Hons) Textile Design (Retail Management)
鈥淚 really enjoyed the Orientation Week in September 2016. It was a great first impression. I think the teaching at BCU is even better than back home. I enjoy having more time to focus on my assessments and to work and study independently. I have classes twice a week, so I have more time to create and think. The facilities and tutors are very good, and the library has also been useful.
鈥淲hen I arrived, I decided that I wanted to volunteer in my free time, but I didn鈥檛 know how to do this. I spoke to the Careers service and found the EFA Foundation. Through this programme, I teach English to students from other countries in Moseley, 探花直播. I have met a lot of East Asian people. I also use the Teaching Language Support Programme, through which BCU students help me with my English.
Alyson Crow
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
BA (Hons) Media and Communication
鈥淚鈥檝e had more access to production facilities at BCU which has been great as we don鈥檛 get as much freedom at home. I鈥檝e been into the studio outside of classes by booking them out whenever I鈥檝e needed them. This has been so useful for my studies and really helped me to improve. The teachers are really friendly and you can really get to know them which isn鈥檛 possible in Australia!
鈥淚鈥檓 aware of the support available and used the ASK helpdesk when I first arrived. The Library has also been useful and the staff helped me to use the printers for the first time!
Hsiao-Ting Chiang
Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan
BA (Hons) English
鈥淏CU is a partner of my home university in Taiwan. I reviewed the course details online and I really liked the content of the modules.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very different from my home institution. The buildings are new and the UK students are nice; they help with answers, are great with teamwork and teach me how to use things if I鈥檓 unsure. Library resources are great and better than at home. The equipment is also new.
Awang Takong Siti Rahimah
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Brunei
BA (Hons) English
鈥淚 chose BCU as it鈥檚 a partner university of UBD and English is my major back in my home country. The buildings are new, and it鈥檚 great that we have ID cards to enter buildings, as I feel very safe.
鈥淭here is a lot of reading and critical thinking, but the lecturers are very helpful and ask questions to enable us to express our opinions. I feel enriched by other students鈥� knowledge. When I email the International Office, they always reply to me to tell me where to get help, such as asking for a bank letter or Council Tax exemption letter at the ASK helpdesk. Everyone is very helpful.