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Celebrating City’s international community

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Michelle Sarkisyan
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , .

International students are deeply embedded in City, University of London’s culture and lifestyle. The University’s work and that of the Students Union never stops to amaze me of the number of events and types of activities they offer to the student body. 

As a student ambassador, representative and a blogger, I am constantly a witness of how much focus and attention is spent on a daily basis to the student. From surveys that will help improve student and tutor relationships to mentor schemes created to ease each student into coping with assignment anxiety or finding and preparing for an internship.

We are also regularly provided with karaoke, movie and pub quiz nights at City Bar, located in Tait Building ground floor.

This week, from Monday 18th February to Friday 22nd February, different departments cooperated to create the first-ever International City Week. It aimed to celebrate the global community and bring staff and students together with a number of different activities across campus.

More than 20 events were scattered throughout the whole week to take yet another step back and to really appreciate everything that is good about how diversified City, University of London is. 

The launch of International City Week 2019 was simply incredible. It was colourful, loud and tasty. You could munch on tasty finger food from around the world and socialise with peers.

To make it easier for you, you could take part in the networking bingo and later win a redeemable voucher.

If you are not particularly interested in finding somebody who knows how to make dumplings or practices martial arts, you could sit on the couch with a slice of pizza in hand and listen to the amazing City’s own Balkan Ensemble.

 

Or even better, get up and dance in the melody of Serbian and Romanian songs and learn the art of the “horo” dance. 

It was amazing to see how many people wanted to locate themselves on a giant map, and most importantly to talk with each other, follow our journeys and realise that we are not as different as we may think.

We could also solve riddles and win chocolate when correctly match the fair-trade products to their place of origin. To get creative with 1-minute portraits and bring back the nostalgia answering City Psychology Society’s question: “What makes you feel at home”, was a true gem.

Talking about your national holidays, dancing and seeing the smile on people’s faces was nothing short to a magnificent way to start my week. 

 

Freshers’ Weeks: the most important 20 days!

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Michelle Sarkisyan
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , .

The period from 14th September to 4th October, also known as “Freshers”, can be anything but peaceful. These days are for you to be re-programmed! You are not at home anymore, the weather is different, the food does not taste the same, you are surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and there are so many new places to be explored. These are the changes classified as “the tip of the iceberg”. This is your one step closer to an independent way of living.

In my opinion, the first few weeks at university are the most important. They give you a chance to look around, familiarise yourself with the new territory and make new friends. The first few weeks are exciting, but also overwhelming.

My piece of advice is: take your time! Breath in and breath out. Do not follow the crowd or do what is somehow expected of you from fellow students. These 20 days are your chance to not only make a physical change, but a mental one. Some of my tips for settling in are:

  1. If you like decorating, spend your time moving into your new student accommodation. The room may be smaller than you are used to, but with the right touch, you can create your own personal space. Candles, soft pillows and plants usually do the trick for me. City’s campus is within close proximity to its student halls, which are also located near a variety of stores, making accessorising your space more convenient. Create your own “before and after” series, and bring friends over for spa days and spooky nights.
  2. If you prefer informative events and various activities, City has prepared a programme of events during Freshers where you can socialise and adjust to the student lifestyle as quickly and smoothly as possible. Examples of activities include mug painting, movie marathons, origami workshops, pub quizzes and karaoke! There are also events designed for international students, to help settle you in to life in the UK. The most important thing is that these events are a great opportunity for you to relax and meet other students with similar interests.
  3. If you like neither of the given options above, you could be from the group that wants to let their hair down and party. CityBar, the University’s student bar, is a fantastic space to meet with other students and socialise.

You may be feeling worried and slightly disorientated, while also feeling way too excited to know what to do first! From personal experience, I would advise you to do what interests you the most. City, University of London has given a platform to every group, society and event possible. Find the best place for you and enjoy the truly unique adventure that university is!

 

How to survive exams

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Michelle Sarkisyan
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , , , .

In my blogs so far I have shared with you my journey to City, University of London, insights into my undergraduate experience and my top 8 places in London for an international student on a budget. Now it is time to talk about the only unpleasant thing when it comes to university life – assignments and exams! And more particularly, how to survive them.

When you are a new international student, you are overwhelmed by everything – your new home, the numerous opportunities to expand your network, and by London itself. Not only that, you still might not exactly know how the university works. At least I felt that way! I want to share with you how I made my way through the end-of-year exam period.

1. Moodle is your best friend!
Moodle is mobile-friendly, as it can be accessed using a laptop, smartphone or tablet. Moodle keeps storage of all your modules, grades and even the PowerPoint presentations of all your lectures, week by week. It provides you with a reading list where necessary, so you have the chance to access as many sources of information as possible. I find it absolutely helpful because I can always look back at my presentations and find whatever I missed during the lecture. Knowing this, during your lectures you can sit down and listen to your lecturer, taking notes of her/his side notes of the presentation (which are really important) and not just mechanically re-write what is on the whiteboard in front of you.

2. Lecture capture
This system is again managed primarily through Moodle and it allows you to make automatic recordings of some of your lectures or presentations. Lecture capture gives you the chance to not only go through presentations slides but also to listen to your tutor at your own pace. In my opinion, this is the best alternative for face-to-face teaching!

3. City Library
The library at City, University of London has everything you might need. The database searches are from A to Z, and I have found that they rarely do not have what I am looking for. You can also study on site; the library has communal areas where you can talk, or silent floors where it really is embarrassing to sneeze (guilty!). You can always book a computer, a room for group studies or take a book home with you for a loan up to seven days. The best thing is that the library is open 24/7 during examination periods, and throughout the day you can get yourself a much-needed dose of coffee from the Costa Coffee downstairs.

4. City University takes care of their students.
If you face anxiety at any point during your exams, you can always turn to Academic Learning Support. They can provide you with group workshops and one-to-one academic skills tutorials. The university also creates stress relief events. This year we had therapy dogs for stress relief come to the university for a day, which was the best puppy paradise I could ever imagine. A few days afterwards, another event was held at Northampton Square…a farm! We had sheep, bunnies, hamsters and ponies. We could feed, pet, hug and play with them.

5. Do not think of studying as a chore, but as an improvement in yourself and an investment in your future.
Make sure you enjoy this year, make friends and explore the amazing university and city you are in! Every student in your course is going through exactly what you are. Find help and support in each other, and make sure you are motivated to learn not just because of grades, but because you are curious for more knowledge. After all, this might probably be concerning your job in the future!

Insights into my undergraduate experience

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Michelle Sarkisyan
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , , , , , , .

When you are a student, something always comes up. The luxury of knowing what will happen to you after a week is already something difficult to achieve. As a first-year journalism student, I have to always be active, going and exploring. Because I want to know more, and City, University of London always encourages its students to be curious. I am excited about the following five journalistic questions: What? Who? Where? When? Why? My job is to reveal them. Turn them into text and picture. To turn the truth into creativity!

My university schedule and assignments:

My typical week consists of four days at university and three days for story and memory making. However, percentage-wise I have 28% scheduled learning and 72% independent learning. My modules include digital, audio and video journalism and thorough coverage of basic principles of journalism, the history of journalism and politics and current affairs. We were also given the chance to learn another language, in my case – Spanish!

Personally, the best advantage so far is that I do not have to spend my free time working on assignments I am not interested in. In fact, our tutors give us the opportunity to write about topics we have chosen and I am fortunate enough to simultaneously learn essential journalistic skills and gain a better understanding of topics I am passionate about. At times contacting interviewees, researching, filming, editing and working on two or three projects at once can be nerve-racking. Especially if things do not work out the way you have imagined them to be. However, finally being able to see or hear the fruit of your labour is the most rewarding feeling I have ever experienced!

When it comes to entertainment and meeting up with new people:

City hosts a wide range of events, which cover not only political topics but also music-related events and panels with topical issues such as “Respect at work: how to command it and when to demand it”. I enjoy participating because we should always strive to learn more, but also – this is an amazing chance to meet up with people sharing your interests and ideas. However, if you are not into panels I can recommend going to City Bar, a multi-functional social space designed to cater to students’ needs. You can order drinks and food at a student-friendly price, play pool or table tennis and enjoy the great music. But there is always a “Plan C” when it comes to socialisation at university – your accommodation! When you share a kitchen with four other people, participate in pre-drinks or decide to go to the common room to play pool or a quick ‘Murder Mystery’ game, you undoubtedly will feel part of a community!

The course has been everything I have expected and even more. It taught me the importance of teamwork and cross-cultural cooperation!

A piece of advice:

  1. Sleep more than you study;
  2. Study more than you party;
  3. Party as much as you possibly can!

More on how to use London to your advantage in my next blog!

How the adventure began

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Michelle Sarkisyan
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Undergraduate , , , , , .

My story started about six years ago in the capital city of Bulgaria, Sofia. I was always a curious child, but this did not help me acknowledge my talent at an early stage. I compared myself to groups in which one was good at chemistry and the other could sing; but what about me? My passion to communicate and explore made me later realise that the most important thing for me was to understand; not only myself and the people surrounding me but also the world as a whole. The pursuit of this particular knowledge laid the foundations to apply for a degree in journalism.

To be honest, choosing a vocation, a university and making decisions that will reflect on your future is really stressful. My goal was to be a witness at the heart of world-changing events as they unfold, to create an unbiased story that can live under the skin, inspire and induce social awareness. Thus, finding a university with a course that could help me gain the requisite skills and relationships in order to grow as a professional was one of the most important tasks for me. I wanted a course that would give me a profound knowledge of every career path I may decide to follow, whether it would be broadcast, digital or print journalism.

College Building at City, University of London

College Building at City, University of London. Photograph: City, University of London

 

Televison studio at City, University of London

Television studio at City, University of London. Photograph: City University of London

 

City, University of London caught my attention with its incredible academic facilities such as a television studio, radio broadcast newsrooms and production newsrooms. I was amazed at the chance of working with tutors, who are active journalists, as we could receive first-hand experience and not limit our learning process to just textbooks and presentations on a whiteboard. The university was the only one with such a professional network and practical independent learning.

The application process was quite easy. I worked through an agent, as I did not have any previous experience. My job was to write a personal statement and have grades applicable to City’s standards, together with an IELTS certificate. One of the greatest moments was when I was shortlisted for an interview. I talked with Tom Felle, who helped me forget my nervousness and successfully become part of the journalism family at City.

And when I say family, I do mean it. From our course officer David Buckley, the tutors we can always email for help, to events created with the sole purpose of making students feel valued, always learning and not homesick, I feel as if I belong to a community… but more on that to come.

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