India

India: Anjali - Masters Environmental Sciences

Hi! I’m Anjali, a Master’s student studying Environmental Sciences at UEA from September 2015. I chose UEA because it was the only university I found offering someone like me – with a non-science undergraduate background but with an interest in working in a science based field in the future – a place on an MSc like the one I’m currently doing. One of the things that’s great about the Environmental Science course is the variety of choice in the modules: some are quite technically scientific (isotope chemistry, ocean and atmospheric systems) but some aren’t (sustainable consumption, environmental impact assessment).

Life at UEA is pretty great. I live on campus with friendly flatmates, and I’m close to the library (which has spectacular sunset views from some of the study areas), laundry, and other facilities. My course mates are fun people who are great to both socialize with (the postgraduate bar is a fantastic place with a great quiz night!) and work with.

I’m also involved with clubs ranging from conservation and wildlife (which organizes documentary nights and visits to local sites of interest) to show choir to floorball (similar to hockey, and new at UEA this year!).

Off-campus, Norwich – which is about half an hour’s bus ride away from UEA – is a lovely city that I’m enjoying discovering as I wander through it when I can. It’s got lots of places of historical interest, plenty of shopping options, nice green spaces, and is very friendly to walkers and cyclists.

India: Sohini - Masters in Creative Writing

Hello! I am Sohini, a Master's student studying Creative Writing at UEA. The strength of the faculty as well as the course profile were definitely the most important reasons for my choosing UEA, and on coming here I am glad to find out that I can develop my skills on both creative and professional levels.

My course started in September 2014, and within the first couple of weeks I was able to settle down here. The amount of student support: be it in the form of the Dean of Student's Office who can help with international student queries, to the Career Central where you can build on your professional skills, and even your tutors is what makes the experience of living and studying at UEA comfortable as well as exciting. There are numerous opportunities to get involved with, including student run societies, sports, research projects, community activities, and the participation in these are exciting ways to discover new talents.

And what makes it even better is that Norwich is a pleasant and safe city to be in. With its cobble-stoned streets by the river and dotted with quaint shops, on a crisp autumn day, the place can look like an illustration out of a picture book. More importantly, you will easily find all the necessities in the city and it is well connected by coach and train services. An added perk for me is that Norwich rightly lives up to its title of being England's first UNESCO City of Literature and there are readings taking place regularly! 

India: Amay - Economics

Hey! I'm Amay. I'm studying Economics here at UEA and I graduate in 2014. I was born and brought up in Bangalore, in southern India. I was brought up very differently and had a radically different education compared to most people from my background, which emphasised understanding and self-reflection in addition to academic rigour. I joined a top institution in India but dropped out since I was far from happy with the course there. Although I then got into several good universities in the UK, I chose UEA for several reasons.

I haven't regretted my decision, one bit.

When I arrived in UEA last year it was my first time in England and although things were new to me, ‘settling in' posed no problems to me whatsoever. Norwich is an incredibly friendly and safe town to live in, and with wonderful buildings from the middle-ages and the Norfolk broads weaving through it, it is beautiful too! After India, Norwich gives you the impression of living in a small-ish, quaint town but with plenty of the effervescence and energy one would experience in a large city. Shopping areas, good restaurants, charming old pubs, and gorgeous riverside walks are all abundant. Its location is fantastic too, being just 2 hours from London by train and with great coach connections as well. It pleased me that all my needs were taken care of within a 4-mile radius from campus, and also that anyone (boy or girl) can saunter/take a bus into the city centre at any time of day or night, without batting an eyelid.

My fundamental message for anyone coming to UEA is this: no matter where you're from, what your hobbies are, what you study etc, there is something for everyone here. It applies to Norwich as a city, and it applies to UEA. UEA has a fantastic set of resources and facilities for everyone. The library is now close to a million strong (books) and has innumerable study spaces and individual cubicles. Professors have always been friendly and welcoming, and courses are, almost without exception, engaging. Of course it would be unrealistic to say that every one of you will love every single aspect of life here, but the point is university life is a ‘package deal'. It's about the academic rigour of your course, but also it's about your social life, it's about having beauty around you, the quality of housing/food, and making sure you make the most from every moment of these fantastic years of your life.

And the ‘package deal', so to speak, is great at UEA. Your experience will be rounded and holistic. With a fantastic academic record and a strong research reputation [94% of UEA graduates were employed or in education within 6 months (‘09/'10)], with a 200 hectare campus comprising of woods and a stunning lake, with countless student societies, with job fairs and employment assistance, with student support and great accommodation, with a magnificent sports facility, and an intense schedule of gigs and concerts, you can pick and choose, or discover, the things that will make your university life meaningful, special and fun.

And if you're clear about those things, then UEA will do more than its bit to make sure you get what you're looking for.