December 15, 2016, by International students

Meet our Student Callers: Mohataz from Bangladesh

Mohataz with an aspiration of flying high at The University of Nottingham

If you hold an offer to study at The University of Nottingham, you might be lucky enough to receive a call from one of our student callers. Mohataz has been speaking to students in his home country Bangladesh and other Asian countries about life at Nottingham.

Why did you choose to study at Nottingham?

My research interest in architecture and the very relevant research group at The University of Nottingham were my initial inspiration in choosing this university. The University of Nottingham is one of the member institutions of The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). Hence receiving the commonwealth PhD Scholarship at this university made me determined to start my doctoral research journey in Nottingham. Moreover, I fell in love with the main campuses of The University of Nottingham while I watched the video on the university website. I admit I found the campuses are more beautiful than in the video.

What is your favourite thing about living in Nottingham?

My favourite bit is the peaceful life in Nottingham where I can really focus on my studies. I can live a balanced life by choosing from a range of choices offered by this city. Nottingham is a city with its own city centre. Hence, I have a choice to either be a part of the vibrant city life or enjoy the quieter countryside life within a 10 to 15 minute travel distance by bus. The transport system is quite convenient and very cheap (i.e. only £1 for students). The free hopper bus service among the university campuses is the added handiness. In terms of living cost, Nottingham offers a range of options while choosing a perfect student accommodation. I live in an area which is only 5minute bus ride to city centre and 5 minutes free hopper bus ride to the University Park campus. This made my life much convenient. Due to Nottingham’s central location (i.e. midland) in the UK, I can travel to anywhere in the UK very frequently, visit architectural sites and do photography. I can go to London anytime since it only takes around 1 hour 40 minutes by train and around 3 hours by coach. I also enjoy the old architecture and the scenic beauty including lakes and canals of the city.

A view of Nottingham Canal near the Nottingham railway station

Where is your favourite place in Nottingham, and why?

My favourite area in Nottingham is the Highfields Park Lake, just beside of the University Park campus. It got a splendid view with the Trent Building, one of the oldest buildings in the campus. I always find pleasure spending my time here during my break to enjoy the scenic water-body and the beautiful wildlife with swans and geese on the lake. Since I grew up with a strong empathy for the animals, this convenient place always provides me that experience with an inner peace. The lakeside art centre and art museum here also provide me with the additional exposure to art and culture.

The Highfields Park boating lake beside the University

Where is your favourite place to eat out in Nottingham, and why?

Well, I have limited experience of eating out in Nottingham. However, I would like to mention about the central plaza of the city centre where I always find new temporary outdoor restaurant and street foods being served along the Lace market. Almost all the year round this public plaza has different theme (e.g. Sea side concept, winter wonderland, Christmas amusement, etc.). I like to explore the different kind of foods here. I also like to mention the Wagamama, Cosmo and other chain restaurants of the UK where I hang out with friends on some special occasions. I also like the outdoor area of the Mooch bar and restaurant of the University Park in Nottingham.

Lots of foods and activities at the city centre of Nottingham

Are you part of any societies?

Yes. I am a member of photography society in the University of Nottingham. In the last academic year, I was also a member secretary of the society. I always enjoy to be a part of this society and relish the travelling together for photography with some like-minded students. Night photography in goose fair and city centre, wild life photography in Nottingham were the best experiences. The student union of this university is pretty vibrant during term time and I enjoy the social life of it.

Night photography with the photo society

What’s the most frequently asked question students ask you, and what advice do you give them?

The usual questions students ask till now are about the availability of international food a in Nottingham. In these cases, I always mention that Nottingham has many supermarkets and restaurants where students can find a range of selection of country specific food items. There is area in Nottingham called Hyson Green where many Asian foods and spices can be found.

What’s your number one tip for international/EU students coming to Nottingham?

Being a resident tutor of one the off campus student accommodations, I must suggest that students should sort out their accommodations as early as possible before or immediately after arriving in Nottingham. Student may use the social media or student portals to find out relevant information and reviews on the student accommodations. Since, Nottingham has a lot of options about the accommodation (e.g. in-campus catered hall, off-campus self-catered hall and private student accommodation) and students must choose the accommodation type according to their way of life they want to live in Nottingham.

In front of Nottingham sign, University Park Campus

What are you hoping to do after you graduate/finish your course?

I would like to do international collaborations between UK and other countries so that I can continue doing my research within my field of expertise. Hence my main role besides my doctoral studies here at the moment is to get enough experiences and to enhance my interpersonal skills. Moreover, teaching undergraduate and post graduate students in the field of architecture and pursuing research based design for greener future are my also in my career agenda.

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