February 5, 2016, by International students

Meet our Student Callers: Jingjing from China

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 international students. Chinese student Jingjing is studying a PhD in the School of Education. She shares her tips for international students.

Why did you choose to study at Nottingham?

Most of  my friends chose UoN because it has a high academic and research reputation around the world. The most important reason for me is the people I work with. I have a great PhD supervisor so I followed her to Nottingham. The school I am working in is a leading educational research centre in UK providing students with tremendous support. Here teachers and colleagues respect you for your ambition and professionalism, regardless of your background.

What is your favourite thing about living in Nottingham?

I really enjoy my life in Nottingham because this city attracts students from a variety of countries. This has made my life experience richer for that I have the opportunity to make so many great friends from all over the world. I feel so grateful for living in this international city.

Where is your favourite place in Nottingham, and why?

My favourite place in Nottingham is Wollaton Park. It is a deer park and home of Wollaton Hall, Nottingham Natural History Museum and Nottingham Industrial Museum near our university. I enjoy walking and jogging around our beautiful campus and Wollaton Park.

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

There are lots of great places to eat out in Nottingham. But my favourite place is COSMO in Nottingham city centre where you can choose what you like to eat. I like its global banquet options, especially authentic oriental food. It is quite cheap for students to eat out with our friends.

Are you part of any societies?

I am part of Latin, Ballroom and Salsa (LBSS). It is a lot of fun to learn all the dances and attend competitions among universities. LBSS is the perfect society where you can learn Waltz, Quickstep, Cha Cha, Jive, Samba, Salsa and etc. I enjoy dancing and believe Dancesport is a great way to keep fit.

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

The most frequent question from students is where to live in our university, or how is the accommodation on campus. In our campus, we have self-catered halls offering the independence of cooking for yourself and catered halls including the cost of food in the fees. I am living in one of the catered halls and recommend this to our fresher undergrads.

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

For international students, I would say: Please do not let homesickness get you down after arrival. Get involved in all kinds of activities held by the Students’ Union and International Office. Try to learn the culture of the community that you live or work in and make more friends.

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

I hope to contribute concretely to positive educational changes in China. I would like to have a career as an academic in a top university back in my country, sharing with my students the experience that I have had in UK.

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