International Student Ambassadors: Lutfiah from Indonesia

Lutfiah is an Indonesian student who is studying BSc Chemical Engineering with Environmental Engineering Why did you choose the University of Nottingham? I chose the University of Nottingham mainly because of my current course. The university is one of the very few institutions in the world that offers Environmental Engineering in the Chemical Engineering department, …

Meet our Student Callers: Frida from Indonesia

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. Indonesian student Frida is in her final year of an undergraduate degree in Biology. Why did you choose to study at Nottingham? I’m lucky enough to have a brother that’s also …

#FreedomToBreathe: Campaign for Indonesia’s smoke disaster

Recently, there was a huge forest fire in Indonesia. It happened on some of the big islands in Indonesia such as Borneo, Sumatera, Nusa Tenggara and many more. Several years ago, these fires became an issue in Indonesia, but not as huge as this time. It is a huge problem because the smoke is starting …

Dealing with English writing: CELE consultation

As an overseas student whose first language is not English, I found that writing, especially in academia, was not an easy job. In UK universities, most courses give essay assignments. I saw that some people have been used to writing since they were a child, which is good because in my opinion, writing also builds critical …

Academic culture shock: how to handle it

Last year, I arrived in the UK to get a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics before starting my MSc Economics and Econometrics course. I hadn’t done any economics modules previously, so that is why I had to take the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Economics. To be honest, at first I knew nothing about academic culture in …

Tips for finding Halal food in Nottingham

Beginning a journey in a place that you are not familiar with is a tough challenge. I come from Indonesia which is quite far from UK, 14-hours long flight and several hours of road trip to Nottingham are not a big issue considering the obstacles that you have to face one year ahead in a …

Eid al-Adha in Nottingham

Eid al-adha is the one of two most important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year. It is distinct from Eid Al-Fitr. While Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan when Muslims break their month-long fast, this festival marks the end of Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. This festival involves animal sacrifice as a symbol and honors the …

What to expect during your first month in the UK

I remember the euphoria and all the hectic activity when I was getting ready to go and finally came to UK one year ago. Excited, worried, anxious, all those feelings are mixed. Will I be able to adapt in a totally unfamiliar environment, where the weather is extremely different, people speak a different language, have …

Eid al-Fitr in Nottingham

Eid al-Fitr (also known as Id al-Fitr or Eid ul-Fitr) falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar. It marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan and the start of a feast that lasts up to three days, depends on the countries. This day is recognised from the astronomical estimate from the …

What I learned from the Nottingham Advantage Award IT Consultancy Project

As I said in my previous blog post, before I came to the UK, I had never taken part in any volunteer programmes. Why? Because my background is in IT, while the main problems in my home country (Indonesia) are related to social issues, health, education, and the economy. I did not know how to …