Students' and Parents' Experiences
Impressions of a Malaysian Student
Entering university life can be potentially daunting especially when you´re so used to being under close supervision and the company of the people you love the most. We all know what a cliché it is: the loneliness of being away from home and the inconsolable homesickness. This is even more so when you´re coming halfway around the globe on a 13-hour flight and suddenly the climate becomes dreadfully cold and everyone speaks a different language. I am fortunate that the latter is not a major difficulty as English has always been a second language in our multilingual Malaysian society. However, being in a totally new country is indeed quite a challenge and that challenge must be undertaken with perseverance and optimism.
When I first arrived here I can still remember the Arts Tower gleaming in the night sky as if greeting all the new students to the University. Having seen it only from pictures before, it does look shorter than I imagined. It is one of the most interesting buildings I´ve ever been to. You are probably wondering why: it´s the paternoster lift, which has no doors! I just can't believe such a thing exists. You just have to jump in to get up the 18-floors of the Tower. Rest assured, it is a safe and quick way to get up and down the floors.
The University provides you with many facilities and services. The Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) for example, is remarkably good. They can help you with just about anything! They even helped me find my file (which contains important documents) when I misplaced it in the University. You also find that you get a lot of other services such as English classes. Basically, the University is committed to ensuring the welfare of international students.
Making new friends in the university is one of the first big hurdles that you have to go through. I found that the home students are not really that aloof, contrary to what I´ve heard. Apart from home students, I have friends from Italy, Poland, China, Kenya and France. The University of Sheffield is truly international.
Sheffield is not only a great place to study. It has vibrant cultural life too. West Street often stays alive into the small hours of the night and Tesco (a food shop)opens 24 hours on weekdays. At Halloween, the Sheffield City Council organises a party and fun fairs which are fantastic! Besides that, Sheffield´s art galleries often hold amazing exhibitions, ranging from architecture to modern art.
The 100-year-old University has consistently been highly ranked, especially for Architecture and Engineering. It is always stimulating to be taught by leaders of academia - they always inspire you with their passion and brilliance. Without a doubt I am proud to say that I am from The University of Sheffield.
Ihsan Hassan
Structural Engineering and Architecture
First Year