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A look back at my first semester as a Chinese student at ARU

Dixuan Xie

Faculty: Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
School: Cambridge School of Art
Course: MA Children's Book Illustration
Category: Art and design

5 January 2023

Finally, after handing in all my assignments, I have time to share with you my experience of my first semester at ARU, which I hope can give you some reference.

Before coming to the UK, my biggest concern was communication with everyone. I was worried that my lack of communication in English would affect my studies or that I would not be able to communicate with my classmates. However, the University offers international students a great deal of help. There are group English tutorials and the lecturers in my major help me with how to prepare my presentation and how to write an essay in English.

The lecturers are very accommodating to international students, and they do their best to make sure that each student understands what is being said. They also listen patiently to your ideas during the one-to-one tutorials. The University also has an International Student Office, which goes a long way to helping students solve problems in an unfamiliar environment and allowing you to concentrate on your studies.

Aside from studying, the most important aspect that you may be concerned about is your daily life. Cambridge is not a big city and there is no metro, so the bus will take care of most of your travel needs. You can also buy a bicycle, which will make your life much easier to get around.

There are many Chinese supermarkets and Chinese restaurants in Cambridge, there are Chinese supermarkets and restaurants near ARU campus. In the Chinese supermarkets you can buy almost all the spices and specialities you would use in China, so you don't have to worry about getting used to the food.

Cambridge has a beautiful environment, so you can get out and about and enjoy the natural surroundings when you are not studying. The River Cam surrounds the city and sometimes just walking along the paths along the river will put you in a good mood. There are also many scenic towns close to Cambridge, such as Ely, which is an hour away by train and is a great place to take a day trip to at the weekend. There are often various fairs or city events in Cambridge, such as the fireworks festival or the Christmas market, where you can get a better idea of the city's cultural charm.

All in all, Cambridge is a great city to live and study in, and I hope that my sharing has given you a new insight into the city and that you have a great time studying at ARU!

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of Anglia Ruskin University. If you've got any concerns please contact us.