My name is Aishah Zaini and I am 23 years old. I am studying for a Bachelor in Investment Management (Hons). When I joined MSU, I had targeted to join the University's Global Mobility Program (GMP) to give myself the chance to study abroad. I believed this experience would give me wider perspectives of learning environments and systems.
Living in another country for months isn’t as easy as travelling for 2 weeks’ vacation, people say, and it is indeed right. But it has opened up a whole new level of perceptions about culture, standard of education, and the ability of our own mind. Four months seem short now (it was), but it exposed me to a lot of new things, new environments, and new ideas.
The people
Even the first word I heard from many as soon as I entered Priory Hall (my student accommodation) shocked me by how welcoming they were.
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
The word “Hi” by strangers made me think... Have I ever stopped just to say "hi" to people?
It made me feel so welcomed despite the difference in culture and religion. At that moment I realized that these 4 months will be an unforgettable moment in my life and that this global university experience will lead me to a better me and better skills to face the world. This experience will also give me the chance to introduce our own culture to the rest of the world.
Arriving in the UK
I arrived in the UK on 23rd September 2016 with my two friends, Ismail and Ilyana. The 11-hour flight made us very tired but as soon as we stepped out of the airport the wind blew and sparked joy in our hearts. It made me realize that we were finally there but also, so far from home. The weather was 10 degrees Celsius, which was fine with us as we had anticipated it to be worse, given that winter was around the corner.
Meeting new friends
The first week of university life there was very fun. I met a lot of new friends, and not just among the English people but also with students from all around the world: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The orientation week exposed me to a lot of new experiences. I learned about other cultures as everyone told everyone else about his or her home country. I learned new, basic language of other countries and made a lot of new contacts!
Studying at Coventry University
All three of us took different subjects as we are on different courses. I was excited to enter my first class which went very well. Everyone was welcoming, greeting me warmly and making me feel at home. In my first week of classes, the lecturers talked about the grading system, which is a little different from Malaysia’s. As I had anticipated this way before coming to the UK, I was ready for any circumstances coming our way during our study in the UK. The lecturers were really good, and their emphasis on the global market added depth to what I had learned at MSU. Thanks to the MSU Global Mobility Program (GMP), the learning experience benefited me tenfold.
The food
During Christmas break, I got the chance to try a Christmas dinner. As it was a catered accommodation where we three stayed, the University served us a Christmas dinner! I really enjoyed the meal. The best I’ve tried on the fare was its Yorkshire Pudding – it was so good that I googled the recipe to make Yorkshire pudding myself! Luckily, during the winter break, my family came and I had another Christmas dinner at a family friend’s house! There goes another countless round of Yorkshire pudding!
Beautiful Coventry
Coventry is a very beautiful small town that has everything in there. You can go anywhere easily as the buses and trains are very near, just like the shopping centre is. London’s just an hour and a half away by train! We can walk to anywhere around Coventry. It has breath-taking scenery and the most beautiful cathedral in the centre of town! Its people are very friendly. Their warmness put me so much at home. It made me feel so safe staying there. I’d really love to have fellow MSUrians experience the same thing, staying so far away in the UK yet feeling so much at home. I’ve been saying this so many times because it really does make you feel so. And you’ll never regret going on the Global Mobility Program (GMP), I can guarantee you that!
My name is Aishah Zaini and I am 23 years old. I am studying for a Bachelor in Investment Management (Hons). When I joined MSU, I had targeted to join the University's Global Mobility Program (GMP) to give myself the chance to study abroad. I believed this experience would give me wider perspectives of learning environments and systems.
Living in another country for months isn’t as easy as travelling for 2 weeks’ vacation, people say, and it is indeed right. But it has opened up a whole new level of perceptions about culture, standard of education, and the ability of our own mind. Four months seem short now (it was), but it exposed me to a lot of new things, new environments, and new ideas.
The people
Even the first word I heard from many as soon as I entered Priory Hall (my student accommodation) shocked me by how welcoming they were.
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
The word “Hi” by strangers made me think... Have I ever stopped just to say "hi" to people?
It made me feel so welcomed despite the difference in culture and religion. At that moment I realized that these 4 months will be an unforgettable moment in my life and that this global university experience will lead me to a better me and better skills to face the world. This experience will also give me the chance to introduce our own culture to the rest of the world.
Arriving in the UK
I arrived in the UK on 23rd September 2016 with my two friends, Ismail and Ilyana. The 11-hour flight made us very tired but as soon as we stepped out of the airport the wind blew and sparked joy in our hearts. It made me realize that we were finally there but also, so far from home. The weather was 10 degrees Celsius, which was fine with us as we had anticipated it to be worse, given that winter was around the corner.
Meeting new friends
The first week of university life there was very fun. I met a lot of new friends, and not just among the English people but also with students from all around the world: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The orientation week exposed me to a lot of new experiences. I learned about other cultures as everyone told everyone else about his or her home country. I learned new, basic language of other countries and made a lot of new contacts!
Studying at Coventry University
All three of us took different subjects as we are on different courses. I was excited to enter my first class which went very well. Everyone was welcoming, greeting me warmly and making me feel at home. In my first week of classes, the lecturers talked about the grading system, which is a little different from Malaysia’s. As I had anticipated this way before coming to the UK, I was ready for any circumstances coming our way during our study in the UK. The lecturers were really good, and their emphasis on the global market added depth to what I had learned at MSU. Thanks to the MSU Global Mobility Program (GMP), the learning experience benefited me tenfold.
The food
During Christmas break, I got the chance to try a Christmas dinner. As it was a catered accommodation where we three stayed, the University served us a Christmas dinner! I really enjoyed the meal. The best I’ve tried on the fare was its Yorkshire Pudding – it was so good that I googled the recipe to make Yorkshire pudding myself! Luckily, during the winter break, my family came and I had another Christmas dinner at a family friend’s house! There goes another countless round of Yorkshire pudding!
Beautiful Coventry
Coventry is a very beautiful small town that has everything in there. You can go anywhere easily as the buses and trains are very near, just like the shopping centre is. London’s just an hour and a half away by train! We can walk to anywhere around Coventry. It has breath-taking scenery and the most beautiful cathedral in the centre of town! Its people are very friendly. Their warmness put me so much at home. It made me feel so safe staying there. I’d really love to have fellow MSUrians experience the same thing, staying so far away in the UK yet feeling so much at home. I’ve been saying this so many times because it really does make you feel so. And you’ll never regret going on the Global Mobility Program (GMP), I can guarantee you that!