Pei-Chia
Pai

Pei-Chia has posted about her student experience on Dcard. Make sure to read more here.

Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from, and what course are you studying?

I come from Taiwan, a country full of delicious food and friendly people. I study MA Illustration at Nottingham Trent University. In school, I focused on children's picture books. I love travelling and painting very much. In addition, I like to understand the diverse cultures of different countries and to enrich my vision, I like making friends with people from all over the world.

What was your reason for choosing to study at NTU?

The first time when I met Dave, Nottingham Trent University’s representative for Taiwan, he was very kind and friendly in answering all my questions about this university. Later, based on the two following reasons, I chose this school for my advanced study. First, Sarah, the course leader of the Department of Illustration, specializes in children's picture books and is also a children's book author.

Second, I needed a quiet town to concentrate on my creation, and I found Nottingham could meet my requirements. It is a small and quiet city, but it has all the functions that a city should have. Owing to these reasons, I chose NTU.

What is your favourite thing about your course?

Although I studied in the Department of Illustration, some courses were studied with students from the Departments of Graphic Design and Branding Design. At the end of the semester, the three departments would hold a peer review. In the seminar, we shared works of students from different departments, inspired each other, gave comments, and grew together.

You were one of our scholarship winners! Congratulations! How did it feel to receive an award?

It's an honour to get this award. I will work harder and keep moving forward to prove that I deserve it.

How would you describe the student community at NTU?

Being in a diverse environment, the school has students and teachers from all over the world. In school, we respect each other and learn about different cultures. We also exchange learning experiences and living habits with each other to try to blend into the multi-faceted cultures. It was a very rare and precious experience that changed my personality and enhanced my horizon.

How is the food in Nottingham? Have you been able to find any cuisine from your home country? Do you have a favourite restaurant?

In Nottingham, there are many international restaurants which offer various food, such as Chinese food, Italian food, Korean food, French food, Japanese food, etc. Among them, I like Chinese food best. There is a Chinese restaurant called Man's, and Taiwanese students like to go there for a gathering.

What has been the best moment of your year at NTU?

Looking back, I could feel the congenial atmosphere of the school studio with beautiful natural lighting and a comfortable, cool breeze when everyone worked hard drawing for the final projects at the end of the semester. We encouraged each other, studied together, and comforted each other when we were frustrated with the heavy work. That is a sweet lifetime memory. I will miss it forever.

Finally, if you could give some 'top tips' to future NTU students, what would they be?

If you want to have a complete ‘new you’, you must wring yourself out like a sponge when you first come to the UK. Put aside your existing prejudices to absorb knowledge as much as you can and fully enjoy your studies here.

Time flies. You will be glad you made the most of this year to gain knowledge. During your study journey, there will be some setbacks, but this is the only way for you to grow. Just keep going. You will find you have gained a lot, exceeding your expectations at the end of the year. Looking back on the learning process this year, I am very grateful to those who helped me during my stay at NTU. Thanks for everything.