Lingyu
Li

Since 2016, NTU has continued to develop their relationship with the Communication University of China (CUC) by delivering joint postgraduate courses in Beijing. Lingyu studied at CUC in her first year, taught by NTU academics, and then came to NTU to complete her second year.

What made you choose to study at NTU, and in the UK?

“NTU is one of the best universities for journalism in Britain, and the UK has a long history in journalism.”

What do you enjoy most about your course at NTU?

“I really enjoy learning how to make news more interesting. I also enjoy our news days, where everyone has to choose a newsworthy topic, interview people, and deliver a news programme within 7 hours.”

Why did you choose to do a dual degree?

“I choose to do dual degree because I felt that it might give me a higher chance of getting a better job.”

What do you think about the course staff?

“All of the lecturers and technical staff are very friendly and patient, and they help us solve all kinds of problems, such as giving us opportunities to make friends with local students. Some of my classmates said that our lecturer Carole Fleming is like our British mother.”

What do you think about the facilities available to you?

“The library provides enough space and resources for us, and we can borrow cameras and tripods and edit our videos in the CBJ building. All our course needs are satisfied.”

As an international student, what do you like about studying and living in Nottingham?

“Nottingham is an amazing city. This city is small but there are lots of interesting activities waiting to be discovered. People are friendly and they don’t have a strong accent, which makes it easy for international students. The cost of living is lower than London, and we can easily take the bus or train to visit other British cities.”

Why would you recommend your course / NTU to someone looking to study MA Broadcast Journalism?

“This course gives us lots of practical opportunities and it closely relates our work to the work of real journalists. Also, it teaches us how to find news stories and do investigative journalism, which gives us a more competitive edge when we apply for a job.

“You’ll also learn how to publish one story on different platforms, such as online, radio, and video. I do believe this course will progress my career.”

Have you completed any work placements?

“I did a one-week work placement at Notts TV, a local news TV station in Nottingham. I got to choose from many news topics every morning and discuss how to approach it, and what kind of questions to ask the interviewee. Then, I would go out with a professional journalist to cover the stories. I learned a lot, such as techniques to make news more interesting.”

Lingyu’s experience on the Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course

How was your experience of PEAP, and how do you think it helped to prepare you for your course at NTU?

“I completed a 30-week PEAP course, which was very useful for essay writing. For example, we learned how to use citations, and how to convey different ideas through our essay. The course staff are all friendly and responsible, and they explained the course content clearly.

“Doing the PEAP course at CUC before coming to NTU helped me to familiarise myself with English culture, and also to improve my English before coming here, especially my oral and written English.”