Ha Xuan
Thuy

I’m from Da Nang, a small city in the middle of Vietnam. Before I joined Nottingham Business School, I was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Da Nang for three years in the Department of Banking. I heard about Nottingham Business School through a Facebook group I joined of Vietnamese students in the United Kingdom. I asked about strong universities for postgraduate finance programmes and they recommended Nottingham Business School.

When choosing a university to study at, I was looking for a programme that would help me with my immediate future career ambition; to become a lecturer at the University of Da Nang. To achieve this, I had three main requirements of the University; relevant course modules, available scholarships and a great level of service, all of which were provided by Nottingham Business School.

Consultancy Project

One of the unique options offered to Nottingham Business School students is a Consultancy Project during your studies where you work on a real life business issue for a company and present your findings to senior members of the company. For my Consultancy Project, I worked with a locally based engineering company to develop a finance/lease model for their products to take to market.

My team was made up of students from all over the world meaning I had to develop skills such as effective communication and working in a team. The great benefit of this experience is that it gives you real insight and responsibility of what it’s like to work on a live project in the business world.

Scholarships

I applied for a scholarship and received a 50% reduction in fees to help with funding my studies. What makes Nottingham Business School’s scholarship scheme different from others is the simple application process and the fact they don’t just look at your academic history, but take a wider view. I found that the questions were focused on finding worthy candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences.

Nottingham

I was attracted to Nottingham because it’s quiet, safe and it’s very well located in the middle of England. In addition, the campus is located in the city centre meaning you really are at the centre of everything. During my time here, I had the opportunity to travel around the United Kingdom visiting York and Cambridge which were both easy to get to from Nottingham.

Facilities and Classes

Nottingham Trent University has invested a lot of money in its facilities and this is something that really makes the University stand out for me. I particularly like the 24-hour access to the Boots Library, especially as I work part-time and need to fit my study time around my job.

The classes here are very interactive. Students are encouraged to speak and develop ideas in a group. I found that back home, students spent a lot of time listening, where here you are encouraged to be actively involved and develop your points of view. A great aspect of studying here with students from all over the world is that you develop a strong global network which can be really useful as you move into the professional world.

Unique Opportunities

This year, I had the unique opportunity to be part of Nottingham in Parliament Day. I was part of a small team that presented solutions to a multi-million Pound local government transportation issue to Members of Parliament and decision makers in the Government.

Working

I also work part-time here in Nottingham at a local restaurant. This has exposed me to the English culture and made me more confident when conversing in English and understanding more about the English way of life.