Iris
Stefanidou

Tell us about youself...

Hi, my name is Iris Stefanidou, I’m from Greece and I graduated in December 2022 with my Master of Science in Advertising and Marketing Communications.

Why did you decide to come to NTU?

I initially decided to look for universities in Nottingham, because my brother had already recently moved here, so it was comforting to have a family member close by. Through my online research, I stumbled upon NTU’s website and to my surprise I discovered that they offered five different courses for Marketing, which I found ideal, as I wasn’t yet sure of what area of Marketing I wanted to pursue. So, having several options gave me the freedom to choose something closer to my interests rather than something more general. In addition, I was pleased with the university’s performance, in terms of awards and ranking.

What was your first impression of NTU and Nottingham?

My first impression was really positive. I found the university facilities beautiful and quite modern. I also liked the support and the willingness of the staff to provide me with all the help I needed. Being in a new city was definitely a bit scary and lonely at first, but I’m actually quite glad that my first experience in the UK was through Nottingham rather than a bigger city like London, because it’s such a warm and vibrant city with everything you need within walking distance. Whereas, when I later visited London for the first time, I felt a little overwhelmed with how far away everything was and how dependant you are on transport.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

What I really liked about my course, was the constant small group work we did in each class, as it helped us to open up more and talk to each other. I also liked the examination method through writing our own assignments, because although it was very challenging it taught me a lot of helpful things in the end, like how to critically analyse a topic or how to conduct a proper research analysis with reliable references and citations. Therefore, having to combine my thoughts with the theory of the course made a difference both in my writing skills and the ability to grasp each module in depth rather than learning theories and then forgetting everything the minute after the exam.

What do you think about the facilities you use for your course?

I liked that the university had many different places on campus to relax between breaks. My favourite building by far was the library, as I didn’t have access to similar ones before. It was perfect, because it provided a very motivated environment for studying, along with the necessary equipment such as computers. So, there were many times when I preferred to finish my work there rather than at home. Also, the library’s roof garden was one of my classic relaxing spots.

What do you think about the course staff?

In general, the course staff were very nice, but I couldn’t leave unnoticed the extra support and help I had from some of my teachers. I would like to say a special thank you to my loveliest supervisor Sue Diston who was so friendly and helped me every step of the way during my final project.

Have you been involved in any live projects or exciting briefs?

As part of my final coursework, I had the opportunity to work in a team and provide consultancy services to an existing company near Nottingham. It was a very interesting experience interacting with our clients and understanding what approaches to take, as well as how to work effectively as a team and deliver excellent results. It definitely helped me gain some experience in terms of professional interaction.

Where do you usually go during your free time?

During my free time I love to go and relax close to nature, so I often try and visit different places in Nottingham, such as the Arboretum, Wollaton park, the Trent River etc. Being closer to nature and escaping the busy city life is my go-to trick when I’m feeling stressed.

Do you go to the global lounge?

The Global Lounge was a place I would often end up either to make my coffee/tea or to play board games with my friends and chat. It has a very welcoming environment for the international students, and you can often find an event happening there.

Can you describe the support you get from NTU?

I’m glad that I had great support from the moment I decided to accept my offer with lots of information about preparing to come to the UK and throughout my course with various webinar opportunities on many useful topics. Even now as a postgraduate I continue to receive support from the Employability team on different areas around finding work in the UK.

What is Nottingham like for international students?

Nottingham is a very warm and vibrant city with everything you need within walking distance. Although it may seem like a small city, it will never bore you, as there are many cute places to explore. I’ve been leaving here for about 2 years now and I continue to be amazed by new restaurants or shopping. Because it has so many students sometimes it also feels like a huge campus, so there are plenty of fun activities you can find.

How was your experience living by yourself?

Although at first, I found it a bit overwhelming and lonely, along the way it helped me to grow and learn so many valuable things towards being independent and understanding myself better. It’s a life lesson that if you don’t experience it, you don’t really get it. I would advise future international students to take the step and get out of their comfort zone, because they’ll only come out of it as winners.

What’s it like making new friends/acquaintances at NTU?

That was one of the best parts of coming here. Once I started getting closer with friends, I really started to feel like this could become my second home and it made me reconsider my decision to try to get a job here, which I wasn’t sure about before. I met wonderful people from many different parts of the world, and it taught me a lot about how different things can work from what you’re used to back at home. Interacting in a multicultural environment really opens your mind and makes you re-evaluate a lot of things.