Vlada
Fursa

Why did you choose NTU and this course?

I paid a lot of attention to how much support I would be provided with if I did not understand something. NTU has been awarded TEF Gold for teaching and was well-known for academic support based on previous students’ opinions. I also looked at how modern it is and what facilities it had.

I had an International Year One at Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) and then transferred into the second year of NTU. When I entered NTIC, my choice of NTU course was between Computer Science and Software Engineering. I chose BSc (Hons) Computer Science because it had AI and Cloud modules that seemed interesting to me.

What has stood out about NTU?

The number of facilities, opportunities and various events really stood out for me.

During my course, my favourite event was the annual Hack-a-Duck hackathon, where you test your determination, problem-solving and creativity to present a solution for a company or work on your own idea. Hack-a-Duck was my first hackathon experience and now I keep actively participating in hackathons.

In my second year I attended the Tech Show in London and was able to listen to the Big Data & AI World lecture by Oracle. It was a valuable experience to gain new insight into challenges brought by AI.

What stands out for me is that I can truly say that everyone can find something that suits their interests while at NTU. For example, apart from studies, I actively attended NTU gym and participated in class sessions. The gym subscription was very affordable.

My course allowed me to be Microsoft Azure certified for free. With this opportunity I earned an Azure AI Fundamentals certificate.

I think the most interesting event is Global Week, where you can get acquainted with various cultures, learn interesting facts about them and try national food.

What was the favourite thing about your course?

It is hard to highlight a specific part, as I loved all of my course. Whenever I needed help, I felt supported. The members of staff were very attentive. I really liked that module feedback was taken into consideration and actions were taken based on it. Another thing to mention is that I could choose optional modules that interested me during my second and third years.

Have you taken part in any clubs/societies/mentoring? What has that involved?

Yes, I was a part of the Eastern European and Central Asian Society. It was mostly meet ups with people from my area of origin.

I also worked as a student ambassador and survey assistant at NTU via Unitemps. I really enjoyed being an ambassador to help students make their decision about choosing NTU.

How have you found Nottingham as a student city?

I found Nottingham really good. It has a huge range of student accommodations to choose from, options for every budget.  Also, the commuting between campuses is convenient - bus 4 that stops on campus and is every 10-15 minutes. Nottingham has loads of cafes, restaurants and shops to choose from.

Have you felt supported through your studies?

Yes, I actively visited the employability team to craft a CV, cover letters and to have a final look before submitting any applications. If I had any issues, I always contacted members of the course staff and they responded fast.

Any visa related questions were solved by the international support team.

Why did you want to study in the UK?

The UK is well-known for its universities and their prestige. UK diplomas are coveted all over the world. Another reason is language. I already knew English at a high level (C1). Apart from that, I would not have a language barrier in my day-to-day life in the UK.

Is NTU a good place for international students to study?

Yes, as it offers versatile help for international students. For example, there was a lecture on how to find a part-time job in the UK. We were given details of working on student visa rules, mentioned popular job boards and other useful information.

There are many events from NTU’s Global Lounge; for example, there were sessions where staff gave advice on how to overcome homesickness and explained all psychological stages of moving to a new country. With the help of NTU, I didn’t feel lost in a new country.