- Nicolae Muturniuc from the Republic of Moldova
- Kumiko Nishihira from Japan
- Kimberley Tan Kai Lin from Singapore
- Kalada Iyalla from Nigeria
- Dyne Kim from South Korea
- Quan Fan from China
The ISC student blog
Read the My life as an International student blog.
Meet Betul from Turkey and Alexandra from Bulgaria as they talk about what it is like to be a student at Lancaster.
Nicolae Muturniuc
Nicolae, 19, from Republic of Moldova, is studying on the Business & Management foundation year before starting a degree in International Trade.
"I decided to come to England to study because the universities here are good, and because I enjoy English accents. Also Great Britain is not so far away from my home country. I was looking for a British University outside a large city. I sent letters to a number of them but Lancaster responded the fastest. Lancaster is a big University and has a great rating. All this impressed me.
I like everything about the University now I am here. I’ve made lots of flat friends in my residence. I also met some Russian-speaking guys, but I try to speak English when I socialise to improve my English speaking skills.
In lessons, English seems easy although I do sometimes still make mistakes, but Maths is difficult. Economics is interesting.
I walked into Lancaster city centre last week – it is a long walk but a nice one. It is an old city with beautiful historical places. I read at article about Lancaster before I arrived in England and it made me want to come here – there are lots of places to see.
For my degree, I want to major in International Trade while continuing to study Marketing and Management. I think I will go back to Moldova after University."
Kumiko Nishihira
Kumiko, 18, from Japan is on the Law and Social Studies foundation course.
"My reason for coming to study in the UK is firstly that the language is English. I had thought to go to a Spanish-speaking country, but English was more familiar to me. Secondly, the UK is near by Europe, the Middle East and Africa and I would like to travel to countries in these areas. Lastly, the degree is three years in length – and you study just specialised subjects. On the other hand, at American or Japanese universities, you have to take two years of general subjects first.
I like the environment of the university. It is quite calm and there is lots of countryside. My room in the residences is larger than I expected and everything that I need is in my room. I also like having a phone (which are in all the rooms) so I can call my friends for free.
The English teachers at the International Study Centre are very friendly and enthusiastic for that reason I am normally enjoying my lessons.
After the foundation year, I would like to study Religious Studies because it relates to the study of human beings and I am curious about why we have so much religion as well as what we are going to do in the future."
Kimberley Tan Kai Lin
Kimberley, 19, from Singapore wants to start her own business and is currently studying on the Business & Management foundation course.
"I wanted to come to University in England because it is the best place for my education. I came to the country one month before the foundation year started. I love this country!
Classes at Lancaster are good. The teachers are very engaged in their teaching. The teachers explain things very clearly and I am very impressed with their teachings. The other staff are extremely helpful and friendly too.
The University is in a small city so it’s an ideal place for me – away from distractions and other temptations. My city in Singapore is really busy, and so Lancaster has definitely a better environment for study. I went into the city centre for the first time yesterday and it is nice - small, beautiful and friendly.
After the course, I want to study Management or Accounting and Finance for my degree. After I finish my study in England I will go back to work in Singapore. There is opportunity for me to get better jobs, plus the fact that Singapore values graduates from overseas. After gaining work experience, hopefully I am able to set up my own business."
Kalada Iyalla
Kalada, 23, from Nigeria, took the Business & Management foundation year and aims to take a Masters in Money, Banking & Finance.
"My family is big on education and prize UK education as the best in the world so I came to an English University.
I choose Lancaster because I wanted a place where I could focus on my degree and not be caught up too much with social life. It has done that for me - the University is not too noisy, but very student friendly. In addition the Management School is very prestigious and Lancaster is a beautiful city.
I’m really enjoying my time here. I can enjoy the landscape and nature but at the same time I am not cut-off from technology. It’s been a very interesting experience adapting to British culture, the accent and way of life.
Lessons are awesome – they are demanding but not boring. The classes are quite intense, like a refresher course. I have had chance to meet other nationalities and cultures. The teachers are extremely friendly and always there to help if you have a question or just want to chat. They are very smart.
I’m going to learn Italian this summer and I’m picking up some Chinese by interacting with other ISC students. My Mum speaks 11 languages and my Grandmother 13 so it’s a family tradition.
I want to study Finance at undergraduate level, then a Masters in Money, Banking & Finance. Eventually I’d like to open a group of companies operating around construction, legal and financial services. I’d also like to teach. I have a lot of plans!
Dyne Kim
Dyne, 20, from South Korea is also on the Business & Management foundation programme and will shortly be deciding which degree to persue.
"I’ve been in England for two years already – I studied at college and spent the other year travelling.
Previously, I was at University in Korea studying Computing but the course wasn’t what I expected. I decided to come to an English speaking country to improve my English. My cousin recommended England and the English accent is so posh! I choose Lancaster because the fame of the University tempted me a lot. Studying Management I can also get good skills such as Marketing.
I really like the University as it is very big. Coming to the International Study Centre motivates me to study. Being on campus, I see freshers and second years and that makes me want to do well so I can join them next year.
Economics and Maths are my favourite subjects. I like the teachers. When I had to extend my visa, the staff at the ISC helped me a lot to do this and checked everything for me.
Lancaster is now like my home town in England – I know everywhere to go.
Hopefully by the end of the Foundation Course, I will find an interesting subject that tempts me to get to know more. Then I will decide what I want to study for my degree, but it will probably be a course that includes business and management."
Quan (MC) Fan
MC, 18, from Ningbo in Zhejiang province, China, is on the Business & Management Foundation course and wants to study Finance and Accounting at undergraduate level.
"I choose to study abroad in England because it has a long history of education and because when I was a child I saw a television programme about the UK and it seemed like a nice culture with friendly people. Now I’m here, people are even more friendly than I’d imagined.
I’ve been in England for 8 months studying English Language in London. I also travelled around a little. I came to the University in September. Lancaster is a very nice city – it is different to London. Here you can see the mountains and it makes me relax.
The University is quite big and very nice. Both the students and teachers are friendly and the teachers try their best to help you if you need it.
Lessons at first were a little difficult. I’d never learnt some of the vocabulary before and some of the teachers spoke too quickly for me, but now it’s OK. We can check new vocabulary using a dictionary and the classes are fine. Economics is my favourite subject.
I want to study Finance and Accounting for my degree. I will go on with study after to do a Masters, hopefully in Lancaster too. Then I want to work in the UK to get 3 or 4 years experience before going back to China to help my parents with their company."