Experiences of Studying in Southampton

Time:2011-06-06 11:21:56 Clicks:

24th, September 2009, it will always be a special day for me, it is the day that I left for Britain to enjoy my abroad studying life.
I have applied for the 3+1 visiting programme in our school with the University of Southampton in UK which made me feel that I was at the right place as well as at the right time of my life. Before I arrived there, I can imagine that it must be a lovely seaside city and I was very expecting for living and studying abroad. After this one year study in the University of Southampton, I do feel learnt a lot from the abroad experience and all the people and affairs I met have given me a deep impression.
The lecturers are really good and willing to help in any way they can. The halls are great and I have made friends for life with those I have been living with. There is lot's of activities going on at the Student Union Centre. The life is great with loads of places to go and plenty of shopping at City Centre.

With the first impression of Southampton being the starting point of Titanic, I came to this peaceful and charismatic harbour city, experiencing its remarkable temperament, which I later concluded as vitality out of quietness. Stretching itself along the southern coast of Great Britain, the city of Southampton possesses its own fascinating features, such as, typical temperate marine climate, pure and fresh atmosphere, and the sense of being closer to the works of God.

In spite of the fact that it is not a so-called modernistic metropolitan and lacking in skyscrapers, Southampton still turns out to be a good choice in terms of traveling, or at least, will never disappoint you.

During one-year staying here, I have been fairly infatuated with this special coastal city, looking forward to paying it endless visits in the future.

My recreational activities worthy to be mentioned include hanging out with amiable friends, being indulged myself with vigorous music in clubs, enjoying unimaginable 3D movies in well-equipped cinemas and going shopping in the flourishing city centre.

There are hundreds of clubs and societies in the school which really broad my horizon, besides some normal societies such as debating society, investment society, sports society , there are so many societies that you will never imagine in a Chinese university, to illustrate, acrobatics society, sky-diving society and even gay & lesbian society, you can join any of them as long as you are interested, they will organize some activities regularly and inform you by email, you can absolute enjoy the societies in your leisure time.

There is a society I found a lot of fun is the Southampton University Christian Union (SUCU). They will organize an activity called "international café” every Monday evening and attract you by providing free snacks and coffee, the organizers will talk about some Bible stories with you and you totally do not need to worry about your poor English because most people attend it are not native speaker.

I also attended the Chinese Student Scholarship Association which known as the CSSA, I was the entertainment officer there and I am honored to be a member of it. In the CSSA, we basically do everything we can to help with the Chinese students in Southampton and organize many activities to let the Chinese students get to know each other better. In the CSSA, I experienced a totally different working method compared with the student work in china which really benefited me a lot.

Maybe the dormitory is the place where I spent most time in; our accommodation was provided by the university, seven students share a flat, usually we stayed in our own rooms but I’d like to talk with my flat mates, I’ve got five flatmates from the England and one from Saudi Arabia, we can talk and live in harmony although we have different backgrounds. Almost all of the foreign students are polite and friendly, we used to chat and play games in the kitchen (which is the common room for all of us) or went to the pub together, it was a great fun to stay with those guys. Since I choose the “self-catered” type of accommodation, I have to cook myself; therefore, sharing cooking skills with my flatmates is another pleasure thing in my accommodation life. Anyway, learning how to get along with foreign classmates and communicate with them is crucial in the abroad life.

Once I was ill and have to stay in my room alone, wrapped in my cocoon of loneliness and pain, that was the most difficult time for me; fortunately, some classmates from JXUFE who came to UK with me gave me a hand at that moment. I cannot imagine how lonely and miserable my life would be if without them.

Since it was the first time that I left home for such a long time, I do miss my family and friends a lot, especially during the Spring Festival and the National Day. Internet becomes the most important tool for me to contact with them and the place I update with my home country.

During the two semesters, I have traveled many places in UK and some other Europe countries, I have experienced how the westerners do their researches and enjoy their lives which are worth learning for me, and I have decided to continue my postgraduate program in University of Southampton for the following academic year. I have already fall in love with this lovely place.

2006級國際商務2班 劉陽