Hello, I am Yangyi, an international student from China currently in my final year of my Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Birmingham. Actually, I am taking part in a 2+2 programme between the University of Birmingham and Wuhan University of Technology (WHUT) in China, which means I have studied two years in WHUT and continue to study two years at Birmingham starting last September. So, now is my second year in School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham. I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to share my experiences at UoB and hope it will be interesting and useful for you!
The first time I knew about the 2+2 programme between UoB and my previous university I knew it was a great opportunity for me. I was always considering and seeking a suitable opportunity to study overseas. The initial reason I was attracted to the idea of studying abroad was the same most international students – to experience different cultures and hope to enjoy a more advanced education system and so on. Compared to other universities I could choose to exchange at, I found the University of Birmingham has more organized and interesting course content and is ranked highly around the world. Honestly, my initial plan was to study abroad after finishing my Bachelor’s degree, however, things don’t always work out as planned. The better opportunity came and I decided to seize it.
After managing to apply for the programme and have the documents needed, I finally came to Birmingham on the 17th of September in 2017. During the welcome week, I found some other Chinese students from different Chinese Universities taking part in the same programme and we gradually became good friends.
My time at the University has passed quickly, now I am sitting in the library lounge and looking back upon my last academic year in Birmingham considering what aspects I would include in the future blogs.
There are many points worth mentioning, but one thing I am sure is that I have gained much more than I expected in the past year. I cannot deny that I chose to take part in this 2+2 program for a few practical purposes initially – an extra experience studying overseas and a UK degree would probably make me more competitive when applying for further study after graduating. The many different people from the various backgrounds as well as the international and liberal environment around the University has provided me with a great experience. I really appreciate my parents for supporting me to study here. Apart from what I mentioned above, most importantly, I think the diversified study and life here gives me more time to reflect on myself, my own life and what I would like to do in the future.
Look out for my next blog which will be posted next month!
View of Old Joe from the canal that runs right next to the Uni!
Outside Aston Webb – one of prettiest places on campus.