Dreaming Among Spires

Choosing Oxford Brookes

My decision to enrol at Oxford Brookes was a strategic one. I have family living in Oxfordshire, and this would make my time in the UK much easier, as I would be guided and helped by people who would be nearby.

Additionally, a joint honours programme was offered, and so I enrolled for the Business Management and Sociology course. A Level results were not as good as I had hope and so Brookes offered me a place in their Foundation programme, and so instead of coming in September, I arrived in the UK in the winter semester in January.
 

Flying into darkness

I arrived around 2 in the afternoon, and by the time my uncle had driven me from Heathrow to Oxfordshire, the sun had already set. This was the first shock to my system. I had been to the UK before on a summer school trip so the chilly weather was no surprise, but being in pitch darkness just after 4 in the afternoon certainly was. Coming from Zimbabwe and having lived in Zambia, I was accustomed to the sun setting slowly between 5.30-7.00pm. My relatives assured me this would not be the case for too much longer and that spring was just a few months away.

I went into Oxford City Centre a few times in the week before Freshers’ Week, getting used to the public transport system and learning where all the shops were, as well as my route to the campus. So, by the time I was full registered for my program, the idea of a 4pm sunset became less foreign, although it still took me off-guard well into February.

Spring came around a bit slower than my family had stated, but when it did arrive, I enjoyed observing the spring blossoms gradually blooming. The UK is stereotypically grey and miserable, particularly when it rains, but beauty can always be found by eyes that seek it.

I had also met people from many different cultures and eaten from different foods and began to appreciate the UK’s cultural diversity. The sun was setting a little bit later and so I got to see how colourful a sunset can be in Oxford.
 

Adapting to more Technology

The technology in the UK is far more advanced than in Southern Africa, and so my next task was getting used to being on a laptop or phone for a few more hours than I was accustomed to, but for any Gen Z student, this is not difficult. Observing the efficiency of new programmes helped me organise my university work more effectively.

Being an international student means not only learning the content of your degree, but learning a new culture and a new technology and data set. While this can feel overwhelming for some, I look back on this incredible feat and admire how wide my skill set is compared to the average person. This gives international students a unique strand of resilience and adaptability, as well as ability to multitask.
 

Re-Freshed

I attended Fresher’s Fair again as a first-year student, and this felt like a refresher because I was meeting a completely new set of people, many of whom would be my friends for the next three years. However, I was more knowledgeable of the campus already, so I quickly became known to be the right person to ask certain questions. I had enjoyed the International Relations module in my foundation programme so much that I changed my course to BA (Hons) International Relations and Business Management.
 

Academic Support leading to Success

I was quickly noticed by my lecturers as being very well engaged in the material and unafraid to speak in class. It can be intimidating to engage in conversation with a lecturer in front of a room of over a hundred students, but this is easily overcome by following the advice to actually do the reading before class! First year may not count towards your final grade, but reading as much as possible in between parties and socials will help you get ahead in second year as well as third.

By the time your first assignment has been handed, the reality of the need to read kicks in and prompts you to develop a good studying routine. This slowly becomes second nature before your second assignment, and becomes more refined in second semester.

In second year, the readings got bulkier, but this was easily conquered by the encouragement of friends to go to the library together, read diligently and reconvene to discuss in a few hours before heading for lunch or for a quick drink before heading home. By second year, we were all more confident to speak to our lecturers and had meeting with them on our concerns more regularly. Support from friends and lecturers gets you through the long hours of research for your dissertation and keeps your mind at ease in stressful periods.
 

Societies and Unions

I joined a number of societies in my first and second year, which exposed me to different activities and even more friends. When the Student Union elections ran, I applied for the Women’s Officer role, which I got. This was a challenging role, but representing students, while completing third year, was a rewarding experience.

Societies get you out of your room, which is essential for your physical and mental health. It is also another channel to gain more knowledge about the UK which is important as different stories shape different approaches. These are spaces where you can share your struggles as a student and come together to find solutions. As an international student, you also gain valuable knowledge from both other international students and local students about navigating life in the UK, particularly as you get closer to entering the job market full time.
 

Masters’ Degree

I enrolled to continue studying International Relations at Master’s level. My love for the subject grew the more I read, and my understanding deepened in ways I cannot thank my lecturers enough for. Getting into the field in the UK may be difficult for international students. Some may find more ease at home, or may equally be met with a different set of challenges back home. Regardless, studying this subject at Brookes has opened up my mind to several new possibilities for a better world where people cooperate and move towards sustainable development while pursuing the ultimate humanitarian goal of world peace.
 

Part-Time work

International students are only allowed to work for 20-hours during term time, as per visa regulations, and so I found an agency catering job to make some money during the summer. This was a great opportunity to go to new places in Oxfordshire and learn more about the food culture here.

I did care work, and then gradually pivoted into receptionist and tour guide work. This allowed me to get into administrative work after my final semester came to a close and has set me up for the future, as I have gained a wide range of skills. There are many sales jobs in Westgate which may be more suitable for sales focused careers, particularly for Business and Marketing students. However, after university, looking at London and other large cities is best.
 

A new home

Overall, I enjoyed my time at Brookes and continued to live in Oxford well after graduating. This city of dreaming spires has become my home, and is a cosy place for people keen to stay on and teach or work as an academic at with Oxford University or at Brookes. Nursing and other hospital jobs can also be found at the hospital. Big city life is not for everyone, and many have made their home and community here in Oxford, as have I.

- Sasha