Category Archives: Students

Wonder inside and outside the classroom: an international student’s first month in London

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Emi Nguyen came to the UK from Vietnam to study a Master’s in Culinary Innovation Management at Birkbeck. Here she talks about her discoveries during her first month in the capital.  

The beginning of something new
It’s my fourth week living and studying in London and sometimes it still feels a bit surreal. I have visited London dozens of times before but it’s completely different to live here and be a part of the innovative current flowing through this multicultural city. I’m truly grateful for choosing this journey, especially when I have supportive staff and friends at Birkbeck going through this with me. 

A welcoming orientation
I must be honest, though I have been regularly travelling abroad from my home country of Vietnam since the age of 16, this time I felt quite anxious leaving my nest. A million questions popped up in my head during the twelve hour flight. Will I fit in? What’s it like being a student in the UK? Is being a Master’s student different to being an undergraduate student? But all of those worries were eased on the orientation day. Yes: orientation is important! I got to meet all my course mates who share a passion for culinary innovation with me. The staff at Birkbeck were dedicated, kind and helpful throughout the orientation and since then too. Before orientation I didn’t know how best to construct an academic paragraph, or how to make the most of the library. The whole event was not just useful, but also heartwarming and reassuring; Birkbeck gave us the kindest welcome. 

When learning feels magical
What’s better than a warm welcome? Two warm welcomes! As a Master’s student in Culinary Management, I have contact with both Birkbeck academics and teachers from Le Cordon Bleu. If Birkbeck staff support me to aim for and achieve a high academic standard, the chefs and lecturers at Le Cordon Bleu open the door for me to explore the colourful culinary world. It feels like a dream come true to explore my passion for food in this way. Walking into Le Cordon Bleu for the first time, I felt like a child visiting Disneyland. Everything is so dynamic, lively and full of wonders, and my lessons continue to feel this way. What a magical place! 

The surprises of the capital
I knew that London offered a lot to do outside of classes. For an art enthusiast like me, there are plenty of artistic activities and exhibitions to dive into outside of my studies. I had the opportunity to look at Cezanne’s paintings at Tate Modern and it was an extremely emotional experience for me. All that I have watched and learned from books about this legendary artist and his work… was suddenly there in front of me! And I was looking at his brush strokes and vivid colours in a crowded room, with others also sharing the experience! What a time to be in London.  

Final words for the first month
Change can be scary. Moving to a new city, starting a new course, and following your passion are not always easy things to do. But learning to embrace fear and diving in can lead to a world of wonders. 

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An international student’s life changing experience of living, studying and interning in a law firm in London

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Eucharia Chikodi Egemole came to the UK from Nigeria to study LLM General Law at Birkbeck. Here she shares her experience so far, including highlights, tips and things she wished she knew before coming to the UK.  

Eucharia looks into the camera. Behind her the Thames is visible and in the distance, Tower Bridge.

Exploring London

When I decided to do a Master’s in Law, I chose to do so in the UK because of the quality of education and also because the legal system of my home country, Nigeria, was largely developed from the English legal system. What better way than learning the law directly from the source? 

I applied to Birkbeck because, amongst other qualities, it was an evening university that allowed me the freedom to intern at a law firm during the days to gain legal experience. After being offered a place, I was swiftly issued with my Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Compared to the experiences my friends had when they applied to other universities, getting my CAS from Birkbeck was a very smooth experience.  Below is my account of how it’s all gone so far – hopefully it can be helpful for any other international students!  

The visa process
For international students wishing to study in the UK and in need of a visa to do so, time is of the essence. It is advisable to apply for a visa at least three months before the course commencement date. This allows enough time for you to get the visa, plan for any delays and prepare for travel. It’s also essential to submit all required documents as not doing so could lead to visa delay or denial.  

Moving to London
I arrived in London on 6th October 2022, excited to be in the great city and ready for new experiences. It was my first time in the city and I’d never left my country before. My accommodation is in Chiswick, an area of West London, and I found it with the help of a fellow student who I met in a Facebook page created for Birkbeck international students called the ’Pre-departure Lounge for BBK 2022 International’. The page was very helpful as it gave information on how to collect the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), open a bank account, the times and dates of study events, and a lot of other helpful information for international students.  

Living in London
Living in London so far has been quite amazing. I thought I would feel homesick, but that is far from the case. London is so multicultural that even though it is miles away from your country, the chances are that you could meet someone from your background on the street or even bump into someone that speaks your language while strolling in the park. It is a home away from home.

Eucharia stood on the concourse of a station with a sign reading St Pancras behind her.

About to ride the tube for the first time at London St Pancras

Here are some highlights for me:  

  • Sightseeing: there are so many famous landmarks and places to visit, like London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace or any of the museums and galleries.  
  • Food: London has an exceptional offering of different cuisines from all over the world including African, Chinese, Italian, and not forgetting English dishes too! I love good food and any time I am about to have a good multicultural food experience, I borrow the biblical verse and tell my soul to “eat and be merry”.  
  • Transport: the public transport system of tubes and buses is commendable. The network is designed so that a person can connect to anywhere across the city quickly and with ease.  

While there are opinions that London is quite an expensive city to live in, I have found a way to manage my expenses and still have a good time. I have Railcard and an Oyster card that offer me discounts on transport; I try to do my shopping in stores that are having clearance sales; and I also prepare many meals at home. I am having an amazing time in London on a minimal budget.  

Things I wish I knew before I travelled
If I were to prepare to travel all over again, I would not have packed and paid for extra luggage of foodstuffs. I could have got the same items in any African shop in London (there are many!) and at affordable rates too, saving myself the trouble, time, and money.  

The native clothes and attire I brought with me also ended up as decoration in my suitcase, because I don’t wear them. If I knew, I wouldn’t have packed them as they mostly don’t suit any occasion here in London.  

Eucharia looking into the camera with the London Eye visible just behind her

At the London Eye

Another big thing is timekeeping. For an African like me, an hour or two past the agreed time is still within time. But that is not so in London. An appointment fixed for a particular time starts at that time and not a minute later.  

And finally, in the UK, people queue up for services. In my home country, there are hardly any queues as a person takes their turn depending on how sharp or smart they are, or if they can pay their way.  

My experience at Birkbeck so far
The learning experience at Birkbeck has been a highlight. Courses are taught by class discussions and lectures, and I have found this to be a great way for me to assimilate and retain information. It has also honed my communication skills.  

The staff have been amazing, especially those working for the Student Advice Service. They are always available to listen to students, decipher their problems, and offer lasting solutions, which I have benefitted from. 

Another highlight has been interacting with my fellow students. Chatting with them and hearing about their diverse cultures and backgrounds is fascinating and adds to the whole experience.   

Conclusion
Living in London for me has been a life-changing experience. Meeting and interacting with people from diverse cultures has contributed to my personal growth and development – I now understand more about the world and myself. I had the challenge of coming to a new country and meeting new people, and I rebuilt myself to do this. Now, I am all I was before, but I have also acquired the confidence of a Londoner. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world.  

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What is Diwali and how is it celebrated?

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With Diwali 2022 taking place this week, from Monday 24 to Friday 28 October, Kshitij Sinha, Research Intern at Birkbeck’s Mycobacteria Research Laboratory, shares what Diwali means to him. 

Kshitij Sinha

Kshitij Sinha

Diwali is an eagerly anticipated and joyous festival in many Asian countries like India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, and Nepal. Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit terms ‘dipa’, which means ‘light, candle, or that which burns, glows, and illuminates’, and ‘vali’, which means ‘an array, row, continuous line, series’.  

The festival of lights, as it is known, brings joy and illumination into the lives of Indian families. It commemorates Lord Rama, one of the Hindu Gods, returning to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile. Diwali is a five-day festival that marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. During this time, you will see the jubilant life of Indian families as you walk through houses decorated with diyas, beautiful rangolis at the doors, and children on the streets with crackers. You can also see balcony lights strung in flats from the road.  

I remember my first Diwali celebration in London two years ago. My entire family was dressed in brightly coloured clothing. We lit up diyas in every room and lit ‘phool-jharis’ (sparklers), a little firecracker that releases a shower of sparks from the balcony. On the auspicious day of Diwali, it is one of the most important rituals done in many Indian households. It is often done in the evening to welcome the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi into the home and bless the occupants.  

A combination of diyas and candles laid out for Diwali

A combination of diyas and candles laid out for Diwali

Finally, Diwali has a special significance this year. This celebration represents the triumph of good over evil and has provided a glimpse of hope in our fight against Covid-19 through the development of vaccinations and the improvement of health.   

With this, I wish all the staff and students at Birkbeck, University of London a safe and incredibly happy Diwali! 

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Student hacks for living in London

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BA Global Politics and International Relations student, Aditya Mukherjee, shares his favourite tips for enjoying life as a Birkbeck student in London, on a budget.  

Living in London as a student can be quite a challenge, especially for mature students like me, who might find adjusting to a student budget tricky. However, as the saying goes: ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. It’s therefore my pleasure to share the following hacks to enjoy life in London on a budget and as a Birkbeck student. 

Lunch and dinner parties 
Getting together for lunch and dinner parties at home is a brilliant way to swap expensive meals in restaurants for a cozier, low-budget time together with friends and delicious food. It’s also a very good way to make friends and explore the different cuisines and cultures of your fellow students. When my friends and I host our meals, we either get groceries together or decide in advance what we can cook together and who brings what, which brings out the best of what each person has to offer. It’s a great way to build relationships while enjoying great food and drink from all over the world. 

George Birkbeck Bar 
If going out for a pint or glass of wine becomes inevitable, the George Birkbeck Bar, located on the 4th floor of Birkbeck’s Malet Street building, is the perfect place. Open from 2-11pm, the George Birkbeck Bar offers spirits, drinks and snacks at very affordable prices compared to other pubs in Central London – you can get a pint for £3.50! Available to students right in the middle of campus, there is terrace seating overlooking Torrington Square, making it the perfect place for evening views of the city and lively pub conversations. Don’t miss out!  

Terrace 5 
Terrace 5 is Birkbeck’s canteen, located on the 5th floor of the Malet Street building. It offers a wide range of hot lunch selections every afternoon. For just £6, students can get a delicious and filling lunch that has a main, two sides and a salad. In addition to this, Terrace 5 is open until 6:30pm and there is always a selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches available to purchase even after lunch service has finished. This means a quick dinner before class can also be enjoyed. 

Bloomsbury Farmers Market
If you are ever in the mood for something exotic, the Bloomsbury Farmers Market in Torrington Square every Thursday is the place to be. Though on the pricy side for most students (£11- £15 for a meal), for those who would like to spice up their Thursdays, it offers a diverse selection of cuisines from all over the world right on Birkbeck’s doorstep. A good hack for getting around the slightly more expensive prices, is to go just at closing time at 2pm, when a lot of stalls are more than happy to sell their meals at half price. It may not work at every stall, but coming from experience, it is worth a try. 

Hare Krishna free lunches 
If you are in the mood for a healthy vegetarian meal, try the free lunch offered by Hare Krishna devotees of London’s Radha-Krishna Temple. The lunch is offered every day from 12-2pm just outside SOAS, which is very close to Birkbeck’s main buildings. It’s impossible to miss, as there are usually queues of students waiting to be served.  

Totum Student discount card and app
This is an absolute must-have, as you get discounts on a range of stores, restaurants and services, advertised on a weekly and monthly basis. The website updates the deals on offer regularly, and if used strategically, it can help save a lot of valuable pounds and pennies.   

Birkbeck student card
Did you know that your Birkbeck student card can also get you discounts while out and about? A vast array of retailers and restaurants offer student discounts if you flash your student card, including Honest Burgers, Yo Sushi, ASOS, Odeon cinemas and many more.  

Birkbeck Film Club 
For movie buffs, who want to keep their viewing up but can’t afford weekly cinema trips, consider joining the Birkbeck Film Club. A club for students to discover films, including those you may not encounter on big commercial screens, Birkbeck Film Club hosts regular film screenings for its members. Themed weeks showcase films from different categories, including French, Spanish, LGBT and more. It’s a great platform to discover arthouse, international, documentary and classic films right on Birkbeck’s campus – for free. Membership is open to current students and alumni, so it’s also a great way to make friends and have interesting conversations after screenings too.  

So, there we have it, those are some of my favourite hacks for living on a student budget in London. But for good measure, here are some final quick-fire hacks too:  

  • Save money on haircuts by joining Facebook groups of ‘@Hair Models in London’ 
  • Sign yourself up for a National Rail Card to get discounts on train travel around the UK   
  • For affordable clothing on a budget, Primark offers stylish options  
  • Get 30% off travel on the Transport for London network, by purchasing and registering a student Oyster card  
  • Fever: an app for various events in London, featuring discounts  
  • Unidays app: similar to Totum, this offers discounts for many retailers   
  • Poundland: get homewares, snacks, and miscellaneous items for just £1  
  • Savers: grab yourself toiletries, beauty products other personal care items for affordable prices  
  • Supermarkets: make use of Meal Deals for £3, which include a drink, a main, and a snack  
  • Too Good to Go: an app that lets you collect, for free or very cheap, perfectly good food from stores that would otherwise be thrown out at the end of each day   

 

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Uniting as a community to support bisexual awareness and visibility

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With Bisexual Awareness Week running from 16 to 23 September 2022, Birkbeck Students’ Union LGBTQ+ officer, Tonya Moralez (Xe/Xem), talks about why it’s an important week, and what their plans are as LGBTQ+ officer to support the bisexual community.

Bisexual Awareness Week (also known as Bi Week) is an important part of the LGBTQ+ calendar and is different from Bisexual Awareness Month, which takes place in March. It was co-founded in 2016 by charities GLADD and BiNet USA to celebrate bisexuality and bring awareness to bisexual or bisexual plus (Bi+) people within the LGBTQ+ community. As well as celebration, the aim is to educate about obstacles faced by the bisexual community and to encourage positive action and policies.   

One of the well-known challenges unique to individuals identifying as Bi+, is that those who ‘accept’ homosexuality can still be prejudiced or condescending towards Bi+ people by not taking their sexual orientation seriously. 

Examples of this include Bi+ people being told that they’re ‘greedy’ for ‘wanting’ more than one gender, or that they must be ‘confused’ about their orientation. Often these types of comments come not only from conventional heteronormative, cis-gendered people, but also from members of the LGBTQ+ community itself. In my early years within the community, I regularly heard people claim with mocking frustration that they wouldn’t date bisexuals, out of fear that Bi+ people couldn’t be monogamous or loyal due to having multi-sexual interests. Without question, this sentiment is Bi-phobic. 

The fact that Bisexuality has often been fetishized in the media does little to help this. Often portrayed as changeable, overtly attractive, desirable and trendy, Bi+ characters are either reduced to sexual objects or plot devices. This sort of reductive portrayal can contribute to the false idea that Bi+ people’s challenges are trivial, and make it difficult for them to feel truly seen and accepted by both sides: ‘straight’ and ‘gay’. 

I think most LGBTQ+ people can agree how patronizing and invalidating it is to be told that you don’t actually know who you are, or that you should be something else. To hear these sorts of comments still regularly directed towards Bi+ people from both outside and within the LGBTQ+ community, is not only annoying, but deeply saddening. Enough of this repeated invalidation of your identity over time, can start to take its toll emotionally and psychologically. That’s why Bi-visibility Day and Bisexual Awareness Week are so important; those identifying as Bisexual, Omnisexual or Pansexual, should be visible and listened to in the LGBTQ+ community. 

I personally feel that the LGBTQIAA++ community is reaching such a large and diverse scale, that sections within the community need to have sub-groups and communities to support each category’s individual needs as much as possible. Bisexuals (along with all other identities) have their own unique social needs and issues to be accommodated and considered. Part of the solution, in my view, is to have Bi+ specific events, educational channels, and spotlight whenever possible, to raise awareness of these needs. The hope is that these activities will not only empower Bi+ people with words, resources, and information allowing them to find their voices and express their sexual orientation and identity with confidence, but also create plans for positive social action.   

As the LGBTQ+ officer at Birkbeck, I will organize events to celebrate each sub-group within the LGBTQ+ community, and ensure that a healthy portion of these are focused on Bi+ specific themes. I will work with requests and feedback received from Bi+ students within the LGBTQ+ network at Birkbeck to host Bi-visibility focused events, workshops that are shaped collaboratively and sensitively. I will also ensure I use Birkbeck Student Union’s LGBTQ+ platform to create Bi+ awareness content, to increase understanding within the LGBTQ+ community itself. 

Let us work together to ensure our Bisexual students feel as visible and supported as others within the community, let us work together to have Bisexual voices amplified by the LGBTQ+ community and allies at Birkbeck and beyond. 

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