Tag Archives: student experience

From Barcelona to Birkbeck to the world of banking

Pere Gesti graduated from BSc Financial Economics this week. He came over from Barcelona, Spain, to study a Dual Degree, as part of an ongoing agreement between Birkbeck and Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) Barcelona. 

pic of graduate Pere

The opportunity to study abroad came as a surprise 

I was studying BBA Finance at UIC Barcelona and one afternoon my macroeconomics teacher mentioned that the university was partnering with Birkbeck to offer students on certain courses the chance to study part of their degree in London and asked if I was interested. Without much hesitation I decided to go for it, and three and a half years after studying in Barcelona, I moved to the UK to study financial economics for a year and a half with four other UIC students. 

Moving to London was a huge change 

I like how London is so diverse, with lots of cultures and job opportunities, but it wasn’t easy initially as I wasn’t used to being in such a big city. What was strange was that I hadn’t been in London long before the Covid-19 pandemic happened.  

Working in the day helped me support myself financially 

Studying in the evening worked well as I could work in a shoe shop in the day. I enjoyed attending lectures because I thought the teaching was amazing at Birkbeck – the financial markets module was my favourite. 

Living in a student hall of residence meant I met a lot of people 

It was great meeting students from Birkbeck and other universities, and the street next to our hall of residence was full of restaurants so we’d often go there to grab lunch or dinner together. 

I secured a full-time job quickly after finishing studying  

I stayed in London after completing my degree and easily secured a job in the city as a headhunter at an American global executive search and strategic consulting firm, specialising in financial services. I’m learning a lot and it’s interesting to be working with big firms and bankers. In fact, three out of the five students who came over to Birkbeck from Barcelona stayed after the degree to work in London. 

In the future, I want to work in finance 

My goal is to become an accountant or salesman in the future. I think it’s all about trying different roles and seeing what I like – it’s quite difficult to imagine what it’s like to work in a job until you’re in it. 

I’ve been advising the next cohort coming to Birkbeck from UIC Barcelona 

The next group of students have been messaging us asking about what things there are to do, and they are keen to hear our experiences. I’m very positive about my time at Birkbeck and I’d recommend it highly to anyone! 

More information 

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Graduation reflections: five reasons to study at Birkbeck as an international student

BSc Business Psychology student Gina shares how Birkbeck helped her meet people from all over the world and have a fulfilling university experience.

Gina, BSc Business Psychology student

Before coming to Birkbeck, Gina was worried that evening classes and lectures would mean that she’d miss out on traditional student life. Now returning for her Masters, we caught up with her on graduation day to find out what makes Birkbeck so special for international students (to head straight to the video, scroll to the bottom of this post).

1. Time to see London

As part of the University of London, Birkbeck’s location in the heart of Bloomsbury is just around the corner from the British Museum, Leicester Square and Oxford Street. Birkbeck’s lectures are in the evening, which means there’s plenty of time in the day to see the best of London.

2. Daytime Freedom

Gina chose Birkbeck because it gave her the flexibility she needed to develop her skills: “Now that I’ve graduated, I don’t just have a degree, I also have a  lot of work experience and life experience that I gained from having my mornings free to do what I want.”

3. The People

Before moving to London, Gina was worried that she might miss out on the traditional student experience by coming to an evening university. However, Birkbeck’s diverse student base ended up being one of her favourite things: “The unique thing about Birkbeck is that you meet people from all different walks of life … I met people all different ages and all different backgrounds and that was the best part about Birkbeck.”

4. Birkbeck Talent

In her first year, Gina went along to Birkbeck Talent, the College careers service, and found an internship with a financial consultancy, which opened a lot of doors to further job opportunities.

5. Student Central

Birkbeck students have access to the University of London societies at Student Central. Gina found that trying out Kung-Fu was a great way to meet new people.

Watch the full interview with Gina below.

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