By Nadia Zulhasni, MSc International Management
I have had various setbacks in life, but one thing did not change for sure: My determination to further my studies in the UK. Many years on and here I am typing this 6,553 miles away from my comfort zone called home.
So far, the grass IS greener at this other side of the world… and for that, I am grateful for having the privilege to be here. I also promised myself to grab every opportunity I can while I’m here, aside from studying.
After all, life’s about seizing opportunities – so yes, carpe diem!
In Sheffield, there never seems to be a dull day. Whenever I want to fill up my free time, I head to the university’s website, click here and there; the next thing I know, I find myself somewhere in the university listening to talks, or joining some random event.
One of the first few events I attended was during World Week 2017. I can vividly remember one of the discussions called ‘Breaking Boundaries’ where three speakers of diverse backgrounds spoke about their experiences and how they attempt to break the social stigma around them. Very eye opening; a tear or two dropped. The discussion reiterates that we have the power to make a difference to turn this world into a better place through education.
These kind of talks are different than the ones I attended back home. There is a bigger exposure on sensitive issues and nothing is taboo.
Next, I got in touch with my inner Malay to join the cultural Malaysia Day in the Students’ Union building. I even dressed up in my traditional costume called kurung batik! And I obviously had to drag two of my friends from Hong Kong and China to join! Don’t they look great in the Malays’ traditional outfits?
In between classes and assignment deadlines, there are many study support skills, networking opportunities and career talks organised by the university’s Employability Hub in Management School. Here’s my picture with Mr. Barry Senior from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a professional network for HR management professionals. He gave insights on ho
w a career pathway in HR can provide us with a lifetime of opportunities, challenges and job satisfaction when exposed to different people from different industries.
When I say opportunities… I really mean there are countless here!
The photo at the top is a picture of me attending the grand opening of iForge, a makerspace area for students run by students! I got to learn and witness how they use the high precision laser cutter, 3D printers, and working tools among many other cool stuff I never imagined of using in my entire life!
I’ve also had the opportunity to join ‘This Girl Can’ week! A week filled with sports and fun activities exclusively for female students, which are mostly free to join such as baseball, tennis, skate, self-defence and cricket. All in all, it was great fun while increasing our confidence to engage in sports!
Well, this girl definitely can! And this girl will never run out of things to do in the University of Sheffield where opportunities are limitless — it just depends on how we make the most out of our time here as students.
By Yueh-Ting Chung, MSc International Management and Marketing
I most often study at the Diamond library and while I am there, it is easy to find food.
The moor market in the city centre is a great place to find fresh and cheap food. My friends and I usually go there at the weekend to have breakfast and then buy some vegetables, fruits, meat and bread for the next week.
There is a perk living in the student accommodation of our university that I want to introduce to you! We can join the 
Besides, with the residence life card, sometimes we can buy concessionary tickets. For instance, I bought the ticket to Whitby in the Student Union at a lower price (The picture is of Whitby Abbey). Yes, our SU will take us out to visit other cities on one day trips. We just need to buy the ticket and hop on the bus.
By Roxana Rojas Linares, MSc Entrepreneurship and Management
It’s true. After a while you will miss some of your hometown’s flavours. However, Sheffield has excellent restaurants from all over the world. Greek, Asian, Turkish and Italian to name a few. On the other hand, the University Shop at the Students Union and other specialized supermarkets sell international groceries. Test your cooking talents and make yourself and your friends a traditional dinner from your country.
In the first semester, we studied with Marketing Management Practice (MMP) & Global Marketing Management (GMM) students. Each course offers a two hour lecture and a one hour seminar per week. The lectures about marketing are interesting because teachers use real-life stories to explain theories and the theories about marketing usually relate to psychology. To me, learning these things seems like learning about people, including myself. In the seminar, student’s group together to discuss case studies with the knowledge we learned from the lecture, academic papers, and textbooks. Also, we practice presentations in seminars, which is very important for growing our skills for the workplace.
and safe city. The living costs are also relatively lower than other cities in the UK, and much cheaper than London. It is easy for students to buy daily essentials in the supermarkets around the corner from the Management School, such as Tesco and Sainsbury. Or we can easily take the tram or walk to Sheffield City Centre. It is very convenient.
By Huey Ying Chong, MSc Occupational Psychology
Because of the small class size you get to know all your course mates. You will know their names, you will know their different backgrounds, you will have lunch breaks together, and more! Some of them were working before starting the MSc so they bring their working experience to the classroom and share their insights with you.