Sheffield – Sheffield University Management School Postgraduate Blog

A taste of home

By Nik Aisyah Safiah, MSc Management (International Business)

As an international student, coming to a university in the UK has a lot of differences! You have left behind your home country to a new place, new culture, new experience and new friends. How nerve-wracking but extremely exciting at the same time? Once you have settled in your accommodation, your mind starts to wonder about food, but not just any food. It’s food that brings you back home. If you are a Malaysian, you’ll start to hallucinate about that delicious laksa noodles your dad always buy for you after every Friday prayer.

Is food-homesickness really a thing? As a Muslim Asian student living in Sheffield, I say, fret not! You live in one of the most ethnically diverse cities with a lot of Asian restaurants that sells Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Vietnamese, and Arabic cuisine. Alternatively, with easy access to halal meat and oriental stores in Sheffield, you could also make your own favourite dish from scratch! In this blog, I will share some of my go-to stores in Sheffield that has helped me make my everyday meals.

Ozmen Ltd (supermarket), Yafai and Sons, Al-Amir Halal Food

Located near the city campus, you can easily get halal meat from these stores, which sells chicken, beef and lamb meat. Not only that, but these stores also offer you all the Asian ingredients, spices that could help you make a replica of your favourite dish back home! From soy sauce, chilli spices, galangal, Asian fruits, bamboo shoots, instant noodle, shrimp paste, south-east Asian instant spices, Middle Eastern instant spices. You name it! With a simple Google search of the recipe and the ingredients you can find in these stores, you will get to eat your favourite dish in no time!

Moor Market

The Moor Market is definitely the go-to place if you are looking for fresh groceries. Here, you can find a few merchants who offer fresh and imported Asian ingredients. Believe it or not, you can also get halal chicken from one of the butchers, Smith & Tissington. Top tips, you might get a reduction in price if you buy the chicken in bulk!

Tesco Express (Edward Street) & Tesco Superstore (50 Montgomery Terrace)

These Tesco stores have designated halal meat section in their chiller that sells a variety of halal meat options, including raw chicken and processed meat such as nuggets, sausages, burgers and many more.

Oriental supermarket

KH Oriental and Oriental West Street

If you are looking for Asian ingredients, snacks, sauces, instant noodles, fish cakes, seaweed, specific noodles or sushi rice, then this is the place for you! One of my personal favourite snacks that I love is mochi, seaweed and pepero sticks.

So, there you go! All the stores you need as a Muslim Asian to bring some flavours of home while living in Sheffield! With that being said, here are some pictures of my favourite Malaysian dish that my housemates and I have made a few days ago!

The best parks in Sheffield

By Wenxi Jiang, MSc International Management and Marketing

Whilst living in the city center of Sheffield, especially in the past year during the pandemic, visiting different parks has been one of my biggest events and joy in life. The fresh air, the greenness, and the chill atmosphere among people is lovely – even with masks on. I would like to show you my experience through four seasons and spread the joy!

Weston Park and Crookes Valley Park

Weston Park is one of the most iconic parks in Sheffield. My first visit was when I was taking part in a city tour by international school staff as a new student. In this park, you can see Weston Park Museum, very beautiful architecture and a small lake with ducks and swans swimming and resting. If you are lucky, you can even see and feed the squirrels! Usually on sunny days, people will just sit or lie on the grass, either chatting or reading a book. This park was one of the first things I saw of Sheffield, and gave a great first impression.

Crookes Valley Park is next to Weston Park, and only around two minutes away from the Management School. The most famous thing about Crookes Valley Park is the cherry blossom trees. With the huge lake and animals, it is always the best place to bring kids, walk dogs and appreciate the beauty of the scenery.

Spring

From late March, England will wake up from the cold and rainy days. At this time, you can change to wear some colourful and lightweight clothes, which immediately makes you feel better! With the warm breeze gently blowing, the cherry blossom flickers and falls down like snow.

Summer

Summer is an ebullient season. The sky is vast, the sun is strong and the nature is flourishing. People also become more active and open. They come to the park to experience the joy of sports and do some sunbathing.

Autumn

Autumn is short. And I think this is another way to say autumn is precious. Every corner in Sheffield is covered with golden leaves and that’s the time you know you should go to the park. Even watching the sunset going down gives you a little bit sense of sadness and homesick, you know the view is worth it.

Winter

The white winter is so special. I stayed up late the night before the first snow in Sheffield in 2021. In the morning when I open the curtain, I was shocked by the snow that totally changed the view. Everything looked clean and clear under the whiteness. When I got to the park, there are kids and teenagers already started to play. They built snowmen and sledged down the slope by skate, or even just a plastic bag. It’s easy to be happy when it’s snowy!

Parkwood Springs

Another place I would like to recommend is called Parkwood Springs. It is up on the hills and little bit away from the city center. You can search “Spirit of Parkwood” in Google Maps and Uber there. It takes about 7 minutes to drive from the city center and about 35 minutes to walk. It is a park or maybe simply a playground for the nearby neighbourhood. It has a wildly-growing lawn that can be used to play football and have picnics. And the best part is that you can overlook the whole city from the hill. But the experience is only good in summer after several sunny days in a row, because it can become very muddy and slippery after rain.

Information Systems Management – Programme Experience

By Haijuan Li (Cara), MSc Information Systems Management

Before starting my course in Sheffield, I looked forward to getting some new technical skills from this programme and believed it could enhance my competence in the fierce job market. Moreover, I regarded it as a chance for me to plan my future career while experiencing a new learning environment in the UK. In addition to these advantages, I found that learning in this programme brought me many soft skills. I would like to say the Information Systems Management programme is beyond my imagination after finishing the autumn semester courses. This programme is designed for those students who are interested in how information science adds value for various types of companies.

This programme is jointly delivered by the SUMS and the Information School, so we can enjoy the resources and opportunities provided by these two departments. I think this is one of the most significant features of this programme. For example, we usually receive reminder emails about international companies’ recruitment from the Information School and the Management School, Also, students in MSc Information System Management are allowed to choose their supervisors of the dissertation from a staff list that consists of relevant teachers who come from SUMS or Information School. Furthermore, as a postgraduate student of the Management School, I made friends both from SUMS during the six-week pre-session English learning period and the Information School during the autumn semester, that was fantastic I think, because we had several of the same modules so even could become group members to do some group assignments together.

From the perspective of modules, information systems’ modules and management’s modules count for 60%-70% and 30%-40% respectively, there remains flexibility on optional modules for students to choose. The main assessments of information systems’ modules are individual coursework and group coursework both based on several real case studies. In contrast, the main assessments of management’s modules are examinations, which were real challenges for students whose first-languages are not English, so we have to work hard to prepare for examinations. The practice is very important. In particular, teamwork is the most impressive experience for me, we sometimes were required to cooperate with other students who come from different cultural environments or with different knowledge backgrounds, as a result, communication was a little bit time-consuming but we usually could generate a completed and brilliant result. That was not easy but really interesting. It’s believed that our several significant soft skills have improved, such as the ability of teamwork, communication, and working under pressure, by taking group coursework seriously and cooperating positively.

This is one of my fantastic student experiences in Sheffield, I look forward to sharing more experience in the Management School with you in the future.

My Favourite Things about my Occupational Psychology Course

By Callum Van Dyk, MSc Occupational Psychology

I can guarantee you everyone finds it difficult to decide which postgraduate course is right for them! I was fortunate enough to know I wanted to study Occupational Psychology (OP), but I still found it incredibly difficult to decide where I should study. Therefore, to make things a little easier on you, I thought I’d share my top four favourite things about the OP course at Sheffield, showing you why it is a great place to study.

Vast Variety of Opportunities

Throughout my time at Sheffield, I’ve received countless messages from academic staff highlighting the diverse range of opportunities available within the management school. However, being an OP student, you have even greater access to opportunities specific to your course. To date, I’ve been involved in designing an assessment centre, stewarding an international conference, and working part-time for psychological consultancies on a variety of projects. The key message is that you can be as involved as you want and there is something for everyone.

Small, Multicultural Cohort of Students

Previous OP Cohorts have typically been made up of around 20 students from Britain, Europe, and Asia. Hence, when studying at Sheffield, you will be interacting with a close group of people varying in age and nationality. I have found this experience to be invaluable as not only have I made friends from multiple countries around the world, I have also gained an immense appreciation of different cultural perspectives that have been shared in classroom discussions.

Guest Speakers

An appealing aspect of the OP course at Sheffield is its wide network of alumni and notable academics. Over the past two months, we’ve had multiple guest speakers visit us to discuss contemporary issues in OP, their career paths, and the work they perform daily. These sessions have been crucial in gaining insight into the life of an occupational psychologist and have helped me to frame my career path. After each session, the guest speakers have been more than willing to individually advise us and have always provided us with a means of contacting them later. It is this type of friendly, supportive and informal atmosphere that draws people into the field.

Applied Nature of the Course

By far the best thing about the OP course at Sheffield is its applied nature. Most OP courses primarily focus on the academic side of OP, whereas our course has multiple elements designed to develop your ability to use research and knowledge to solve real world issues. Numerous assignments have focused on hypothetical scenarios where we have to design solutions and support them with evidence, mapping what would be expected of a psychological consultant. The support I’ve received helping me to complete these assignments has really taken away my fear of applied work and has built my confidence in my consulting ability. Overall, preparing me to enter the world of work!

Sheffield, one of the masterpieces of England

By Zipeng Zhou, MSc Marketing Management Practice

As an international student from China, I believe many international students like me are impressed by the charm of Sheffield. Sheffield is one of the masterpieces of England and there are many amazing sights in Sheffield whenever and wherever.

Everyday beauty of Sheffield

As a student of the Management School, I think the charm of Sheffield starts from the first ray of sunshine at the school gate in the morning. The old school badge shines brightly in the sun, which makes me feel that the pioneers’ spirit of explored the truth is still well inherited since 1828 when the University of Sheffield was founded.

At noon in Sheffield, the sky is blue, the clouds are white, and occasionally there is a rainbow after rain. What changes is the weather, and what does not change is the beauty of nature. As long as it’s sunny, you can see it everywhere in Sheffield. Imagine that you are sitting in a coffee shop, ordering a cappuccino or latte and looking out the window. Maybe that’s how life feels.

At sunset, students from the Diamond, the University of Sheffield’s library, are greeted by a fuchsia sunset. The setting sun and the lamplight of the steps echo each other, sketching an aesthetic picture of the fusion of nature and humanity. I believe that all students who study hard and seek the truth deserve to enjoy the beautiful sunset.

Throughout the day, you will find that the sun is the most competent decoration workers in Sheffield and it not only dotted the city day as well as night, but also living in this land to bring comfort to the people.

2. A trip to Sheffield

Sheffield is located in the heart of the whole of the UK, and it is very convenient for travellers to travel to other parts of the UK. Public transport in Sheffield is very convenient. In the morning before dawn, you can take the first trains to different cities.

Chatsworth House, not far from Sheffield, is a must-see attraction. On a rainy winter day, the staff of Chatsworth House, displaying the gentlemanly attitude of the English people, invited me to use the fireplace in Chatsworth House. This brings me back to the Dukes of Devonshire era.

Walking into the magnificent and reserved hall of Chatsworth House, I was deeply impressed by the numerous precious paintings and furniture. I have also been to royal gardens or houses in France, Austria and other countries, but Chatsworth House is obviously different from those in these countries. Everywhere is a kind of astringent nobility, a kind of gentleman’s taste. It’s also a great place to take silhouette photos. Don’t forget, Chatsworth House is just one of Sheffield’s many attractions. I hope to share more of Sheffield with you.

My favourite places in Sheffield

By Vicky Xian, MSc Occupational Psychology

Sheffield is full of amazing places, from lush green parks to hidden little gems down every crevice. Here are some of my favourite places in Sheffield for anyone who has some spare time, wants some inspiration or would like to get to know the city on a more personal level.

Crookes Valley Park

This park is a stone’s throw away from most students’ front door. I walk past it most days, and I’m constantly awed by the colours, which changes depending on the season. My favourite season is summer, the vibrant colours of the sky, fields, and cherry blossoms are the perfect backdrop for a barbecue! This lovely photo and more like it can be found on the Instagram account: cmm__photo.

Made by Jonty Café

This little café is found on Sharrowvale road, and was discovered one rough morning after a night out. This serves the best English fry up in town (in my opinion). What’s even more amazing is the breakfast is served all day, so even when dragging yourself out of bed well after noon you can still get your well-deserved fry up!

Botanical Gardens

These 19 acre gardens contain 18 different garden areas, including a beautiful large botanical greenhouse. This is free entry on most days, and in the summer it’s a great place to meet up with friends, and chill with food and music. Here’s a picture of the fountain and behind it the greenhouse:

Steamyard Café.

Although very popular, this café is still a gem in my eyes. The café is tucked in a little courtyard on Division Street. The coffee is excellent, but the atmosphere is even better. The coffee shop has an outdoor seating area and is great when there is good weather, but my personal favourite time is when it’s pouring it down with rain outside. Also, they provide a lot of options for vegans or vegetarians, which is great. There is one thing to consider though, it can get very very busy, but I’m not surprised as other people must agree with me!

The Peaks

Do you have a day aside and a car? The peaks is a short drive away, and the drive itself can be jaw dropping. The green rolling hills can really take you away from city life, and maybe even distract you with its never ending grass peaks. Take a group of friends, some food and snacks, a flask of Yorkshire tea, and you can spend a good part of the afternoon hiking up the hills. In the summer the surroundings can drown you in stunning green. However, my personal best time is in the autumn, covered in vibrant purple ferns and with a setting sun it can really feel like a different world. The picture below includes a gorgeous view of Bamford Edge.

Exploring the Peaks

By Abigail Cook, MSc Management

If you’re looking to get out of Sheffield, explore the surrounding areas, and do something a bit different, there are plenty of exciting places to visit nearby. These are a few places that I found out about and enjoyed visiting at the weekends when I wanted a break from lectures and the library.

Poole’s Cavern:

Poole’s Cavern is a natural cavern in the Peak District, approximately an hour’s drive from Sheffield. A one hour guided tour takes you around the cave and you can also learn more in the exhibition centre. Remember to take a jumper or a coat as it can be a bit chilly underground in the cave! You can also spend some time visiting the café and the shop. While you’re there, it’s also worth visiting the panoramic viewpoint at Solomon’s Temple. It’s a very pretty and tranquil walk through the woodland which takes about 30 minutes. Poole’s Cavern makes a great day out if you’re looking for something a bit different or unusual.

Renishaw Hall and Gardens:

Renishaw Hall and Gardens is another enjoyable day out. It is still a lived-in family home, so it can only be viewed by a guided tour which lasts about one hour. You can also explore the stunning gardens and, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can walk through the woodland and down to the lakes as well. If you start to feel hungry after all your exploring, the café also has a great selection of food and drinks. There are lots of different events that take place here throughout the year, so it’s worth checking out their website before you go to see if there’s anything exciting on.

Stanage Edge:

My final recommendation for a day out in the Peak District is Stanage Edge. This is one of my favourite places in the Peaks that I never get bored of exploring because of its amazing rock formations and beautiful views. Stanage Edge is particularly popular with rock climbers, who can usually be seen clambering up the dramatic rock face. There are several different ways that you can walk to Stanage Edge across the Peak District and you can take in some of the scenic views along the way. This is definitely worth saving for a sunny day, especially because it can get a bit windy and chilly near to the top!

Top tips from my year in Sheffield

By Abigail Cook, MSc Management

After living in Sheffield for the past year, I have discovered several things which I would like to share with other students to help them make the most of their time in Sheffield.

Join societies and clubs:

My first top tip for any student, whether they’re new to Sheffield or not, is: join societies and clubs! At the start of the academic year, it’s worth going along to the Activities Fair at the Students’ Union, where you can get involved with hundreds of different societies. Societies allow you to meet new people, try new things and develop your hobbies and interests. It’s also fun to be involved with something outside your degree course.

One of my favourite things about this year was being a member of the Dance Society, which is actually one of the biggest societies within the University. The Dance Society holds workshops and weekly classes in lots of different styles which range from beginner to advanced level, so there is something to suit everyone. This year, I joined one of the competition teams, so I was able to compete at several competitions against other universities. Competitions are great fun because you get to travel around the country and meet other people who share the same interests as you from different universities. I also enjoyed going to lots of socials and balls throughout the year with the Dance Society. Overall, being part of the Dance Society was a great experience, which is why I would highly recommend joining societies and clubs during your time at Sheffield.

Explore the Management School’s opportunities:

My next top tip is to explore what the Management School has to offer. In addition to teaching, lectures and tutorials, the School offers lots of different opportunities for you to get involved with outside of your degree programme. It’s also worth taking the time to visit the Employability Hub located on the School site, which enables students to access careers support, job and placement vacancies, and attend skills workshops.

This year, I was fortunate enough to go to Canada with the Management School to attend the International Graduate Competition. I spent one week in Montreal with three other students from the Management School, and we met, worked with and competed against teams from other universities from around the world. As well as attending lectures and workshops, and putting together our own reports and presentations, we also had a bit of free time to explore Montreal. This was definitely one of the highlights of my year in Sheffield, and it was all arranged through the Management School.

Discover Sheffield:

My final tip for anyone studying at Sheffield University is: explore the city! Sheffield has so much to offer for everyone, and there are always new things happening. If you walk around the city centre, you’ll find some lovely cafes, shops and restaurants which are only a short walk from the Students’ Union and the IC. Many different events also take place in Sheffield throughout the year, such as Tramlines, a three-day long festival in the city. Whilst you’re studying at Sheffield, it’s a great opportunity to explore and discover the city that you’re living in.

Activities for a rainy day in Sheffield

By Abigail Cook, MSc Management

If you’re getting tired of grey British weather and looking for something to do on a rainy afternoon, Sheffield has plenty of indoor activities to keep you entertained. These are a few of my favourites that I enjoyed whilst living in Sheffield.

Jump Inc

Sheffield Jump Inc is one of the largest trampoline parks in the UK with 120 trampolines under one roof. The warehouse is full of wall-to-wall trampolines so you can bounce away and free-style to your heart’s content. If you fancy trying something new they also have different activities including an obstacle course, bouldering wall, a 3-sided walk the wall, and loads of others. This is a unique fun activity that is fun to do by yourself or with a group of friends. It’s also a fun way of getting some exercise! Another great thing about Jump Inc is that its prices are affordable – perfect if you’re waiting for your student loan to come in! Jump Inc is located close to Meadowhall, just a short drive from Sheffield city centre.

Planet Pot Ceramic Cafe

If you’re looking to get in touch with your creative side, Planet Pot Ceramic Café is the perfect place for you. After choosing from a big selection of pottery which piece you want to paint, let your imagination run wild and paint whatever design you want. Drinks, cakes and cookies are available to keep you energised and fuel your creativity, and the lovely staff will help you if you have questions or need assistance. When you’ve finished your masterpiece, it goes into the kiln, and can usually be collected a week after painting. This is the ideal activity if you want to relax and create something unique and personal. It’s also a great place to take friends. The pieces of pottery make perfect presents for friends or family, or to keep for yourself.

Meadowhall

My final recommendation for a rainy day is Meadowhall – Sheffield’s biggest shopping destination! Meadowhall is the perfect place for a bit (or a lot!) of shopping therapy. With over 280 stores, there is something to keep everyone happy. If all the shopping has made you feel peckish, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes where you can have a rest and re-fuel. There is also a cinema inside Meadowhall, so you can go and watch a film without even having to leave the building! Meadowhall is just a short drive from Sheffield city centre, and also offers free parking.

Fun days out in the Peak District

By Abigail Cook, MSc Management

If you’re looking for somewhere to go on a day trip and escape the city, the Peak District has many beautiful and exciting places that are waiting to be explored.

Chatsworth

One of my favourite places that I have visited whilst living in Sheffield this year is Chatsworth. Less than an hour’s drive from Sheffield, Chatsworth is a stately home that has been featured in several films including Pride and Prejudice. You can spend a whole day exploring the grand house and the impressive 105-acre gardens. In addition to guided tours, Chatsworth hosts several events throughout the year, including a Flower Show, arts and crafts workshops, garden parties and outdoor cinemas. This is the perfect place to take friends or family if they are visiting Sheffield and want to explore the surrounding area.

Bakewell

Famous for the sweet treat, the Bakewell tart, the quaint market town of Bakewell is located on the River Wye, a short thirteen miles from Sheffield. The town is busy all year round with several attractions including gardens, coffee shops, museums, pubs and shops selling books, clothes and gifts. There are also plenty of opportunities for walking, cycling, climbing and horse riding in the area. One of my favourite places to go in Bakewell is the Bath Gardens, a beautiful, peaceful place in the heart of the town which is free to wander in. The gardens are not that big, but the vibrant flower displays are well worth a visit.

Castleton

Castleton is a beautiful village situated at the Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District. The village is popular for its caves, history, shops, Winnats Pass, Cave Dale and numerous walks in the area. The village is surrounded by dramatic hillsides and overlooked by Mam Tor (the shivering mountain). It is also possible to walk up the hill to the ruins of one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses, Peveril Castle, which stands above Castleton. One of my favourite things about doing this is the beautiful views over the valley, which make a good reward for climbing the hill! Another unique thing to explore in Castleton is the caves, which are accessible by guided tour. In the caves you can see the stalactite formations, and even take a boat along a flooded tunnel. This makes Castleton a unique and exciting day out for anyone looking to escape the city!