Month: September 2019

How to make the most of freshers’ week!

By James Dylag, BA Business Management

Freshers’ week is one of the most ‘hyped-up’ events in every student’s calendar. There are so many things going on it can be overwhelming; this post is all about making your week as fun as possible.

In Intro Week and the first week of term, the Students’ Union hosts loads of events, like the freshers’ fair. This is an event held on campus and is massively popular with all students. At the fair, you’ll find stands occupied by loads of different companies (Domino’s, Nandos, and ASOS are regulars), who will be giving out loads of freebies and hosting different games to take part in (often with prizes). Freshers’ fair is ideal for a day out with your new flatmates, and maybe even a way to get your  hands on some store cupboard essentials! The freshers’ fair is usually held in the Octagon Centre, right next door to the Students Union. You can find out what events are being held this year by clicking here.

Another thing you can do during freshers’ week is get to know your university clubs and societies, and you can do this by attending the club and society fair during freshers’ week. Joining societies is a great way to get involved in extra-curricular activities and expand your group of friends. Societies usually have a small fee to join (mostly they’re around £5), but after joining you’ll be invited to all events hosted by the society. Find a list of societies at Sheffield here.

During freshers’ week, it is inevitable that you’re going to end up on a few nights out. Moving to a new city, you might not be massively clued up on where to go. A safe bet is to look towards your new Students Union. At Sheffield, we’re lucky enough to have an SU that puts on loads of club nights during freshers’ week (and all year round) – these are a great place to meet fellow freshers, get to know campus and the safe bet to have a good night. If a night out isn’t your thing, there’s still loads to do – the SU has its own cinema, and this year is hosting its own street food market!

I hope this post has been useful and answered some questions you might have had about freshers’ week, but most importantly… remember to enjoy it!

Preparing for my year abroad

By Alice Lando, BA International Business Management

I have always been interested in exploring new cultures and expanding my horizons. This is one of the reasons why I chose Sheffield and the International Business Management programme, as it seemed like it would bring some great opportunities for me. Coming from Italy, I loved the idea of studying in England and overseas, and it taking three years instead of four.

Deciding the destination

Before starting my first year I wanted to go to Australia or Hong Kong, but thankfully the Global Opportunities team (who help students organise their year abroad) and the Management School insisted on making sure I had done my research before submitting my preferences. After hours spent on YouTube, university websites and chatting with people that had already done this experience, I changed my mind. When planning your year abroad it is fundamental that you choose destinations where you can really imagine yourself living for 10 months.

In the end, I knew I’d that my first choice would still be Hong Kong, but I decided I wasn’t so keen on Australia after all. Instead, my second choice was going to be Singapore.

Finding out the destination and getting excited

I will always remember the moment I found out that I was going to spend my second year at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. I had just finished an exam in January and received the email. Even better news, Elly, one of my closest friends, got allocated to the same university.  It was a great feeling to be able to get excited with someone else, and we both made sure that we gave everything that we had in every module during the second semester so that we would meet the grade requirement.

Despite the pressure of getting the grades I needed and the stress of completing the application for the host uni, I was literally counting the days till the departure. I was looking forward to living in a big and developed city, with a completely different culture and in a location that would allow me to travel all around Asia.

Getting ready

Moving was not so scary at first, as I had already moved to Sheffield from Italy, however as time passed I started to realise that the change would  probably be harder than the first one. In order to prepare, I watched lots of videos on YouTube about Singapore’s culture and lifestyle, and I talked to the Global Opportunities ambassadors for tips and information. I tried to open my mind as much as I could, setting no boundaries, expectations or limits.

Second thoughts

I have never had second thoughts about starting this new chapter of my life, however, thinking that I was not going to be in Sheffield for my second year made me much sadder than I expected. Despite the excitement of leaving for Singapore, I found it really hard to say bye to all my friends and volleyball teammates, but I am sure the distance will only make the relationship stronger.

I have just started my year abroad here in Singapore and I would definitely recommend this life-changing experience. It allows you to grow as a person, meet people from all around the world and create amazing memories.