“Farewell Friends”
In April 2015, I introduced myself to you as the international student blogger. Sadly, this will be my last blog post. Even though I desire to continue blogging I now…
Family Loss and Mental Health
It was an ordinary Saturday morning. I switched on my phone to check the overnight messages and there was one particular message which caused me to breakdown – my dad…
Do you drink?
The first time I was invited to a pub in the UK, I thought I HAD TO drink alcohol! I don’t really like alcoholic drinks so I rejected the invitation…
Money Management
When my laptop was stolen during my overseas study I was all of a sudden faced with an unexpected expense of getting a replacement. The incurred cost was high, but…
Proper Rest and Doing ‘All-nighters’
Have you ever done an ‘all-nighter’? That's when you work all night, right before a deadline, ensuring an essay or dissertation is complete. My latest ‘all-nighter’ occurred during my postgraduate studies.…
Presenting my Academic Paper
I recently went to New York to present a paper in my very first academic conference! My paper was about ethnic and civic nationalism in Hong Kong; it was part…
It’s Easy to Learn When You’re Curious
In early May I was invited to attend and present a paper in an academic conference in New York, US. It was a great experience, but I learnt even more…
Death at Easter
Death is still a taboo topic in many cultures. A recent study indicated that the majority of people in the UK still avoid talking about death and making plans for after…
“I was surprised by the lecturers and other students!”
When I first started my postgraduate study I was surprised by how the lecturers and local students interacted. Students were talking to the lecturers like friends or peers! They would…
“I felt at home in the UK for the very first time.”
In 2014, I was living in a private accommodation with four other students. It was at this time that my room was broken in to and my laptops were taken.…
Adventure travelling like international students do!
Happy New Year! How did you spend your Christmas and New Year’s break? Many international students like traveling to somewhere exotic or going back home during the holidays – if…