International student talks about life at Harper Adams University
STUDYING abroad may seem like a daunting prospect, but it is one that Harper Adams Postgraduate student Oksana Teslyuk knows will broaden not only her horizons but also her CV.
The 27-year-old from Kiev in Ukraine is currently spending a year at the university studying an MSc in Farm and Agri-Business Management.
“I have come here because it had the course I was looking for and Harper Adams has a good reputation. I’m very glad I did it,” she added.
“It was a bit difficult for the first few months being here on my own but people in England are very helpful and you adapt to the country very quickly.
“For me the biggest challenge was to come back to study again and of course to come abroad and be on my own.”
For the last two years Oksana has been an assistant manager on a 5,000 hectare farm in Western Ukraine after completing a Masters in Linguistics and an Undergraduate degree in Business Economics.
She arrived in Shropshire last September and lives on campus in residential halls with other international students.
“Once you have the possibility to study abroad use your time to the full and study hard,” she added.
“I want to become a farm manager after I have graduated but in the future I can see myself as a farming consultant.
“This experience is definitely going to help me. I would not be able to get this type of education at home in respect of agriculture.
“The Ukraine definitely has something to learn from England. We have good conditions for agriculture but we need better management. Here you have worse conditions but better skills and management.
“I enjoy it here very much, the lectures and modules as well as the other parts like the international community. Every one of us came here on our own so we feel like a family.”
Harper Adams is currently home to students from around 30 different countries. International students have an induction before the start of their course to help them settle into their accommodation, discover the layout of the campus and surrounding area, organise bank accounts etc.
A team of staff is available to support the induction of international students and dedicated tutors can provide English language classes, study advice and individual support.
The International Society, run by international students, provides a variety of social and cultural events on campus, and excursions to places of interest.
ENDS
Sarah Swinnerton
Harper Adams Press Office
Newport, Shropshire
01952 815291
Harper Adams University is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the rural and land-based industries. Our mission is to deliver higher education and research for the delivery of a sustainable food chain and rural economy. To see how Harper Adams can help you, visit www.harper-adams.ac.uk
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