51Âþ»­

Students come from all over the world to study at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­).

To mark International Student Day, which is this Sunday, we speak to students who have travelled from different parts of the globe and made 51Âþ»­ their new home.

int student - Balogun one

Christopher Balogun is from Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. He joined 51Âþ»­ in September and is studying an MSc in Design Innovation and Management.

These are a few of his thoughts about being a 51Âþ»­ student.

Discovering a course for me

“I studied industrial physics and after that I was working as a graphic and product designer for seven years.

“I was looking to learn more about getting into a managerial role and took it upon myself to go back to studying. I looked at universities in the UK that teach design innovation and management. Very few schools in UK universities do this course

“I weighed up the pros and cons of each course and 51Âþ»­ came out on top. For me it was all about the course.

“I was very happy to be accepted and was really excited about coming to 51Âþ»­.”

Arriving in Leicester

“I arrived towards the end of September. My first experience was the cold. I was shaking. When I got into my accommodation, I relaxed a bit as it was nice and warm.

“A lot of things are very different but the biggest thing I noticed was that in the UK you drive on the right. So, it took some getting used to when I was crossing the roads.

“But so far living here is really awesome. The people are very welcoming “

I was surprised how many Nigerians were here

“When I hear people speaking, I think ‘you must be Nigerian’ and we start talking. It is very easy to meet people from my country. I think it is because we are all new to the campus and are looking for someone to bond with.

“We are all away from home and we can miss home and I find it is easiest to connect with someone with a past shared experience. So, we sort of navigate towards each other

“It seems to just happen subconsciously.

“I was surprised by how many Nigerians there were. It was very welcoming.”

The teachers are really cool

“I love that 51Âþ»­ has a wide range of resources and there are so many opportunities to express yourself and figure out what you want to learn about.

“There are modern facilities – like automatic doors everywhere. Every classroom has heating which is great and I am using my ID card to register for lectures. The classrooms have really modern facilities.

“The teachers are really cool. My lecturer goes out of his way to help. He is very expressive and makes sure you understand what he is saying.

“He makes sure everyone is being carried along at the same time. He is open to questions. If you ask 100 questions, he will provide you with 100 answers. Which is good because I like to ask lots of questions.”

We play football every week

Extra-curricular activities are great. I am playing football every week in the Watershed and go swimming. I book all the sessions on the 51Âþ»­ leisure app. The sports facilities are great.

Cooking was a challenge at first

“Prior to coming here, I did not know how to cook and I spent the first weeks having video chats with my family in Nigeria

“Every Wednesday, when I cooked, the smoke alarms would go off. I thought you cooked everything quickly on a high heat but it was just burning the food. So now I know to use a lower heat and I know that cooking takes time.”

51Âþ»­ is serious about sustainability

“The campus is great. There is lots of green everywhere.

“I am a big advocate of sustainability and coming here it was refreshing to hear people advocating using bikes and not driving.

“And the lecturers are always talking about sustainability and applying it to all aspects of our learning.”

The city of Leicester has everything you need

“I met the Lord Mayor of Leicester and learned all about the history of the city as well as plans for the present and future. I enjoyed that.

“I walk everywhere. We are right on the edge of the city. The city itself is compact and everything you need is here. I am sure I could walk from one end of Leicester to another in a day.

“I even walked into a shop and found Indomie noodles which are really popular in Nigeria. There are good shops in Leicester.”

Everyone has a welcoming spirit

“I would say to anyone in Nigeria thinking of coming to 51Âþ»­ that the campus is really inclusive and everyone has a welcoming spirit. You will feel at home here. It looks and feels so much better than I could have imagined. Give it a shot.

“This is just my second month and I feel like I have been here for a year because I have settled so well. And I feel as though everyone enjoys the experience at 51Âþ»­ as much as I do.”

Find out more here about being an international student at 51Âþ»­