Close
Meet Cagla, now an MSc Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine student at 皇家华人, she completed the pre-sessional course in 2021.
What鈥檚 your background?
I am from Turkey. I graduated from Eskisehir Osmangazi University medical school in Turkey.
Why did you choose to study at 皇家华人?
I was interested in regenerative medicine. After that, I听researched听Master's听programmes and UCL's MSc Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine听seemed attractive to听me. Also, UCL is well-known and one of the top universities in the ranking lists, which also impacted听my decision.
What course do you study now and what is it like?
I am doing an MSc in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine. It is related to tissue engineering and nanomaterial-cell interactions. We are mainly focusing on research rather than learning information.
In addition, we have a laboratory research project that we听manage with a supervisor for 6-months. Although research is not as easy as joining a lecture passively, it gives you the opportunity to prefer the subject that you would like to work on during the Master's and improve your abilities as a scientist.听
How has the Pre-sessional helped you in your Master鈥檚 degree?
From my perspective, it was good to get used to the system and UCL online tools before starting my Master鈥檚 degree. Pre-sessional English also helped me to feel more confident about my interactions with lecturers and other international people.
It was an intensive course and there are so many tasks you must complete. You just need to follow the plan and do the instructions they have already determined day听by听day. Moreover, we had small groups where we could do speaking practice听with other students. Our English skills naturally improved in this intensive environment.听
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your time on the Pre-sessional?
I had a problem completing听the homework on time, but this difficulty helped me to find out how to be more organised. Some fast-reading tips also were beneficial for me to use time efficiently.
My advice is to听scan texts and tasks before starting reading听in greater detail. After looking quickly, you could feel more familiar with the task and find out how to do the task well听and faster.
What advice would you give to a prospective Pre-sessional student?
Studying and living in the UK is a nice experience. I worried about it听a lot before I came to听live here because it is not easy to predict what you will face when you live in another country. Living in London and studying in the UK is one of the best experiences of听my life, so my advice is听not to worry about the conditions and changing a country.
The UK education system is student-centred and you have to be active to achieve your goals and to improve your abilities. For this reason, especially for the pre-sessional course, it is better to participate and be active during lectures and seminars because no one will judge whether your answers or opinions are true or not. Generally, people, especially lecturers, think there is no one truth听and they are not trying to find the right answer, they just try to encourage you to share your ideas and be productive.听
What is it like to live and study in London?
Living in London is enjoyable and easy. London consists of a听combination of all nations. Therefore, you have an opportunity to make听friends from all other nations. I have never felt that I am living in this country as a foreigner. I feel like I am living in a small world in which people learn how to respect one another. Although London is more expensive than other cities, I could find suitable foods easily.
What is the most interesting thing you鈥檝e done, seen or got involved with while at 皇家华人?
I am staying at one of the UCL halls and have a good connection with my flatmates. Sometimes I play听games with them, which is really nice.
I really enjoyed participating in a live drawing class. The teacher was really professional and it was the most interesting thing I've participated in at 皇家华人 so far.
How is the UK education system different to your home country?
While our education system aims to give more information to the students, the听UK鈥檚 education system is more interactive and encourages you to think and research the subject and produce new ideas about it.
Which UCL听residence did you live in and how was your experience?
I am living in the Max Rayne house currently.听I think living in accommodation for the first year is a听good way to settle into the country and city. In addition, you could have flatmates from different countries, so you could meet them and learn about听their cultures.听