Our Story

T he state of my hometown, Tangerang, has for many years been at the front of my mind. So many people there are suffering from poverty and don’t deserve the poor urban conditions they are living in; they need to have a better place to live in order to ensure that all members of society are part of the city’s growth. I believe that urban planning is necessary not only to improve their lives, but for humanity as a whole to have a more harmonious and comfortable future on this earth. I’ve long been inspired by the UK’s system of city planning, in part because of its emphasis on sustainability, wherein people can feel the dignity of living in an environment that they inherently deserve. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that I was attracted to modules of UWE Bristol’s Urban Planning course that focus on achieving design quality and implementation. I want to learn about the ways to optimally plan and design cities, so that one day, when I’ve returned to Tangerang, I can help make it a better place. Ultimately, as an architect and soon to be an urban planner, and most importantly as a human being, I hold the conviction that it is my duty to serve and contribute to the development of my community in the future. My history in the UK extends back much further than the master’s course I’m about to embark on. I first came here in 2013, when I was a sophomore in high school. I attended a summer school programme at Stafford House at that time, studying advanced English (I’m sure I picked up my accent, however, from the movies Sherlock Holmes and The Gentlemen). We had some wonderful school trips during my time there, visiting places of renown like Cambridge and Oxford. I fell in love with England during that period, and for no reason more so than the people themselves; the British have always been unfailingly generous and kind to me, and I feel they possess a social cohesion that leads them to have each other’s backs. In fact, they had my back when I needed it too. During that summer school course in 2013 I fell ill with influenza, and also took a bad tumble down a flight of stairs. The latter occurred when I was hurrying along with a cup of coffee in one hand and my phone in another. I missed the next step, stumbled, and down I went. In both cases I was taken to the hospital, and the care for my wellbeing I received in those instances honestly left me speechless. In my own hometown I wouldn’t have expected such warm treatment from anyone outside of my family, and yet there even complete strangers were ready to help me. Those memories stayed with me over the years, even as I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Indonesia and became an architect. In my line of work I began to see the problems in the structure of my city: it lacks optimal accessibility and green areas; the road system is insufficient, leading to terrible traffic congestion — and the list goes on. I decided that if I was ever to be able to help fix such problems, it would be best for me to gain knowledge and experiences abroad in the UK, where I recalled my admiration for the city planning of London and other urban centers I’d visited. My research on universities led me to UWE. Not only was their MSc Urban Planning course precisely what I was looking for, but the more I learned about Bristol, the more I felt that the city had everything a student could want. The moment finally arrived when I touched down and headed to immigration, about to officially enter the UK for the first time in eight years. My heart was pounding, because I was scared that somehow my documentation wouldn’t fulfill the entry requirements and I’d be denied entry. Thankfully my fears turned out to be entirely unfounded, because the officer was nothing but kind and welcoming. When I came up to the immigration counter, he asked me which university I was going 99

99 As an architect and soon to be an urban planner, and most importantly as a human being, I hold the conviction that it is my duty to serve and contribute to the development of my community in the future. 100

to, and a few moments later he wished me the best of luck with my studies and sent me on my way. Since then, I’ve again been experiencing the hospitality here that I did in my teens. I appreciate how people say good morning and good evening to me, and that I always feel accepted in the society. I’m currently finishing up my quarantine in London, but excited to start my journey in Bristol. Between the harbour, city centre, and the surrounding countryside, I can’t wait to get out and explore — it looks like the perfect city to live in, really. Even in my excitement, I can’t help but feel a little insecure. This will be my first time to stay abroad in years, and the longest period I’ve spent in a foreign country at all. I anticipate that this experience is going to help me develop my self-discipline and better time management, and I believe that I’ll improve my overall mindset so that I can be a better individual in the future. Some of those personal aspects are things that I’ve already begun to improve on during my preparation for this move to UWE. Throughout the application period, and then the process leading up to my departure from Indonesia, I was still working my full-time job as an architect. Juggling all that meant it took a massive amount of time to fulfill Not only was (UWE’s) MSc Urban Planning course precisely what I was looking for, but the more I learned about Bristol, the more I felt that the city had everything a student could want. my responsibilities, and I usually ended up working overnight. That effort I put in was worth every second, though, because it compelled me to rank my priorities and manage my time more wisely. Moreover, this has been going on whilst we’re embroiled in the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s highlighted to me the importance of maintaining awareness: in these trying times we need to be especially cognizant of our physical and mental health, and we must think smart and be strong at the same time in order to continue living in a fruitful way. Lining up accommodation in Bristol has been a lengthy challenge. Fortunately the accommodation team contacted me a few weeks back and offered for me to stay at Frenchay campus for the first three months. My first thought was, Thank God, I’ve finally got somewhere to live! In fact, if I’m allowed to extend my contact after those three months I’ll probably be happy to stay at Frenchay for as long as I can. At this very moment, I simply can’t wait to get out of my (quarantine) hotel room and arrive in Bristol at last. There’s so much that I’m looking forward to. For one thing, UWE’s Urban Planning course is accredited by the Royal Town 101

102 Planning Institute (RTPI), so I’m excited about the idea of meeting leaders from that organization and taking part in brainstorming sessions. Besides the academic aspect, as a cyclist I’m interested in joining the UWE cycling club and cycling around the UK. I’ve seen that the club has sometimes cycled from Bristol to London, and held a variety of different events in the past, so I’d love to partake in those activities. I have a goal of visiting every city in UK in my spare time as well. I always have my eyes on the future. Though I’ve left my job in Tangerang behind with the move, I’m already looking forward to the prospect of working in either Manchester or London for a time after my studies. As I sought to convey through my personal statement to the university, if we’re not being honest with ourselves, we can’t expect to develop ourselves. When I considered my professional development, I realized that I needed a new spark to reignite my career, and I believe that working here will provide that. Looking ahead even further, my dream of improving life in my city through the transformative power of skilled urban planning awaits. All that is yet to come, so let’s see where life takes me!

UWE School of Applied Sciences is proud to work with a range of local, national and international stakeholders and industry partners. From the NHS to Bristol Zoo, our professional connections o!er opportunities for placements, field experience and networking to boost employability. School of Applied Sciences OUR COURSES INCLUDE: - Biosciences - Environmental Science - Environmental Science

Indonesia I wanted to find a university that would support my interest and advance my education in robotics. Ryan Timothy Abisha B.Eng (Hons) Robotics, 2022 104

I n Junior High School I entered a national competition that required us to think of an existing problem and then develop an innovative solution to it using robots. I took part in this with my friend, and we created a robot that could plant seeds in soil, water them, and subsequently nurture the growth of the young plant. To my surprise, we won first place for our work. The experience made me realize that finding ways to provide solutions to existing problems was a fun and rewarding thing to do — not least because it had the potential to improve people’s lives. The world is currently undergoing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where we’re moving toward more and more automation using modern smart technology, so I knew that the robotics industry would be growing even bigger in the future. I decided that this was the best field of study for me, and I wanted to find a university that would support my interest and advance my education in robotics. In 2017 I was starting to feel nervous about my academic future and locating a university that would match my ambitions. My father and I started looking into options early, with SUN Education (Indonesian international education consultant) helping us by providing information. After we heard from them about UWE Bristol, we started to read more about it, and soon learned that the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, located on UWE’s Frenchay campus, is the largest research facility of its kind in the United Kingdom — and in fact one of the largest robotics labs in all of Europe. After searching online for more information and joining a number of seminars about UWE Bristol, I knew this was the right place for me and finalized my decision to apply. As I began the admission process, I was a bit anxious about the IELTS component. It was sort of funny, because I actually ended up taking the wrong IELTS exam on the first try, as I was actually required to complete 105

the ‘IELTS for UKVI’ (IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration) so I technically ended up doing the exam twice! However, all in all this was a good opportunity for me, because I actually ended up getting a better score the second time than I would have otherwise. I got my offer to complete a foundation year at UWE and then start on my Bachelors, but my parents decided it would be better to defer my start until the following year. Nevertheless, before I knew it I was off to the UK, Bristol bound. Life in the UK so far has been a fun and thrilling experience. For one thing, I came here alone. With no friends from home coming along, and no family here, the journey became all about me and my new environment. Rather than this being lonesome, it turned into a fresh adventure in independence for me. One of the most exciting parts of it has been living with new friends from different countries, including China, Thailand, Germany and Korea. We used to get together to eat hot pot every week and hang out doing different activities. My British Korean friend is an awesome guy and loves making cocktails, appletinis and all kinds of other drinks at home, so naturally we end up having a lot of fun. Making an international circle of friends taught me how to be a more easygoing person, so that I can adapt to new environments more smoothly now and in the future. I’ve developed a high level of open-mindedness in regards to people from other countries and cultures, which will serve me well in life. Not only that, but I learned the critical life skill of networking. Whether with professors on campus, through people that I meet at events, or through LinkedIn, it’s crucial to network nowadays in order to build a good profile, and being open and willing to form good relationships with people of any background 106 is an important part of that. After three full years here so far, another important thing I’ve learned is that, in addition to studying, it’s important to enjoy time with your friends and explore the clubs and societies that are available to you. For instance, I joined the Indonesian Students Association of the UK, and from 2019-2020 I even served in an officer role with them, where I helped in reaching out to find sponsors for events we were planning to hold. Most of the members of the Association are doing their master’s; many of them have held full-time jobs in the past, after receiving their bachelor’s degree, so I’ve been able to listen to their experiences. For example, we have people that have worked as news reporters and journalists, and thus I could hear from them all about a line of work very different from my own pursuits. Every year we also organize some competitions with members of the Indonesian student community from across the UK, and getting together on those occasions always feels like home. Probably my biggest challenge at UWE has been satisfying my professors’ expectations in the reports I must produce. As engineers, we’re expected to make numerous scientific reports, and I found that what I often felt was ‘good enough’ wasn’t necessarily good enough for my professors! One thing that I learned from this is the value and importance of asking for feedback from one’s instructors throughout the process of working on an assignment. In other words, rather than waiting to complete it all close to the deadline, it’s much better to complete parts of it week by week (or whatever time frame fits) and ask for feedback from your instructors along the way. In this way you’ll be able to produce the best possible result in the end. With that said, I do believe that there is always room for improvement with whatever you’re producing. I’m really glad that I’ve always asked questions and sought feedback,

Making an international circle of friends taught me how to be a more easygoing person, so that I can adapt to new environments more smoothly now and in the future. 107

but in my opinion even that’s not enough. I know I can always do better, and being open to feedback is just one way for me to strive for that goal. My third year was the most difficult so far. Of course with the COVID-19 pandemic going on, classes needed to move online. Though the online classes were as good as they could be, as a Robotics student our study typically requires a large degree of practical work in the lab. The simulations we worked on in lieu of the real thing may have been the next best thing, but overall I’d say it’s less ideal than being hands-on in the lab itself. Prior to the pandemic, I also loved the open houses that would take place at the Bristol Robotics Lab. At those times, representatives from various startups would set up there and we could go in and learn all about the projects they were focused on. It was a really diverse environment; for example, there were startups building robots for the health industry, autonomous vehicles, robotic arms, and all kinds of other fascinating things. As for getting through the long period of Covid-19 restrictions otherwise, I consider myself a pretty chill person and didn’t have much a problem. Netflix and a bit of gaming helped keep me entertained through periods of time spent in my flat, but I’d also meet up with friends sometimes to discuss our assignments. I also continued swimming, playing table tennis and football, and kept up going to the gym whenever possible. Now that I’m in my fourth year, I’m planning a robotics project related to machine vision and agriculture. Specifically, my idea is to design an AI-based system that ensures quality control when harvesting crops. In this case, I’m focused on using machine vision to measure the ripeness, health, and other factors pertaining to the quality of banana crops. Normally this is done by humans, but by using machine vision in the way I anticipate it would be a lot faster and more efficient. I’m choosing to focus on bananas because this is the number one crop being produced in Indonesia nowadays; we produce over seven million tons of bananas annually, so if I could design my system to work specifically for banana crops first, then I may one day be able to apply it to that industry in my country. My plan, overall, is to spearhead the use of such agricultural robotics in Indonesia. Machine vision possesses the same capabilities of human vision, but we need to train the machine with specific data so that it is able to process and classify the visual information it receives in the way we require. While my first step is to train it using bananas, I envision a wide agricultural application for this in the future. The school year is in full swing, so I’ll finish here for now and head back to my studies. I might see you in the labs, or at a banana plantation, or anywhere else along the cutting edge of robotics! If I can design my system to work specifically for banana crops first, then I may one day be able to apply it to that industry in my country. 108

JAPAN 109

Japan There are a number of extra courses available to students that help them with their academic skills. A Yuki MSc Marketing, 2022 110

S tudying abroad is a natural fit for me, as my life experiences have long been international in nature. My interests were in part inspired by my older sister, who really liked learning English when she was in high school. Seeing how much she enjoyed it made me enthusiastic about it as well, and when she later went to study in the U.S. I thought it was really cool and wanted to do something like that myself someday. I decided to do International Studies for my undergraduate degree, as it required students to study abroad for one year, and I ended up staying in Norway as an exchange student. I started working in Tokyo at a travel agency after graduating, and followed that up by getting a job with the Japanese embassy in Estonia, where I worked for two and a half years in assisting diplomats and carrying out other responsibilities. I’ve always liked building connections between people from Japan and other countries, and my role at the embassy allowed me to flourish in this. As time went on, though, I felt that I didn’t really have a speciality, and with the aim of building a career for myself I decided to study marketing. My future goal is to live and work in Europe, so I began searching for countries and universities in Europe that I could study marketing in. With my previous degree being in International Studies, I needed to find a programme that didn’t require a background in marketing, and UWE Bristol offered just such an opportunity. As I also want to work abroad following my master’s — hopefully in the marketing department of a company that does business with Japan — the post-study work visa available in the UK made it the ideal country for my purposes. Altogether, these factors helped me determine that UWE would be the best fit for helping me achieve my goals. I had traveled to the UK a few times in the past, but this would be my first time to live there. I got accommodation near Frenchay campus, where the environment is quiet and it’s easy to get to my classes. It’s probably quite different from what it would be like living closer to the City Centre, but here I can better focus on my studies. When I need groceries, I can walk to Asda on the opposite side of the campus and pick them up. It’s still easy to get to the City Centre by bus, too, so I have no problem going there any time I want. After a five-year hiatus between my undergrad studies and beginning this master’s, my academic writing skills had become rusty — in fact, I’d pretty much forgotten how to do it. Not only that, but it was also my first time writing essays in English, so learning how to do this, and a in formal way, took some time. My first essays in January came together slowly and took a lot of effort to complete, but since then I’ve been getting more proficient with them. Fortunately, there are a number of extra courses available to students that help them with their academic skills, so a major contributor to my improvement was taking an academic writing course. I received valuable guidance along the way, which made me better at meeting my professors’ requirement that we write critically and not just describe information. This critical approach to composing essays was a challenge for me, as I was inexperienced at it. The teaching style at UWE is very different from what I experienced during my undergrad. There was an absence of group discussion or group work during my classes in Japan, and lectures usually had 50 to 100 students in attendance, so we just listened to the lecturer speaking rather than interacting or expressing our own ideas. At UWE my classes only have 20 to 30 people, and we usually sit at tables with four or five other students, discussing the topics we’re given and then presenting what 111

This student-centred approach is preferable to me, as despite the challenges that come attached to it, I feel like I’m learning more. in the UK for as long as I can. Barring that, I may also look for marketing positions in other countries. I feel that studying this programme will benefit me in my career ambitions through both the knowledge that I’m acquiring and the doors that can be opened through the possession of the degree itself in the future. My primary reason for returning to school was, as previously mentioned, that I felt I didn’t have a particular speciality, and I wanted to shift my work from the diplomatic sphere to a career focused on marketing. Getting a marketing degree is a necessary place to start such a long-term undertaking. Of course, just as important as the degree itself is what I’m learning in the process of achieving it, as the know-how and skills that I’m acquiring will serve me as I go back out into the work world in the future with this new professional direction. To some extent, I think whether someone chooses to study abroad like I am can be influenced by what their future goals are. If a person wants to get a job in the future in a foreign country, studying for a degree at a university in that country, as I’m doing now, can be a great place to start. The language skills to be gained by necessity are another factor to consider. Many Japanese people, for example, aren’t that good at speaking English, and may not be at a level where they’d be able to keep up with study materials or what is being said in their classes, so those aiming to study abroad need to put the effort in to improve their English ability enough to qualify as a student and to succeed. I personally took the TOEFL in order to measure and demonstrate my proficiency, but my abilities had been built up by friends I had made in Estonia and Norway, who I had to communicate with in English. It goes to show that, as with studying abroad, making international connections has the power to expand your abilities and ultimately open the door to exciting new possibilities. we’ve talked about to the professor and the rest of the class. This student-centred approach is preferable to me, as despite the challenges that come attached to it, I feel like I’m learning more. I’ve made some friends at university and in my life outside of school as well. I found a Facebook page for people who are learning Japanese and found a language exchange partner who I now meet with once a week. There’s also lots of societies and clubs that provide a place to meet new people. As someone with dance experience, I was thinking of joining the dancing society, but my studies have gotten so busy that I decided to forego it. Studying a master’s is demanding for sure, and you need to choose wisely where you allocate time. I love to eat Japanese food regularly, so I often cook it myself — especially because going out for Japanese food at restaurants in the UK can be quite expensive. The regular supermarkets don’t always have all the ingredients I need, but I can find everything at the Asian grocery. Japanese curry is always a favourite of mine, as it’s pretty easy and fast to prepare. As I look ahead to what will follow my studies, I do intend to seek out a job here in the UK, and I’ll hopefully continue in such a position for a couple years on the post-study work visa. After that visa expires, I’ll necessarily need to find a company that will sponsor a new visa, so if I’m able to do so I’d like to continue on 112

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MALAYSIA 114

Malaysia If I could give a piece of advice to anyone who finds themself presented with an opportunity to study abroad like I did, it would be to grab the chance and broaden your horizons. Wen Shen Chin BA (Hons) Economics, 2018 with First-Class Honours 115

By the time I was 19, having already gained some experience tutoring secondary school students, two things occurred to me. The first was that I had more interest in business-related subjects than my initial persuasion toward pharmacy and the hard sciences; the second was that if I were to continue with teaching or tutoring in the future, it should be in a field that I excelled in. Only by reaching such a level, I reasoned, could I truly succeed in being an educator on that subject. With this in mind, I took on courses centering around economics at university. By the end of my second year, my goal of gaining a deep understanding of the subject had helped hone my focus and push me to get straight As and a CGPA of 3.96. Initially I had no intention of ever studying abroad. I was still living with my parents and had never even been away from home for as much as a week. The idea of departing to live in another country The opportunity I was being given was rare; I should just go, I thought, take the plunge and develop myself further. for eight or nine months was almost inconceivable. During that second year of university, though, I learned about a potential scholarship that UWE Bristol was making available through their partnership with my university. I applied for the scholarship alongside some friends and soon had an interview. Everything about my application and interview went excellently, because I received an amazing offer of a full scholarship to continue my studies at UWE. At that point I fell into intense deliberation about whether to alter my projected path. Should I step out of my comfort zone, I wondered, travelling all the way to the UK to study at UWE? Or should I avoid challenging myself and remain on my current trajectory, remaining with my parents and continuing with my studies exactly as I had been? For a while I wrestled with myself about this, but when I thought about some of the students that I had taught part-time between years one and two of university, I became inspired. The opportunity I was being given was rare; I should just go, I thought, take the plunge and develop myself further. What’s more, my parents were very supportive and encouraging about the idea of me studying in the UK, agreeing that it was a great opportunity. All of that sealed it for me. I was going to UWE. 116

I’ve always maintained high expectations of myself, driven to constantly improve my scores, so the amount of pressure I place on myself tends to result in an element of stress for me. As I started attending classes at UWE, I paid the utmost attention and asked lots of questions. I discovered that the lecturers and others I was in contact with were immensely helpful. When I had consultation sessions with my tutor, I’d use up pretty much the full hour with my questions. In one of my courses the tutors even stayed after each class to address any queries I had come up with during the lecture. The extra mile they went to help me and the other students was a shining scoring would be explicitly broken down into smaller pieces, such as 30 points for the introduction, 40 points for the body, 30 points for the conclusion, and so on, so this new approach was foreign to me. The scores for my first completed assignments hovered around the 60% range. I got a bit stressed, but approached my lecturer to discuss about it, then doubled down on my efforts to study harder and improve. These differences in expectations changed the way I approached learning for the better. In Malaysia I had spent most of my time at university involved with clubs and societies, and though I still participated in some clubs at UWE, soon I was devoting aspect of UWE academic life. There was a vast difference between studying in Malaysia and studying at UWE. In Malaysia, when we’re given an assignment we receive clear directions about what do to and what is expected of us. In contrast, the scope and scoring criteria of assignments seemed quite broad at UWE. For instance, I remember needing to write a paper on the causes of rural urban unemployment in developing countries, with the whole paper being worth a value out of a hundred points, full stop. I wondered to myself how I could go about getting full marks; on such an assignment in Malaysia, the 117

much of my weekend and other free time to reading journals. I developed a habit of reading anywhere and anytime, until I was even able to concentrate on doing research when I was grabbing a bite at McDonald’s. In just one year at UWE I read more in total that I had the entire two years preceding it in Malaysia! I also became more open in my approach to understanding and working with data, learning to make connections for myself and draw conclusions about the real world based on my research. I stopped worrying about getting some hypothetical answer wrong if I missed a single piece of data, and rather strived to find foot to get my groceries or just about anything else I needed. I found walking was a good way for me to relax, whereas in Kuala Lumpur I was used to going any distance at all solely by car. Having already gotten a good deal of European travels under my belt during the school breaks, I flew back home to KL shortly after graduation, taking some time there to settle back in and search for a job. In 2021, I decided to return to the familiar role of teacher, and these days I’m teaching math, economics and accounting to high schoolers. My next through critical thinking is more likely to stick in their long-term memory. I also came to understand from my UWE education that the most important part of effective teaching is storytelling, because the act of sharing information with students, rather than forcing them to digest it strictly from some papers I hand out, is more likely to help them understand and retain that information. As an example, I like to guide my economics students through realistic situations and stories that could be relevant to them as potential business owners in the future. Looking back, I can also see how my time in the UK gave me a newfound appreciation for other cultures and people. I had the chance to meet people from many different nationalities, possessing a wide range of personalities and cultural backgrounds. This too has helped me to be a more effective educator. Meeting so many different people in my life is all for the better, as it has improved my ability to find similarities and common ground with my students in order to connect with them better. It’s a decision and a journey I’m so glad to have made. If I could give a piece of advice to anyone who finds themself presented with an opportunity to study abroad like I did, it would be to grab the chance and broaden your horizons. To expand on that, I’d like to say that every encounter in life, whether good or bad, contributes to your growth. The good ones make you better, of course, but the bad ones make you stronger. Give yourself a chance to explore the world and mix with people from different cultures — what you’ll gain from it is not limited only to cultural knowledge, but also how you deal with people. Everyone in the world is unique and has something to offer. The extra mile (the tutors) went to help me and the other students was a shining aspect of UWE academic life. goal is to study a master’s and move on to working at the university level. I also plan to open my own tutoring center one day. My teaching style and methodology changed quite dramatically between my pre-UWE days and now, based on my experience there as a student. When I first started working with students in Malaysia again, I recalled how my UWE lecturer would open the lessons by posing open questions to the class to get us thinking. I now do this myself, getting students engaged from the outset of the lesson, sparking their critical thinking rather than tasking them to only extract facts from a book. I want my students to be curious about the topic, because what they learn interconnectedness and critically examine information as part of a whole. This was not only of great benefit in my economics studies, but it can also be applied beyond that to other fields and aspects of life itself. I did some travelling and visited other cities in the UK. One thing that made Bristol stand out to me from, say, Coventry, is the sheer beauty of the city and the short distances between all the locations that were key to me while living there. I was living and studying in Frenchay campus, only about a tenminute jaunt from downtown, and I could walk to all my classes straight from my dorm, not to mention that I could go on 118

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The School of Health and Social Wellbeing is leading the way, and is home to all our courses and research related to this varied and rewarding sector. Based at our Glenside and Frenchay Campuses, you’ll be part of a cohort focused on making a di!erence to people and society as a whole. We collaborate across subjects, mirroring the evolving integrated care systems of healthcare, social wellbeing and public health that you’ll be ready for when you graduate. School of Health and Social Wellbeing OUR COURSES INCLUDE: - Health Professions courses - Nursing and Midwifery courses - Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy & Sport Rehabilitation - Social Work, Environmental and Public Health - Music Therapy

Malaysia One of the most beneficial parts of my training are the placements we receive within the National Health Service (NHS). Li Xin Chu BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult), 2022 121

I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after graduating secondary school at 17, initially torn between going for my A-levels or starting a foundation course for law. My passion actually lay in the culinary arts, but I decided that cooking was something I could practice on my own for the enjoyment of it rather than studying it as part of a career path. As it got closer to the deadline for me to decide what to do, my mom suggested that, since I liked helping people, if I decided not to do law in the end then I should at least apply for something in the vein of meaningful service to others, such as studying to become a doctor or nurse. My cousin was in Australia at the time doing her last year of med school, so I asked her what it was like; she gave me the gist, and I thought it sounded like the kind of thing I’d like to do myself. Not being a fan of chemistry, however, I was hesitant about taking the doctor route, and so my cousin suggested nursing. Mom helped me research different options and noticed a scholarship for nursing school offered by a major social enterprise that operates in Malaysia, so I decided to try for it. That’s how the ball got rolling in my case. I interviewed with the school operated by the enterprise, favouring the look their campus and facilities, and upon receiving an offer I chose to go there. By the end of my third year of study I felt ready to be a nurse, confident that it was something I could do and possessed all the (My mentor) would help me anytime I needed it, and also placed a lot of trust in me, giving me the freedom and leeway to enhance my learning as much as possible. skills for. Just as I graduated, though, the coronavirus pandemic hit, severely waylaying my next step of moving into residence to begin working. Once the situation eased and I gained some work experience, I was started to feel that it would be good to reach for a higher qualification and gain new skills, so I decided to go to the UK and get my nursing degree at UWE Bristol. This would in fact be my second time not only in the UK, but in Bristol itself. I’d lived there for two years as a child while my dad was doing his master’s at UWE. I attended primary school in the city, and my mom worked at the same school as an assistant teacher. I used to actually have a Bristolian accent, even though I lost it in the long period since I’d been back, and now I occasionally have some trouble understanding the locals! Bristol is a really vibrant city and an excellent place to be, particularly if you’re a young person, and even more so if you’re into art, creativity, and activism — such as climate activism, social justice and social change, etc. You can see a lot of busking and a plethora of talented artists around. It’s also a good fit for people who like to do social work; for example, there’s a great aid program in place to help the homeless. To put it in a nutshell, I’d say it’s the “art and the heart” that I love about it. When I arrived for the start of my course in September 2020, however, things were still pretty locked down due to Covid and classes were online. At first it seemed like I didn’t have much of a life, except for hanging out with the one friend that I had gone there with, but seeing only the same person for long periods of time will eventually make you go a bit crazy. It was also the dead of winter, and the sun set early every day. I started wondering if I’d made the right decision. Then, to widespread relief, lockdown began lifting little by little. Free to get out and socialize again, I finally started meeting some new friends. One of the girls I met was living on Frenchay Campus, and at Frenchay I discovered there were so many cool people, especially international students. I got to know others from all over the world, and some of them formed what is now my core group of friends. After that I continued to make interesting acquaintances around Bristol, just from bumping into people when I was out and about. That loneliness I had felt during lockdown was dispelled at last. Beyond the social dimension, the other major component of my life is naturally my studies, and these have come with their own set of challenges. In particular, I’ve struggled with academic writing, as it’s so different from what I was used to. Early on, I contacted one of my lecturers, Julie, who served as my Academic Personal Tutor, or APT, explaining about the difficult I was having. She was sweetest lady ever, checking in on me consistently from that point on and helping with my essay writing. I had a panicky moment where I wasn’t sure if I’d pass one of my big 3000-word essays, but she guided me through it and sought to make sure I was successful. Essays we complete in nursing are very heavy on facts and require proof and evidence to support all statements, along with footnotes, references and so forth; I’ve had a lot to learn in order to do this comprehensively and meet the standards required of students. My life got better and better throughout spring and summer 2021. I moved into new accommodation, three streets away 122

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from Glenside healthcare campus, sharing a flat with some friends. That came about serendipitously, as my friend and I just happened to meet a girl on the bus who told us about a nice flat becoming available in the area; she talked to the landlady for us, ultimately resulting in us moving in. I enjoy the lifestyle of living with flatmates, as I get the freedom of independent living whilst there’s always a friend around to catch up with about our days. One of the most beneficial parts of my training are the placements we receive within the National Health Service (NHS). These run for different lengths of time over the period of your study, ranging from 4 weeks all the way to 13 weeks. Though I had prior experience as a staff nurse in Malaysia, I really appreciated how as a student nurse in the UK I was welcomed to ask questions, with my mentors always willing to answer and guide me. In other words, if you’re happy to learn, they’re happy to teach. Before students get placed in a hospital, they find out what department they’ll be working in. For example, in my first placement I was put into Medical Day Care, where patients come in and out to get transfusions or IV medications according to their individual schedules. The majority of the staff are really happy to have a student working with them, so I think they often feel there’s as much advantage to the program as students themselves do. Through this we get an actual taste of reality in a hospital setting, and I personally felt so glad to have a great mentor, who had been working in that hospital for over 8 years and in the Medical Day Care department for 4. He knew everything there like the back of his hand, and he had a lively, unfailingly optimistic personality. I didn’t have any truly negative experiences during placements. The hospital staff understand the importance of keeping a calm and orderly environment, so when there was a problem they would cooperate to make it a smaller problem, and if smaller problems arose, they took care of them to make sure it no longer seemed like a problem at all. At the same time, of course, it’s perhaps unavoidable in a hospital environment to find yourself in intense environments or situations at some points. For instance, when I was working in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), there were people there who could have a heart attack or some other major cardiac issue at any moment, so staff would often be rushing there to save people or ensure they were okay. I was really lucky to have another great mentor there; she was a new member of staff, but the kind of person who always exudes positivity. She would help me anytime I needed it and also placed a lot of trust in me, giving me the freedom and leeway to enhance my learning as much as possible. Practical placements such as these are a definite must for nursing students. Sure, you can be taught how to do things in terms of methodology, like inserting a needle into someone’s arm, but if you don’t have the chance to do it for real then you’ll never really understand how to carry it out correctly and be confident in your abilities. This goes just as much for the entire social aspect of the 124

profession. How to comfort someone who’s lost a loved one, or deliver bad news such as a cancer diagnosis, are skills that require finesse, compassion, and ample practice through experience which is something you cannot get solely in a classroom. I’ve learned that you can have all the skills in the world, but if you don’t know how to truly speak to a patient on an authentic personable level — asking them things such as how they are, asking them their name, or about their family — they’re not going to let you do anything to them. Consider sensitive procedures, such as inserting a patient’s catheter: you need to have the ability to strike up some bright rapport before you do such a thing, so that the patient a connection with you, and comfortable enough to willingly let you do what you need to help them. An example of this is from when I was working in the CICU. The patients are hooked up to heart monitors and many of them are agitated because they can’t breathe normally and are constantly worrying about having a heart attack. When the nurse needs to give my placements that comes to mind is that all the staff I’ve been with are really willing to teach. The other is that there’s no discernible hierarchy that restricts you, meaning you can question the manager without being scared about an impact on your job. I’ve been fortunate to be in very open environments where managers are okay with confrontation and people speaking out for the betterment of a ward or in an otherwise constructive spirit. This September we started our next round of placements, though I was interrupted in that when I came down with Covid, forcing me to quarantine. It really walloped me, but I recovered and now I’m fully back in action. I expect to be graduating around September or October next year. I’m not completely sure what I’ll do after graduation yet. As there’s much higher pay for nursing jobs here in the UK than in Malaysia, I’m strongly considering working here to save up for a while. For the time being, I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of my time at UWE, where I’m being readied for all the exciting years to come in this profession. Bristol is a really vibrant city and an excellent place to be. and that way when it’s time for them to take meds they feel a level of comfort and trust with me, swallowing them without any problem. This human element is something I feel I was naturally ready for, as from childhood I’ve always possessed high empathy, taking after my mom, who saw that quality in me even before I fully realized it. Overall, one of the major positive aspects of 125 them medication, they’re naturally going to be asking questions about what they’re being given, or often pushing back by asking why they need to take so much different medication. Prior to reaching that point I’ve always struck up conversations with them, asking them about themselves and their life,

Malaysia (The lecturers) make me feel confident so that I never feel embarrassed when I have something to ask, and they’re experts in their subjects. Yee Tan (Claire) BA Graphic Design, 2023 126

E ver since I was a child, I’ve been interested in drawing. I started with stickmen, creating stories with them and showing them to my dad, who would give me compliments and keep my art tucked away in drawers. My parents came to understand that I really loved to draw and that I possessed some aesthetic and artistic sensibilities, so they sent me to a drawing class. Through my experiences there I recognized more and more that I was fascinated with the development of beautiful artwork, and that for me drawing provided an escape from the real world. With drawing I could work through my frustrations, and it always helped calm my mind. I also found myself influenced by cartoons, absorbing a lot through them, and all this helped inspire me to continue on an artistic path. I wasn’t sure whether or not I could become an artist by profession, because the market for artists in Malaysia is quite limited, with pay not being great. There’s not so much upward mobility with such a job either. Furthermore, families in my society typically want their children to take more high-paying, stable jobs. Fortunately, my family is an exception to this, as they are very open to the idea of less common pursuits. Both my mother and father have studied (and in fact met!) in the USA; they believe that it’s important to study abroad and learn new things, so my older siblings have already gone to different countries. When I told my parents that I wanted to continue pursuing art, they performed some research about different options online and determined that the UK would be a great choice for this. Some of my cousins had studied in the UK previously, so there was already some precedent for it in our family, and we held the impression that it had an open-minded and tolerant culture. With this plan in mind, I started studying at The One Academy in Kuala Lumpur, which has a partnership with UWE. I learned about UWE’s attractive qualities like scholarships and their Arts programs, and read online comments and reviews that convinced me it would be a suitable university for me. I contacted Waimun Chew from the UWE Asia Pacific team and the application process unfolded from there. I had traveled in Hong Kong and some European countries in the past, but had never been to the UK. This was also to be the first time I’d be flying abroad alone. I reasoned with myself that I was 24 years old by that time and a full-grown adult, so I had to face everything ahead with positivity. I appreciated that the move would result in a new degree of freedom, and it didn’t take me long after arriving to find out what a nice city Bristol is. It’s sunny even in winter, which is a plus, and the people are very open, kind and tolerant. People of many different ethnicities live and study here, so it’s a diverse place, and in addition a lot of people at school and out walking along the streets look like me, so I never feel out of place. Another benefit of being in Bristol is that the cost of living isn’t too high, and the food is quite affordable. On that latter point, I found that avocados are much cheaper here than in Malaysia, so now I can have them with every meal! As a fan of desserts, I love the breads and cakes at the patisseries, while the many cafes always provide me a nice environment to have a coffee and do my work. The lecturers at UWE are really professional. They’ve always been open to helping me when there are things I don’t know or if I have questions. They make me feel confident so that I never feel embarrassed when I have something to ask, and they’re experts in their subjects. There’s also a lot of opportunities afforded to students, and the lecturers are really happy when we can take advantage of these. This was something I hadn’t experienced before, and for the first time in my life I’ve found that I have a balance of time to focus on my work and join a lot of projects and activities. One of the projects I’ve taken part in is a collaboration with the Hong Kong Design Institute to work on a program in which I can teach about my Chinese culture and identity to kids in the UK and Hong Kong. I’m working together with a girl from Hong Kong on this to create interactive activities about Chinese culture, temples, traditional paper-making activities and so on to help bridge gaps in intercultural understanding and knowledge. We’ll launch this in July 2022 and are making a website so that school students will be able to access the activities in their classrooms. Even though 127

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this is outside of my course and I won’t receive credit for it, I think it’s an excellent opportunity for me, and it’s fulfilling in that I get to help educate kids and share my about my identity. I love to experience and try new things, which is something that I find is encouraged in Western countries. Every time I’ve told my lecturer that I want to try a new direction with a piece of work, they tell me to go for it. I’m particularly interested in branding, through mediums like photography, posters and illustrations, and in Bristol I can see how branding of all kinds is so broad and diverse. Designs that I’ve seen online in the past, like ads, signboards and photography, are now close to me. I feel immersed in it all. It’s said that design is meant to help solve problems and deliver messages, so it’s great for me to have direct experience with this society’s approach in this regard rather than only seeing it online as I did in the past. The Bower Ashton Library has been a wonderful resource for me. There are lots of art books available there, as well as printers and useful equipment. I can try different techniques with printing skills and view many showcases from the past to see what people have tried and what worked. I’ve been influenced One of the projects I’ve taken part in is a collaboration with the Hong Kong Design Institute to work on a program in which I can teach about my Chinese culture and identity to kids in the UK and Hong Kong. greatly by having access to students’ former work; the resources available, along with the encouragement to be creative and experiment, have led to an invaluable experience. Always keeping busy, I’ve even taken a parttime job at a Chinese restaurant, at which I’ve already learned a lot. I found the job when my tutor told me that she had a friend who was looking for a part-time worker, then put me in contact with the manager of the restaurant for an interview. I’ve since learned that a lot of Chinese business owners here love to have Malaysian employees, because they think that Malaysians are really studious and hardworking at their jobs. I guess that’s from our culture of always aiming pay careful attention to our work and striving to be professional. It’s good to make some spending money, and since I had prior work experience in a café it was quite easy for me to adjust — albeit I’d never worked with alcohol before, so I had to learn about different liquors and how to make cocktails. I’ve also learned the local norms here for the service industry, as the UK has a focus on the service experience of going out to eat rather than a more strictly food-focused experience as in Malaysia. It’s important to keep an open mind and be willing to learn when faced with these kind of new challenges in order to succeed. 129

I’m still young, so I would love to stay here in the UK to work after graduating, ideally by joining a branding studio or agency. I’ve seen so much good work in the past that came from European studios, so I’d love to learn more from them. I might not be a good boss, but I’d definitely be a good team member, strengthening my skills and broadening my mind. We’re always learning from others, so having the chance to work with people from diverse cultures would help me have an excellent time in this field. Living abroad gives you the chance to see things you never have before and to challenge yourself. It helps you to be more openminded. Being in a place as diverse as Bristol, with people from so many backgrounds, I can feel that as humans we all have the same souls but are just in different bodies, sharing similar personalities and lines of thinking even across different cultures. Even though in a new place one should be prepared to face difficulties, those difficulties may never actually arise. My eyes and mind are more open to my new environment, and by being flexible and acting smartly I can avoid potential conflicts. For those who are ready for such a rewarding experience, I would absolutely recommend doing what I have. The resources available to me, along with the encouragement to be creative and experiment, have led to an invaluable experience. 130

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We love Bristol and we’re sure you will too. It’s a city full of potential. And it’s no surprise that it’s always winning awards. We were nominated as one of The best places to live outside of London for under 25s in The Independent (2019). The Guardian named Bristol among the 10 happiest cities to work in the UK, and Goodmove awarded Bristol the distinction of UK’s greenest city. AWARD WINNING CITY, Bristol. Picture credit: Kirby Lai

Malaysia It matters not how brilliant you are, but who you are as a person — what values you carry and what principles you believe in. Felix CH Saw LLB (Law) 2013 BPTC 2014 133

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Doing law is a passion that has its roots in my childhood. If memory serves, it was first ignited by Hong Kong TVB drama series I watched from an early age, which excitingly portrayed lawyers advocating in court. Naturally, back then, I did not understand what life as a lawyer would be like. I now know that such dramatic courtroom moments only occur on perhaps a couple of days each year of actual practice. Nevertheless, they ignited my interest in the field and my ambition to be a lawyer never wavered from then on. After high school I enrolled in a Cambridge A-levels course, where I pursued law as one of my subjects. Subsequently, I completed two years of distance learning from Kuala Lumpur on the University of London LLB External Programme (now the International Programme). The reason I opted for distance learning at that point was because I am the “baby” in my family; my sister and elder brothers were all living abroad, so I did not As daunting as the presentation-focused aspect of the course could be at times, it later became evident to me that this approach was far more practical for the legal profession; you not only need to write well, but to speak eloquently. want to be too far from my parents and leave them with an empty nest. In spite of this, my dad has always encouraged us to go abroad for work and study — the impetus for my continuation of the LLB in the United Kingdom. Though I’d initially aspired to pursue the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in the UK, it had never been my intention to participate in a transfer programme for my bachelor’s degree. However, upon the consultation with Phenix Wai and Waimun Chew from the UWE Asia Pacific team, I was convinced that UWE would be a great place for me to continue my LLB. Although it seemed like a bold move to me, I went for it nonetheless. When I flew to the UK, I felt like I was embarking on something of a lonely and intimidating venture, as I had no friends there whatsoever. As I landed in London, my anxiety was building and I had the sense that I was going into this blind. My outlook, though, started to change the moment I passed through customs at Heathrow Airport — as a UWE representative was waiting there for me. I boarded onto a UWE bus for transportation service all the way to UWE’s Frenchay Campus in Bristol. It was brilliant. With student accommodation at Frenchay full at the time, I searched about a week for housing and was thankful that I managed to find a cosy lodge along Filton Avenue. My final year of LLB started with a briefing in which we were required to select our electives. I was impressed with the multitudinous subjects that we were able to choose from, exempli gratia medicine law, comparative constitutional law, media and entertainment law, et cetera. Certainly, there were also options for more general fields like intellectual property law, family law, and so forth. In other words, we really had the liberty to choose the exact pursuits that we were most interested in. One of the key differences from the University of London, in my eyes, was that UWE’s law examinations were more practical in the sense that they required us to sharpen our speaking and overall verbal communication skills. Roughly half the examination modules were presentation based whilst the other half were based on a written exam. This division was so different from my distance learning experience prior, in which our performance was determined solely by a traditional exam. As daunting as the presentation-focused aspect of the course could be at times, it later became evident to me that this approach was far more practical for the legal profession; you not only need to write well, but to speak eloquently. Presentation skills, after all, are pertinent if one is to succeed in the legal profession. In my opinion, UWE got these modules just right. Unquestionably, that final year of my LLB sharpened my skills for the BPTC. The application threshold for the BPTC was quite extensive. One of the requirements was to have at least a 7.5 average on the IELTS – which is no easy feat. I vividly recall writing an email to Miss Delyth James, who was the Program Lead for the course, in which I asked if it would be possible for me to bypass that requirement, considering I had attained First Class Honours. She wrote back happily to me in the affirmative, expressing that I was more than fit for the course given my academic records. I felt privileged to have received such a placement, and in September 2013 I started the Bar course. I did not know what to expect on this course. However, I was impressed from the very first class on. When I arrived that day, I discovered that we were not learning in the way I would have imagined. Instead, we were focusing on how to speak! We walked into the class and immediately had to pair up with each other, at which point external coordinators began to talk to us about how to train our voices and to improve the quality of our vocalisation. I was 135

perplexed at first about how this was relevant at all to the course, but later, as I looked back, I came to appreciate what UWE had done for us in placing such emphasis on real advocacy skills: carrying on from the speaking and communications components that the LLB had featured, they were preparing us to be impactful, effective, and overall successful lawyers in our future careers. Out of the ten subjects on the BPTC, five were advocacy-based and seven were writingbased. On the advocacy side, UWE had mock courts which succeeded in intimidating us as part of our training, where the tutors would play the role of judges and we had to behave in turn as barristers. What I appreciated above all was the peer-review we took part in, as well as how each lesson was recorded for us so we could review our own performances and to improve thereon. At that time, at least, this feature was considered quite unique among Bar course providers. I could not have made it through either year without my incredible and eminently helpful lecturers and tutors at UWE. In particular, the support I received from Marcus KeppelPalmer and Dr Zainab Khan on the LLB was invaluable to me. That said, the Bar was nothing short of amazing, with great senior lecturers like Delyth James, Liz Cunningham, Jo Stringer, and one of my true eidolons, James Lloyd. Mr Lloyd was my fantastic Criminal Advocacy lecturer who imparted his awe-inspiring cross examination skills to us. Upon my return to Malaysia in 2014, I secured a chambering position in the civil litigation department of Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill law firm — one of the largest law firms in the country, where I completed my nine months of chambering. In 2015, I was called as an advocate and solicitor of the Malaysian Bar. In March 2020, I set up my own civil litigation practice. Running my own firm makes me an employer, while it has also given me an My dad has always encouraged us to go abroad for work and study — the impetus for my continuation of the LLB in the United Kingdom. opportunity to teach. These endeavours have led me to develop some advice for my students. The first stems from another element of my UWE education vis-à-vis the importance of a curriculum vitae (CV). Thus, what I tell my students boils down to this: You are going to spend three years and countless hours studying hard to get a piece of parchment — but in addition to that qualification, what will actually ensure that you get called to an interview by a prospective employer is the quality of your application, and in particular your CV. I have seen a number of job applicants writing enormously long or otherwise unsatisfactory CVs. Such instances often make one’s hopeful application a waste, despite their extensive study and experience. If you have spent three or more years in school studying law — or anything else — please do not devote a mere three hours of work into your CV and consider it the best you can do. Students studying law are of course doing so with the ambition of practicing it one day. Thence, as a final note on seeking employment and finding your place in this world, I have one more piece of advice. It matters not how brilliant you are, but who you are as a person — what values you carry and what principles you believe in. These are quintessential of someone who would go far, be it in life or in one’s career. 136

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Malaysia Life here has been great so far. I’m living in student accommodation at Frenchay Campus and my neighbor the next door down is a fellow law student. Yi Yit Ho LLB (Law), 2021 Lord Templeman Scholarship 138

I t was probably my penchant for boldly correcting people when I thought they were wrong, combined with the sheer love of talking I possessed from a young age, that led my parents to first suggest that I take up studying law. It was several years ago that they put forth that idea, but once I looked into it and started learning about what lawyers do, I found that it would be even more of a suit for me than anyone initially thought; my long-running interest in politics — and the injustices that had always seemed to be associated with them — seemed like they would intersect with the law profession in some ways, and it occurred to me that being a criminal lawyer could be a fun and rewarding profession. On top of that, I’m the kind of person that can’t sit in The roads are so safe, which makes walking here and there even more of a pleasure, and the public transportation system is very e!cient. in Malaysia, where we have few dedicated criminal law firms, and to compound this issue there’s also a lot of discrimination and corruption present in our current legal system; judges, for example, will sometimes make decisions based on the skin color or mere background of a defendant. With enough effort, I may one day be able to do my part in improving this state of affairs. It’s impossible to be successful alone, of course, and working with many others in such a multifaceted endeavor is necessary, but at least I may be able to help in bettering the criminal justice system in my country. I completed my first two years of law studies in Malaysia, but wanted to go abroad for a year of international education and UWE, and I was always aware of the timeline for getting things done. Best of all, I applied for and received the Lord Templeman LLB Scholarship, which really made a difference financially in helping me to make this endeavor a reality. On top of all the help with these applications, before even leaving Malaysia I was able to talk to some of my lecturers during webinars, and when I did get to the UK there was free transport arranged to take me from London to Bristol, where my 10-day Covid quarantine was scheduled to end just in time for me to attend my first classes. Really it was all as smooth as could be. Life here has been great so far. I’m living in student accommodation at Frenchay Campus and my neighbor the next door down is a fellow law student that I’d been studying with back home. In fact, we’d ended up planning out this whole move to UWE together, right up to requesting our neighboring rooms! One of our favorite activities is buying all kinds of groceries and cooking different dishes together. She’s Malaysian Indian, so she often cooks Indian dishes for us, though she also likes my Chinese cooking. She’s also a fan of whipping up more British breakfast fare, like scrambled eggs and sausages. I think being able to cook foods from home has helped me to stave off any homesickness that might have otherwise crept in. On the financial side of things, we were delighted to find that we spend less than £50 per week on groceries, even when buying everything we need to make our meals. We can find just about every ingredient we require. The only problem is that garlic is so expensive in the UK compared to Malaysia, so we can’t use as large a quantity as we’re used to — for that we switched to using garlic powder more often to save on costs. Before I get off the topic of groceries, I should mention that being able to go on foot to get them is one of the things I love experience to complete my degree. I chose to study the LLB programme at UWE Bristol after talking to Waimun Chew, from the UWE Asia Pacific team, who convinced me it would be an ideal choice. Once I was able to learn about tuition and general living costs, I realized that it would be more affordable for me than attending many other universities; this was an important factor for me, as my family isn’t by any means rich, and I have two younger brothers whose higher education my parents will also need to support in the future. Following that, Waimun’s colleague, Loong Mee Har, helped me through the application process, including the offer letter, visa application, and securing accommodation in Bristol. Her guidance was so clear and comprehensive that I felt no stress throughout the process of getting to one place for long, so the idea of being on my feet and walking back and forth before a rapt courtroom, while being in the process of helping people, was extremely appealing to me. On a more serious note — walking, talking and being outspoken with my opinions aside — there are real issues in my country that I aspire to help tackle in some way. Many people are not fortunate enough to receive a well-rounded upbringing and proper education, so they become prone to bad decision making and can be misled or otherwise exploited by bad actors. This is not only unfair, but unacceptable in my eyes, and I believe that going into criminal law could help me play a part in battling it. This is somewhat of a niche profession 139

about my stay in Bristol. The roads are so safe, which makes walking here and there even more of a pleasure, and the public transportation is very efficient, with the bus always arriving precisely according to schedule. I’ve already been out and about at Cabot Circle, The Galleries, the Christmas market, and other nice spots in the heart of the city. In fact, my friend and I went out sightseeing in the city centre on Halloween; we didn’t actually get dressed up, but I got to pick up on the authentic Halloween vibes I was seeking. I saw some children going about in their costumes, including a couple of them running around the shops dressed as bananas. Halloween night didn’t end for us when we got back to Frenchay, either. We stayed up excitedly until 1:59 am just to watch the clocks on our phones go back automatically to 1:00 am as Daylight Saving Time ended. This may sound unusual to some, but there’s no Daylight Saving Time in Malaysia so seeing time roll back like that was a whole new experience. While I’m on the topic of things that may strike some as odd, I can’t help but mention my Tom and Jerry revelation. Let me explain: I watched that cartoon a lot as a kid, and often wondered about some of things that Tom and Jerry did which seemed downright baffling, but which I’ve now seen has its roots here in the West. The best example I can give of this is how in one episode Tom, the cat, loses his shirt and then proceeds to cut out a new one from the carpet on the floor. This never made any sense to me. Then one day here in Bristol I was at a clothing shop where I noticed the jackets, pants and other garments were all made of different, thicker materials than I’m accustomed to in Malaysia’s warm climate, and some of them looked to me so similar to actual carpets I’ve seen, both in texture and the patterns on them. Suddenly that old Tom and Jerry joke, or at least its origins, clicked for me at last! 140

Most importantly, though, are my classes at UWE and all that I’m learning through them. I’m really enjoying these so far, but still adjusting in some ways to a new style of study. A hallmark of this different style are the workshops, which students are required to prepare for beforehand in order to contribute properly. I find this is effective, because by prepping ourselves in advance we get to practice and apply the knowledge that we’re acquiring through lectures, considering the laws we are being presented with and critically thinking about the questions being posed. Before a workshop, our lecturers will post the featured questions so that we can examine them and get ourselves ready to discuss. However, they purposely avoid sticking strictly to the posted questions during the workshops, but rather challenge us by expanding on them with new ones in order to reinforce our in-depth understanding of the laws themselves. For instance, when talking about a particular case, the lecturer will ask the class why a given judge arrived at the ruling they did, compelling us to reason about what factored into the decision. To illustrate further, sometimes judges give harsh penalties while at other times they may be more lenient for similar crimes — we must consider and discuss critically the reasons for such variation in a multitude of different cases. Our lecturers are much more engaging than the ones I studied under back home, and they always keep us up-to-date with the latest developments and issues surrounding any laws that we are studying. Our lecturer on Financial Crime, for one, displays true passion and interest; when there’s even a slight development around the subject, he’ll post about it immediately on the online blackboard and notify everyone in the class through an email with a breakdown of the information. Even though these are UK laws — and I’m not British — this way I get to know about their particular significance in the society and any changes related to them. When my lecturers talk to me I can feel that they truly respect me. They speak to students individually to learn about any problems or challenges we are having, and to seek out and hear our opinions on the matters we’re focusing on at the time. They never shoot our ideas down by telling us we’re wrong outright, but rather guide our thinking process constructively by providing new questions and angles of approach to problems, helping us carry forth from idea to idea in order to build a rounder, more comprehensive understanding of all areas of a given law. My lecturers at UWE aren’t concerned so much about whether your answer is initially right or wrong, because they intend to help you work toward the best answer or conclusion on your own — whereas in Malaysia, in my experience, if your answer is wrong the teacher will often just announce that to you in front of the class and ask if anyone else wants to take a stab at it. In this latter case we only know that we are wrong, but we don’t know how close or far from the correct answer we might be, so there’s nothing to go off in My lecturers at UWE aren’t concerned so much about whether your answer is initially right or wrong, because they intend to help you work toward the best answer or conclusion on your own. terms of our thinking process on the matter. This is a fundamentally different approach between the two systems. I currently plan to study for the bar after getting my LLB degree, though I need to consider the cost, duration of time necessary, and other factors, since I’m the oldest child in my family and can’t take too many years overall for studies. As mentioned before, I have two younger brothers who will need to be supported in their own educational pursuits, so at some point I’ll need to work and start generating income for myself in order to free my parents up financially for that. Still, when I pass the bar, I hope to work for a time in the UK, truly putting into practice all I’ve learned and building up my skills as a lawyer. After that, I imagine it will be time for me to return home and be the most positive force I can in improving the fairness and integrity of our criminal justice system. 141

Malaysia Being with people from such diverse backgrounds gave me a new window on the world. Qing Ling Lim BSc (Hons) Product Design Technology, 2021 142

While growing up I had the good fortune to attend an international school, where one of the compulsory courses was called Design and Technology. When our teacher was introducing design to us, he used the iPhone as an example, encouraging us to consider how carefully it had been made and all the considerations that had been put into it. With that my eyes were opened, and I started looking at everything differently; instead, for instance, of simply seeing the latest phones or other flashy electronics as ‘cool’ looking, I began to admire their finer details and became impressed with all the functionalities that had been built into them. I saw what it was that made people truly like I think what most attracted my current employer were the skills that I’d gained, like working with 3D printers and some of the other technological know-how I now had up my sleeve. that I could do a credit transfer in the future after finishing an International Year One, rather than starting all over again at a new university abroad. Once my International Year One was completed, I began searching for universities in which I’d carry on toward my major. I attended fairs and talked to numerous universities, but discovered that many of them still insisted that I begin with them as a first year student and therefore start all over again. Perhaps it was fate, but that was when UWE contacted me about the possibility of studying there, then put in the effort to do credit mapping so I could transfer. They offered me the option of starting with them as a second-year student, just as I had hoped it was something I never had to worry much about. When it was time, my mom flew over to the UK with me to help me get settled in Bristol and visit my brother in London before departing. I arrived in Bristol a bit after the official beginning of the school year, so I started tending classes immediately. On the very first day I actually arrived to class just as it was ending, but I got to see some of my classmates, and my lecturer greeted me and showed me around. My classes were in the Architecture building at Frenchay, and I was staying at student accommodation on campus as well. The accommodation team was excellent and made me feel at home. They were always there when I needed them, such as when I lost my key at one point or when things didn’t work out the way I expected. They were proactive and good planners, so I appreciated their work a lot and how nice they made living on campus. Another perk of living on campus was that I could work for long hours before going home, and I was able to set the 3D printers to print overnight and then pick up my models in the morning before the machines got busy with other students using them. Using the 3D printers at UWE was free of charge, and necessary for our course. As Product Design Technology students, anything we worked on needed go beyond just being a concept or idea and actually be shown as a physical item. If we needed a product to do a particular thing, we needed to be able to tangibly demonstrate that it was capable of this. 3D printers are fast and allow us to share and get feedback on a physical prototype. As product design is not a popular subject in Malaysia, my classes there always had just 6-8 students maximum, so when I arrived for my first full day of classes at UWE and saw 60 students there, I was a bit confused, wondering if I’d come to the right room. Everyone there seemed excited and ready to go, coffee and tea in hand, and my lecturer for by studying the International Year One. I met with one of their representatives to discuss further, and before long I had settled my decision to attend UWE for the next two years and get my BSc. I felt like a whole team from UWE Asia Pacific here in Malaysia came together to help me with the steps I needed to take, including the credit mapping, having my visa processed, and providing necessary information. It was a big deal for me to leave home for so long, as my previous trips abroad had only ever been for about a week or so. My brother, however, had preceded me by going to the UK to study a year before, so there was plenty of understanding in my family about what needed to be done. All the paperwork was settled well before it was time to depart, so these products, beginning to understand what leads them to purchase one over the other. Eventually I thought to myself, Why not be the one to design things like this that people are actually happy to buy? As the course proceeded and I worked closely alongside my peers, I found we were working toward common goals and that I really liked that kind of environment — being a part of something big rather than focusing individually on projects that never go beyond the paper stage. I decided that I would continue in this field at university, but after my A levels I found that the subjects I’d studied, like science, math and econ, weren’t really aligned with a major in Product Design. I took a year to study a product design course in Malaysia, thinking 143

We were able to learn from the stories of contemporary professionals — what strategies they use and how they found success —s o that the information was relevant and cutting edge. arrived on his bicycle. The class was quite dynamic and active, with lots of discussions going on; it was all so new for me and a bit of a culture shock! The course was consisted largely of assignments, group projects, and classes for technical knowledge based on things like materials, 3D design software, and other information to keep us up to date on how the people work in the modern-day design industry. There was a lot of be learned, especially in terms of practical knowledge over theory, with lots of focus on current trends and hitting the ground running by trying out different techniques. We were able to learn from the stories of contemporary professionals — what strategies they use and how they found success — so that the information was relevant and cutting edge. It was also refreshing to approach design 144 physically, rather than trying to imagine things based on description alone. Classes usually opened with a 10-minute lecture to introduce the day’s work, and then most of the class would be hands-on thereafter, with the lecturers monitoring our work, opening discussions with us, and giving on-the-spot feedback. It provided us with an environment to share ideas with others and experiment, learning from everyone in the class as we proceeded. My biggest challenge was dealing with the arrival of Covid-19. At that time classes needed to go virtual, with communication depending mainly on emails and messages. I found it more difficult to get a sense of exactly what my classmates were doing in comparison to when I could interact with them and see their ongoing work in-person. With that said, once I got back to campus for my second year, my classmates and I still did our best to meet up and collaborate on our projects, sharing ideas and what worked or didn’t work as we had before. Having the campus environment is something I found necessary in order to get that tangible, physical sense of what we were working on, and it was reassuring to be able to meet up with the others despite the pandemic situation. On the flip side, the thing I was happiest with during my time at UWE was a project that was centered around brand images. For this we had to choose a brand and try to create a product they don’t have, then market it in a way that fit the nature of the brand itself. My friends and I combined our forces and worked well together on this project, talking about the brand image, how they’d like to portray themselves, and how we could

create a successful product and achieve our goal. It all went smoothly, with each of us contributing the relevant skills we excelled at, and I think we nailed it. While some students maintain that teamwork and projects are really hard, I had a fantastic experience with my group and was thrilled with what we achieved. Another reward from studying at UWE was all the new people I could meet. During my first year I was flat mates with Malaysians, so I was still hearing Malaysian languages and eating Malaysian dishes even so far from home; in my second year, though, I was flat mates with a Nigerian, a South African and an Indian, so I got lots of new cultural exposure from then on. For example, my Indian flat mate was vegan, so we explored new ways to cook for her. I also got to learn about different lifestyle from my classmates, the majority of whom were local students, getting to know about their activities in their free time outside of class — even though for me the parties were a little too much to handle! Once all these different people were coming into my life, things started to look different for me. For example, when my flat mates and I went to the museum in London, my South African friend explained which artifacts had come from South Africa and shared her views on them, while another time my Nigerian friend introduced me to some super spicy Nigerian dishes that she enjoyed. All told, as someone who had priorly spent her whole life in Malaysia, being with people from such diverse backgrounds gave me a new window on the world. Around Bristol itself I enjoyed just going on walks and exploring the city. People watching and taking in new views was a nice pastime. I even tried skateboarding for the first time, but gave it up after too many tumbles and bruises. I spent time in London too, but although it had excellent museums and restaurants serving food from all over the world, I was more interested in getting to see more of the countryside and nature in the UK. While I was unfortunately restricted from doing much traveling around the country due to the pandemic during that period, I do really hope to return someday to see more places there. Even now I have friends who returned to the UK this year (2022) after taking a year off their studies, and it’s been nice to follow their activities and live vicariously through them. When I returned to Malaysia and began my job search, I think what most attracted my current employer were the skills that I’d gained, like working with 3D printers and some of the other technological know-how I now had up my sleeve. They informed me that they already had some 3D printers but that they needed someone to operate them. I gladly took the opportunity and have since been delighted to find myself a part of an open-minded company that is always up for trying out new technologies and methods. It’s a great place to match my ambitions. As we specialize in green energy solutions, the R&D team I work with seeks to develop tech that promotes green energy or reductions in carbon emissions, and I work on developing the casing and shells to contain the complex electronic components of new products. It’s been a great start for my career so far, as I can both apply the knowledge and skills from my course whilst continuing to learn more. Further into the future I can see myself expanding on the R&D experience I’m gaining and apply it to design consultation. 145 In many developed countries, designers tend to go into strategic planning and look at a larger picture of where new designs can lead us. I’m building up a solid foundation now of all aspects that go into design and manufacturing, getting on-the-ground knowledge of how my industry works, and I anticipate applying this knowledge to explore how what we do as designers can impact entire industries and customer bases. Eventually, working abroad while traveling may help me further gain more of these big picture perspectives with changes in environments and situations, even though digital nomadism is still a new pursuit that I’d need to look into more. Whichever path I take, all that I’ve learned from my years at UWE up until now has prepared me for continued success.

Malaysia I felt mostly excitement at the coming adventure, telling myself that I’d be able to deal with anything that came up along the way. Yi Zhen Leong BA Graphic Design, 2023 146

My interest in Graphic Design goes back to my school years in my early teens. During that time I was a part of various online communities, in which I started by creating graphics using online web editors. This slowly evolved into using photoshop and I continued to pick up more skills, thanks to tips shared from other community members. Once I got into high school I transferred the skills I’d acquired into straightforward. Management from The One Academy facilitated much of it, and I met UWE Asia Pacific’s Waimun Chew, who assisted me greatly with various parts of the process. Being able to submit my college portfolio rather than prepare a new one for the application made things much easier as well. Coming to the UK marked not only the first time I’d been to this country, but also my first time to come to this side of the world at the time that I applied, but getting a private rental worked out for the better; as my classes are at Arnolfini at City Campus, I prefer living close by rather than needing to travel there each day from student accommodation at Frenchay Campus. Both the slower pace of life in Bristol and its thriving art scene appeal to me. I think these are interconnected qualities in this regard. Because it’s a smaller city, students here get a number of committees I to study in a more intimate environment was on, such as the Yearbook Committee, making graphics for print products, t-shirts, and so forth. I came to realize that graphic design was an actual profession, and began to see where it had contributed to various media I consumed in everyday life. I enjoyed sitting down and thinking about how to approach tasks from both the technical aspect and in terms of subject matter. I got a diploma in Malaysia focused mostly on the technical side of graphic design and creating designs that appeal more to the masses, largely in advertising. I then decided to get a BA to further enhance my design practice and my abilities. UWE is one of the universities my former college (The One Academy) is affiliated with, and once I decided to pursue a BA in Graphic Design I found that UWE would be my optimal choice among them. I had the option of applying to study in London as well, but decided I’d much prefer Bristol after joining an online sharing session about UWE to learn about the university and city. I was really glad to get accepted, and the things that I’d gotten excited for about life here have been coming true ever since I arrived. The application process was smooth and all. Preparing to fly, I felt mostly excitement at the coming adventure, telling myself that I’d be able to deal with anything that came up along the way. Having prepared as much I could, I was confident that I was ready. My dad came with me on the trip, so it was nice to have the company — he also wanted the opportunity to walk around exploring Bristol while I was moving in, so he got his wish with that. I moved into private accommodation offcampus, which Waimun Chew had been instrumental in helping me and other Malaysian students secure. There were no open spaces for student accommodation at with each other, and I believe the associated slower pace of life has a positive impact on my creative process. At the same time, the booming artistic community here is really good for helping with that; there are not only lots of events to join, but I’m also able to find the time to do so. Conversely, if things were too fast-paced with my coursework then I wouldn’t have time to go out and experience the artistic facets of the city as much, so there’s a good balance here for students like me. Another thing I appreciate is how walkable it is, being a pedestrian-friendly city. If I have enough time, I can easily walk to the City Centre, visiting the shopping quarters and so on. I realized here how much I actually 1471

One place we enjoy going is the Harbourside to chill and soak up the sun. 148