I am not the sort of person who travels a lot overseas as it is quite expensive for people from my country to go abroad. I actually come from Banda Aceh, part of Indonesia which most people say is famous for its strong Islamic Tradition. However, we recently experienced such a very devastating catastrophe - a tsunami triggered by an earthquake registering approximately nine on the Richter scale on 26th December 2004. It caused massive destruction including ruined buildings and hundred thousands of deaths. Since then, a lot of aid across many sectors, including education, has been supplied to Aceh. Many scholarships to study overseas (including the UK) have been provided for our people and I decided to take up the opportunity to do my MA in Bristol. The scholarship scheme itself is a kind of consortium promoted by the UK government through the British Council and it involves thirteen universities in the UK (including the University of Bristol) and two other universities in Aceh which are IAIN Ar-Raniry (State Institute for Islamic Studies) and SyiahKuala University.
Honestly, it seemed far for me to come and study in the UK. Those who applied for this scholarship scheme were required to study English language and British culture for nearly one year in Indonesia. I knew the profile of the University of Bristol from the prospectus sent to Aceh and from some information forwarded by my friends during the training. From them, I knew that Bristol is considered to be one of the best universities in the UK. Therefore, I thought it really suited my intention which was to study Social Anthropology. Subsequently, since coming to Bristol and joining the departmental routines, I have seen that the academic life of the students and the lecturers in the Archaeology and Anthropology Department is really active. They organize seminars and invite experienced anthropologists not only from the UK but also from other countries to talk. This absolutely allows the students to share experiences and broaden their minds about being good anthropologists whilst acknowledging ethical and educational considerations. I hope this will help me improve my knowledge, skills and capacities when going back to Indonesia to teach in the universities and work in the Aceh Museum.
Life in Bristol is, anthropologically, a good place to start as many students from various countries come to this city every year so it is a very mixed environment in which Muslim students have also been integrated. Although Bristol is a non-Islamic based city, there are a number of worldwide cultures here living alongside British culture. Freedom of expressing ideas and creativities are accepted, so if you are a Muslim like me, do not hesitate to come and join university life in Bristol. You can engage in the Islamic Society as part of the student activities in the University of Bristol, and you will have many opportunities to participate in prayers and many Islamic events including the Islamic Awareness, 'Sirah Nabawiyah'(the story of the prophet), Charity events, free 'ifthar' (break the fasting) during the fasting month, Eid prayers, and the Friday Prayer in the Students' Union Building.
Along with my studies I am doing a part-time job working in a tool shop. There is a variety of part-time jobs ranging from working in supermarkets and malls to working in the zoo, working in the university as a student ambassador or working in the library. It is actually a good experience for me, meeting and communicating with the local people while working.
Taking up the chance to taste the life here in Bristol, will allow you to socialize in a community in which people from various cultural and religious backgrounds are mixed. Moreover, you will see two different landscapes which are the flat and hilly areas in Bristol. The university precinct itself is situated on the top of a hill allowing us very beautiful views when looking further down the city. For those who are passionate about historical and old buildings, you should explore the Clifton area and cross the historical Suspension Bridge from which you can see the natural river surrounded with stunning green views.
I would highly recommend that you come to study in the University of Bristol and experience the wonderful and challenging student life here.
As a person who was hungry for knowledge, especially in finance, I decided to pursue a master degree in finance even when I was only a fresh graduate with a bachelor degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia. Having studied in Indonesia, Canada, China and the United States before, I am open to international exposures. I chose Europe as my next destination for education because it was different from what I have been exposed to and thus, would provide me with new points of view. Since I planned to pursue a master degree in finance, United Kingdom became one of my top choices for countries to study because of its developed financial market.
Bristol University straight away became one of my favourite universities because of its high ranking, rigorous curriculum and prestige. Further, unlike the finance programs in other universities, the program at Bristol does not require students to have previous finance background, which was an advantage to me who was novice in the field.
I was excited for my first day at Bristol. The first time I arrived at the university, I was surprised at the hilly roads that led to the campus. Honestly speaking, I found it quite tiring at the beginning to climb everyday just to get to my classes, especially that I am not very fond of physical exercises. Nonetheless, all this walking activity has helped me to shape a healthier lifestyle. For example, now, I usually go around the city walking, thanks to the close proximity between places.
Looking back at my six-month experience at Bristol, one of the things I liked most about the university was its small-sized classes. Interactions became more often and more “customized”. Professors know students’ name and try to help wherever they can. For example, when I fell sick, one of my professors emailed me asking whether I was feeling alright. Thanks to the small sized classes too that it was faster for me to meet new people. With the diverse population at the university, I am able to practice my Mandarin with my Chinese friends, exchange customs and traditions and hang out with people from different countries, such as Vietnam and Pakistan. Last but not least, what I like most about Bristol was the university’s belief that it is important to hear students’ voices. The university tries its best to hear feedback from the students to improve itself. As an MSc representative, I collect student’s feedback and voice them to the department. This is a new experience, which teaches me to actively express opinions to others to give constructive feedback to the greater community. Time really flies in Bristol. I am halfway in my program and I know my time in Bristol will end soon. I am glad that I have come to Bristol and I recommend anyone who wants to get the best out of their university life to come here too.
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Although I have been staying here for only 3,5 months, I have found many new exciting experiences, especially in the education system. The PhD student system in the UK is very different from Indonesia. In Indonesia, I don’t get many facilities like a free computer and an office room.
I found out about Bristol University from my friend. She recommended me to choose Bristol University and then I searched for more information about it on the internet and finally I chose to visit Bristol University.
I've got a helpful supervisor, a professor in community ecology. She helps me very much to analyse my research data. Something that I like very much about studying here is that I can get access to free course. I took a free stats course to help me to analyse my research data. I've also got good friends in my group. That all will make me feel hard to leave this school.
I am staying at the flat in Cotham. My flatmates are from several countries. They are Malaysian, Samoan, German and British people. They are very friendly. I know many things about their countries from them. I cannot find this atmosphere in my country.
I really enjoy living in Bristol. I enjoy the public transportation, the pedestrian area, and the city park, that I can not enjoy in my country. But, I feel that the living cost here is more expensive than my country. I can understand it.
Weekend is the time that I can enjoy Bristol and the surrounding areas. I have enjoyed visiting many places. I really enjoy the ancient buildings. I like the architecture. I think it’s very unique and artistic.
Unfortunately, I will stay in this nice city only a short time. I really want to be here longer, but I have to go back to Indonesia, but I plan with my supervisor to continue our project. I plan to take a postdoc at Bristol University next year, and I will bring my family (my husband and my sons) with me. I promise.
