Hey!! You, presumably, are in a position of being an international student and are wondering which university in what country would be the best fit or provide the best opportunities for you.
About me
You are (rightfully) asking yourself, “Who is this person writing this fantastic blog?” My name is Frederick Kwami Olaoluwa Babatunde Adadevoh (mostly known as Fred). As you may be able to tell, I am both Nigerian and Ghanaian. I was born and raised in Nigeria, and I’m an international student. I am a recent Economics graduate from Durham University, and as such, I feel a need to share some of my experience with people who might go down a similar path to the one I have taken.
The purpose of this blog is for me to tell you my experience as an international student at Durham. My sole intention is to inform you of how I have found it and potentially answer some of the questions you might have about life as an international student. The first question I imagine you would ask is “Why did you choose to come to the UK?”
Why the UK?
I had three main options for international study: the UK, the US or Canada. The UK felt most appropriate for me because of the climate and culture. I’ve always been rather individualistic, so I didn’t find the move across continents too taxing, but the culture shock was real – I still do not understand how people walk around in shorts in the cold!!
I did initially find it quite difficult to converse with British people as the casual dialect is vastly different here than in Naija (Nigeria), but this was something that I (thankfully) rather quickly adapted to – although I sometimes longed for conversations with my Naija people.
Why Durham?
Now, given all of that babble, you are likely wondering what convinced me to come to a university far in the North of England. Truthfully, I had never heard of Durham before year 13.
I heard of Durham from my dad, then proceeded to do a little bit of research and found that it was a highly esteemed university in a beautiful city laden with what feels like never-ending greenery. To me, that was all I needed to know to make Durham my second choice.
By what I believe to be the grace of God, I did not get an offer from my first choice. At the time, I was quite shocked and upset because I had dedicated my mind and efforts to going there. However, as the famous saying goes, rejection is just redirection, and I was redirected to my second choice, Durham.
My time here
I have LOVED my time here at Durham. The work is challenging, but the people I’ve met, societies I’ve been in, internships I’ve attended, Church communities I’ve fellowshipped with and more, have been nothing short of phenomenal. I have felt like there was virtually nothing I couldn’t do or have access to due to the range of various societies we have – ranging from an egg society, a werewolf society, to a gospel choir, as well as everything in between. The scenery is utterly breathtaking everywhere feels as though it’s been plucked directly out of a Disney princess movie, which has been of particular help when the workload just gets to you due to your own procrastination and you need to take a walk.
Now, I am sure you have more questions about various things, but alas, there is only so much space here that I can utilise. I apologise for not being able to say more, but as a consolation, I will leave you with a final tip from a seasoned veteran like myself – make the most of everything at your disposal. You have a large bank of resources that come with attending this university that you will not have access to once you leave. Make the best use of it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I genuinely hope it was helpful to you. I am wishing you the best in whichever endeavour you choose. I hope you have a blessed day!
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