University of Northampton - International Students

I thought it would be interesting to see how the University of Northampton markets itself internationally because I am here as an international student myself. Before coming here on this exchange program I wouldn’t have chosen England as my first country of choice to study abroad. Now that I am here and have experienced it I think that the University of Northampton has excelled in making me feel welcome and I have enjoyed every bit of being here.

The University of Northampton welcomes over 1,000 international students from more than 100 different countries every year.  They have regional offices located in China, North and South India and Pakistan to provide local advice and make applying to study here as easy as possible. They also offer personal meetings at various places around the world. A representative from the International Office travels to these countries to help promote the university and answer any questions the students may have. The university offers English classes for students who may still need to improve their language skills. Alternatively, they also offer The International Foundation Program, which prepares international students to attend university in the UK who do not meet the minimum skills required to attend a full program. There are scholarships available from the University of Northampton International Scholarship Scheme, which can cover up to 25% of tuition costs.

The hall of residence that I live in here is composed of all international students, including myself. I share my flat with women from Africa, India, Bhutan and Vietnam. Most of them are here doing their masters and I asked a few of them why they have chosen to come to the University of Northampton.

Some of the reasons expressed are as follows:

·      She wanted to come to the UK or the USA because all of the literature for her masters program comes from western countries. She wanted to live in a western country so that she could experience it while she went to school and so she could go back to India with western knowledge. She chose to come to the this university because it was less expensive than going to the university in the USA that she was also accepted into.

·      The University of Northampton was recommended to her from someone in her field of work. They said the program that was offered here was exactly what she needed to take and was very applicable to her undergraduate degree.

·      She wanted to come to a country where her opinion could be voiced. At the University of Northampton she is allowed to express her opinions and question what she is learning. Cost was also a deciding factor.

It was really interesting to talk to these women and hear about their backgrounds and what brought them here. Some of the women have families at home and are very established in their careers. This shows how important education is to these women who come mostly from developing countries. The fact that they have to leave their lives and their families at home to go to a university where they feel they can get a better education seems unfortunate but hey all seem very happy here and have adjusted well.

In our flat there is always good food cooking from all over the world. For me, these women have made me feel more at home than anything the university has to offer because of their kindness. The time all of us spend in the kitchen talking and learning about food and other aspects from our home countries has been very interesting and applicable to my own studies here on this Diaspora program. Because of where I live here on campus I feel that I got more out of this experience because I was exposed to so many other cultures and not just the English culture.