From London to Romania

When it comes about experience you can always learn from other people’s knowledge. But what happens when someone like you shares their experience with you? I strongly believe that when you see someone who’s from the same country as you living their “London dream” in an extraordinary way, you won’t be confused anymore and you’ll start thinking seriously about what would be best for you.

Bianca Rosu is a Romanian second year Public Relations and Advertising student at University of Westminster.

1. What are you studying and what is the best thing about your course?

“I am studying Public Relations and Advertising. The best thing about my course would be the creative aspect. Thinking out of the box while I have my abilities challenged every time, represents a great way to enhance my knowledge and expand my horizons.”

2. Can you please tell me why did you choose to come and study in London? Why London and why not other places in UK?

London is a combination of pure energy, diversity, beauty, mystery. Maybe I am much of a dreamer, but I pictured my life at a certain level. Why London? ‘I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. What advantages do you get from studying in London? Does this place give you a favorable environment for developing your future career? If yes, can you briefly describe them?

“The possibilities regarding the PR industry are endless, having direct contact and learning from the best professionals may represent the biggest advantage that we have here. Also, I like the fact that we have the chance to work with other media related courses. I mean, what more can you ask when your teachers are former BBC journalists or have successful Advertising firms?”

4. Have you met any important figure fromyour industry? If so, in what circumstances? (guest-speakers, on the street, etc.)

“I’m lucky enough to have the chance to meet important figures, as we have at least 2-3 speakers a week during our courses.”

5. As a Romanian student, how do you find London? Would you suggest other Romanian prospective students to choose this city?

“Well, I have to be honest and say that it’s not that easy and fancy as it seems. Being here requires: ambition, dedication, late nights at the library, too much coffee and bad sandwiches. You need to get used with having your heart broken every time you walk down on Oxford Circus and also with the “singing in the rain” as you always forget your umbrella. But life is an adventure, isn’t it? So, if you’re ready to risk and dream big, come here and write your own story. We are Romanians so we can!”

-Journalism-

After having short interviews with more and more students who are Studying different courses, I’ve started to realise that London covers almost every aspect of our social life: Journalism, Music, Film, Public Relations, etc.

Lyubomira Ivanova is a second year Journalism student at University of Westminster. Given the fact that she is a foreign student( like me), it would be easier for you to understand some aspects from her point of view.

1.Hi Lulu, can you please tell me what are you studying and what is the best thing about your course?

“I am a second year student and I am doing a degree in Journalism. As an international student I believe I can make a comparison between doing a degree in my home country Bulgaria and England. Truly said exactly that difference is what I love the most. Since I did an internship in one of the most famous Bulgarian televisions and I had the chance to meet other interns, who had already graduated in Journalism in Bulgaria. However, regarding what they told me, I believe what I found most enjoyable and worth in the course is the practical experience one gets.”

2. Why did you choose to come and study in London? Why London and why not other places in UK?

“Well as you know, London is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and it gives a lot of opportunities for professional development. Furthermore, I knew I will get the chance to meet people from different background and to further develop my communicational skills. Thus, I could proudly say that coming to London was one of the most exciting decisions I have ever taken in my life.”

3.What advantages do you get from studying in London? Does this place give you a favorable environment for developing your future career? If yes, can you briefly describe them?

“Well, as I said studying in London could be simply described as “dreams come true”. As I mentioned above since I am an international student I know how hard it is when the effort one puts in something is not appreciated. And exactly that happens in my home country. No matter how hard one studies and how much effort he or she has put in graduating with excellent mark, in the end none of that matters. While in London, there are plenty of examples that proof that sooner or later your hard work will be paid.”

4.Have you met any important figure from your industry? If so, in what circumstances? (guest-speakers, on the street, etc.)

“As a matter of fact, yes and she was a guest speaker. That was probably one of the most exciting meetings I have ever had and despite I did not get a chance to speak with her in person, the experience was more than exciting. She was one of the main features editors for Cosmopolitan (my dream job) and she was more than amazing.”

5.Have you met any Romanian students? What do you think about them and why would you encourage them to come and study in this amazing city?

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am writing this for one amazing friend and team mate, who is Romanian (I love you sweetie :* :D). Since their country is quite close to my home country-Bulgaria, I feel quite close to them. Moreover, over the last two years I had the amazing chance to meet four incredible Romanian girls and I believe that show me how close our countries and cultures actually are. Thus, I believe they share my expectations and reasons for coming to do their degrees in London and if I had to give an advice to other Romanians it will definitely be, don’t think twice. If you want to make your dreams come true, come in London!”

Thank you very much Lulu, you’re a great friend.

tips for you

When you say London what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? -except for the busses,  phone cabins or London Eye?  Exactly, there’s a wide range of aspects that describe this amazing city. To begin with, what do you know about the film and music industry? Exactly, there are bands like Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Coldplay or  The Rolling Stones which are famous worldwide. How about Paddington, Sherlock Holmes or Harry Potter? They all come from London.. so why shouldn’t you consider studying in London the main aspect that might change your future in the brightest way possible?

As you are a potential student, I’ve thought that some actual students’ opinions would convince you that London is the best place to be.

Josh Davies is a second year student at University of Westminster.

1. Hi. Can you please tell me what are you studying and what is the best thing about your course?

“Hi. I’m studying Commercial Music (BA), and the best part about it is the use of the studios to be creative everyday.”

2. Why did you choose to come and study in London? Why London and why not other places in UK?

 “London seemed like the best option for me as most of the music industry is here, and the course seemed the best out of all the ones I looked at in England.”

3.What advantages do you get from studying in London? Does this place give you a favorable environment for developing your future career? If yes, can you briefly describe them?

“Definitely, The links that you make here are much more valuble as London is the musical centre of the UK, the lecturures are directly linked to the industry here, going to gigs and things where PR people may be is exciting as well.”

4.Have you met any important figure from your industry? If so, in what circumstances? (guest-speakers, on the street, etc.)

“Not in the street but at ‘The Ultimate seminar’ definitely, which was put on in central London in our Regents street campus with priority tickets to Westminster students.”

5.Have you met any Romanian students? What do you think about them and why would you encourage them to come and study in this amazing city?

“I have and I think it’s sometimes tough when their English is limited, but those with good English find it a lot easier to integrate. Those with less of a vocabulary find it more frustrating and may encounter more misunderstandings. I would encourage them to study here if they think their English is good and are ready to be a part of the Culture here, which is very unique and different from anywhere else in the world.”

Thank you very much Josh.

From the information provided above, you can see that London gives you a lot of advantages, if you decide to have a career in the music industry.

In what concerns the movie industry aspect, Rob Bell, a second year student at University of Westminster was happy to share his experience with you.

1. Hi Rob. Okay, what do you think about telling me about the reasons you’ve chosen London and at the same time, why is it good for you?

“I chose London because everywhere is connected to it. It’s one of the media capitals of the world, and was perfect for the course I was interested in. It’s good for me because it gives me loads of opportunities for progression in my chosen industry.”

2.Can you tell me more about what opportunities do you get from studying in London, especially TV production?

“Errrrm, just all the big production companies are based here, so for someone who wants to go into the Film and TV industry it’s a perfect place to be.”

Thank you Rob.

Decisions part 2

The second part for the previous article aims to give you- as parent- more reasons to believe that London gives the best academic environment your child can ever have.

The second interview- from an academic view- is with Dr. Edmundo Bracho.

Edmundo “Ed” Bracho has worked as a journalist for 14 years and since 2008 has been undertaking academic research and teaching. He is currently a researcher and Visiting Lecturer at the Communications and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), and a journalism trainer and consultant for the Media Diversity Institute. Mr. Bracho has written for or contributed to high-profile publications and media outlets in Europe and Latin America as both a reporter and editor (El País, Spain; Libération, France; La Jornada, Mexico; La Nación, Argentina; Gatopardo, Colombia; among others). His features have covered armed, religious and socio-cultural conflicts such as those in Israel-Palestine, the Iraq War, the Colombian guerrilla, immigrants without permits, prostitution, Gang culture. He is currently a Visiting Professorat University of Westminster.

1.Hello Mr. Bracho. Thank you very much for helping me with my campaign. To begin with, what do you think about London in what concerns the academic environment this city provides?

“Hello Oana, I am happy to help. London is among the three top international destinations for academic study and research. University of London alone has a rich variety of colleges, most multicultural, and highly-ranked. Then there are universities like Brunel, City, Roehampton, Westminster, and many more. London has over 45 universities, out of which five are part of the Russell Group – it’s difficult to find a city with such numbers, diversity, and quality. To that, one must link the cultural offer the city provides students with, its international demographics, and the civility of most of its citizens.”

2.What should future students take into consideration when choosing to study abroad? Should London be their first option? Why?

” Future students should choose, evidently, a course they feel they would like in academic terms and they should feel enthusiastic about being part of that learning environment. Students should be aware that support of all types is generally offered to them in most London universities, but also that they are expected to be responsible for their individual performance. There are, like anywhere, local social conventions, but the culture of tolerance in the UK and the cultural melting pot of most of its cities should make adaptation quite swift – apart from the weather! London does not have to be a first option. Firstly, it’s very costly (it’s one of the most expensive cities in the world). I’ve also heard from some students that the vast cultural offer (ie: concerts, galleries, museums, nightlife, etec) can be distracting from the academic objectives. Cities such as Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, just to name a few, also offer excellent academic formation, but in more “manageable” urban environments and sometimes at half the financial cost of living in London. Also, many have a most vibrant student environment.”

3.From your experience as a professor, how do you see Romanian students?

“I can’t say I’ve taught a large sample of Romanian students – perhaps no more than 25. Yet, the majority have a solid formation, specially in terms of general knowledge of universal history and references – good classical foundations in various key areas of knowledge, which is greatly helpful for teaching and learning. Most have been very adaptable, responsible and proactive. Similarly, they’ve shown good analytical skills. Their proficiency in English has been very good. Perhaps, they could deepen their sense of creativity and inventiveness- be a bit more bold. If I’m to generalise, they are very accessible and amicable.”

Thank you very much for your time.

Thanks to Mr. Simon Goldsworthy and Dr. Edmundo Bracho, I’ve managed to give you an idea about what studying in London means, and, how are Romanian students considered.

Moreover, given the fact that Mr. Bracho covered the most important aspects ( financial/social/academic/cultural), it would be easier for you to understand that your child’s future will positively change if you’ll decide that a University in London would be the best option for him/her.

Decisions, decisions…

When it comes about my future, I strongly believe that my parents played an essential role in what concerns the best solution for my future. I can remember how my mum spent weeks doing research about what course/university would be the best for me.. so the main purpose of this post is to give some information to future Romanian students’ parents- from an academic view- about what studying in London means.

To begin with, I consider myself lucky as I’ve managed to have a short interview with a great professor which is Simon Goldsworthy.

-Simon Goldsworthy is a Professor of Public Relations and Advertising at Richmond University, London. He joined Richmond in 2014 to establish the new MA in Advertising and Public Relations. Hitherto he had served as an Academic Governor at the University. He has taught a range of media-related courses, covering advertising, propaganda, censorship, celebrity and political communication as well as PR. Mr. Goldsworthy has also set up and run courses for universities in other countries, including Johns Hopkins University in the USA; has lectured in China, including at Tsinghua University; has run a range of training courses for Chinese government officials; has served as a visiting professor at the Université Paris-Sorbonne; and has acted as consultant and external examiner for a number of programmes at other UK universities.-

Hello Mr. Goldsworthy. Firstly I would like to thank you for your help and time. Can you please tell me what do you think about London in what concerns the academic environment this city provides?

“Hello Oana, I am happy to help. There is probably no single city in the world which offers the same range of academic courses as London – and at an amazing variety of institutions. The choice keeps growing and the market’s highly competitive – so by and large courses have to be good and there’s something to suit almost everyone.”

What should future students take into consideration when choosing to study abroad? Should London be their first option? Why?

“London is a world – perhaps the world – city. A great place to study and prepare for a career in so many fields. Many of the courses on offer relate to things London is a world leader in – PR, advertising, fashion etc . Perfecting one’s English is a good career move. And an international student body means it’s a great place to make friends from round the world. London’s also a great place to live and have fun – everyone who can should spend some time here.”

From your experience as a professor, how do you see Romanian students?

“Sadly I don’t have any Romanian students these days – but I’ve taught quite a few. Indeed some of my best students have been from Romania and I know several of them have helped English students with their written English. Romanian schools are obviously very good!”

Thank you very much.

Regarding the fact that professor Goldsworthy has taught a range of media-related courses in the USA, China and France, he chose to return to London. As he mentioned before, there is probably no single city in the world which offers the same range of academic courses as London.

LOND-ON for the biggest adventure of your life?

Aspects from out of University, for which London is great.

SPORT

When it comes about social life( except from the night life of course 🙂 ), sport is the best way to get to know people from all around the world.. and where if not in London?
London has hosted the Summer Olympics in 1908 at White City and 1948 at Wembley Stadium. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, making it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times.
London hosted the Paralympic Games in 2012, for the first time. So here’s another aspect for which you should definitely choose London for studying and not only!

From my personal experience, I can tell that London gave me the best experience ever! I could have never asked for more. I’ve started practicing handball when I was 10. As in Romania Handball is a really BIG thing, I’ve decided that it would be good to have a career in that domain. Unfortunately, two broken ligaments made that impossible, the recovery from the surgeries made it even worse.

Due to my passion and addiction to this sport, I didn’t want to give up.. after I got into my amazing university, I’ve said to myself: “Here I am! Welcome to the urban jungle “ . Being far from my beloved ones made it hard for me to have a normal and stressless life.. so what were the options? join the library staff- naaaah, not for me, join the societies or do what you’ve ever loved? Well, I’ve joined some societies as well but the most important: I’ve decided to join a handball team as well. What do I have to say about it? Best decision ever!Joining Olympia Handball team gave me the opportunity to meet people from 11 countries:

France

Czech Republic

England

Romania

Sweden

Malta

Brazil

Poland

Hungary

Norway

Egypt

All the trainings were run in a friendly and relaxing ambiance, so were the games. Fighting for the cup and the first place in the national championship gave me a boost of energy for living my life. Basically, I’ve had it all !

Due to our efforts and fairplay strategies we’ve managed to win both the cup and championship!

So what do you think ? Does London fit you? ❤

 

Moreover, being part of this amazing team gave me the chance to build friendships, for a lifetime!

 

 

If you need more information stay tuned or contact me on my campaign Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/internationalstudentinlondon , or my personal one: https://www.facebook.com/oana.zachia.

 

Biggest advantage of being a student in London?

One of the biggest advantages that London gives me as a student is that I get the opportunity to learn from the best people in the industry. In my case, it’s the PR world. On last week’s Public Relations And Advertising Ethics and Law module we had a guest speaker which was the one and only Francis Ingham. To give you an insight, I’m going to make a short introduction about him and the positions he occupies.

Francis Ingham Is a well known person in the PR industry as he occupies/ed the following positions:
Director General of the PRCA*
Chief Executive of ICCO**
Member of the CIPR***
Secretary to the PRCA Professional Practices Committee.

Hence, as my course aims to make us understand the importance law and ethics have in PR, it is vital for us to be aware of what we’re allowed to do. And which is the best way to make someone understand something? Practice and experience! Mr. Ingham shared his experience in the PR domain with us, covering the importance of ethics, morals, what is acceptable or not, tips for maintaining our reputation, etc. Could you ask for more? of course not. That’s another reason for which you definitely should study in London.

What can be better than this? You should ask yourself.
London as one of the biggest cities in the world makes almost everything possible. More than that, London is a centre for academic excellence. Over 70 Nobel Prize laureates have studied or worked at a London university. Think about it.

*PRCA- http://www.prca.org.uk
Founded in 1969, the PRCA is the largest PR association in Europe, representing 12,000 people in agencies, in-house communications teams, and individuals.The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.

**ICCO- http://www.iccopr.com
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in twenty-eight countries across the globe: from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent close to1,500 PR firms. ICCO provides a forum for senior management of the world’s best PR consultancies to meet and address issues of mutual interest and concern.

***CIPR- http://www.cipr.co.uk
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is a professional body in the United Kingdom for public relations practitioners. Originally founded as the Institute for Public Relations in 1948, CIPR was awarded Chartered status by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2005 and added “Chartered” to its name. As of late 2012, CIPR had 10,095 members. The association provides training and education, publishes a code of conduct and hosts awards and events. It is governed by an executive board and a President that is elected each year.The CIPR is the voice of the public relations profession, a champion of its interests and a respected partner to the broader communications community.
Their world-class foundations aid people’s understanding of the public relations profession. They provide CIPR members with education, up-to-the-minute research and a code of conduct to enhance their professionalism.

Where did all start?

Perhaps you’ve been wondering what was on my mind on the day on which I have decided that I want to follow a university abroad. It was as though and now I can still hear my grandmother’ wondering: “Do you really need to go that far to follow an University?” … “YES! Even further if it’s necessary. Thanks to my mother who spent days and nights to help me make the best decision for me and my future, I have reached the conclusion that the choice of following an university in the UK would be the best for my future.

Why do I believe that I’ve made the best choice?
That’s why:
-I have come to the conclusion that my voice can be heard regardless of whether I am right or not .
-because there is no need for all those thousand pages to be learned by heart.
-Because I’ve started to read in addition to what is required to find out more, and I’ve also got to the point where I do read more due to the amazingly good content so it became a hobby.
-the desire of skipping classes is no longer among my priorities.
-because I started to believe in myself so I’m not ashamed anymore of what I say as everyone is listening without laughing or judging my ideas or points of view.
– I am not feeling threatened by anyone, no one will give me the lowest mark if I don’t learn something by heart for next’ day class.
-for the simple fact that I’m feeling independent, I can mix school with free time while being aware that everything depends on me from now on.

Why have I reached the conclusions noted above?
To begin with, I am a second year Public Relations and Advertising student at University of Westminster. I still remember the first assessment I had. It consisted in simulating a press conference, in which my colleagues and I have received different roles.

The way of grading aims to motivate students to work in a team, to be able to brainstorm together, to know how to behave in certain circumstances (in our case, press conferences, debates, campaigns, etc). An example of a fundamental aspect on which depends a successful career in Public Relations is represented by the courage and self-confidence a person must have while talking freely in front of a wide audience; the practice being much, much more important than theory.
Indeed, the theory is applied and learned through practice, which makes it much more accessible. Stress and emotions are most of the time productive, helping us to improve our performances every time.

Moreover, being in London gives me the opportunity to keep in touch with important PR figures as we always have guest speakers who share their experiences with us; and when it comes about PR, PRCA says it all.

Due to the fact that we’re here to learn how to build a career in the future, we also have an excellent academic environment which is one of the most important reasons for which everyone should study in London, United Kingdom.

Below, you can have a look over my thoughts before my first assessment, information that was posted one year ago on one of my other blogs.

Here you can find the Romanian version of this article:  http://studentainlondra.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/de-unde-am-pornit/

Hello beautiful people

The main purpose of this blog is to give students an insight about an international student’s experience in London. To begin with, I’m going to introduce myself.

My name is Oana Zachia, I’m 20 years old and I’m from Baia Mare, Romania. I’ve graduated from Mihai Eminescu High School, Social Sciences profile. The biggest change and achievement of my life was definitely the opportunity to study abroad. I was really indecisive at the beginning as I’ve seen that UK has loads of good universities which could shape my future career. After some time of research I’ve finally made my choice and I’ve decided to accept the offer from University of Westminster. This post is actually a brief introduction to what I’ll be going to discuss in the next couple of weeks. Basically, I will try to cover all the relevant aspects about student life in London; some of them will be:

• University; assessment, life, courses, tips, fun.
• Social life in one of the biggest cities in the world: shopping, nightlife, culture, sport
• Responsibilities: living costs, bank accounts, jobs, rents, transport
• General facts and aspects: culture, tourism, modern insights.

By the end of this project I hope that most of students will be able to make the best choice for themselves and their futures. Considering that I was in the same situation two years ago, I strongly believe that after reading about my experience, the future students will gain more self confidence to “take life in their hands” and come study in this amazing city at the only University which is “Shaping the future”.

To see the Romanian version of the article please go to: http://studentainlondra.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/un-nou-inceput-o-noua-perspectiva/