“It feels good to know that the institution thinks beyond the certificate.” ARU Ambassador Charles talks volunteering, making friends and UK culture shocks!
Name: Charles
University: Anglia Ruskin University
Home country: Nigeria
What surprised you about the UK? “In Nigeria, it’s easier to randomly strike up a conversation in public even with a stranger and it’s alright. Out here, you’re not sure if the person next to you will find that offensive… I also wonder; why do people work so fast here?”
How are you settling into life at ARU?
“I arrived at ARU in September 2022. The school and its environment are welcoming, and the lectures are just as I imagined - not too different from what I experienced in Nigeria. Studying in a new place can be quite challenging, but meeting people from all over the world and having to adapt to everything different has been a great experience so far.
ARU as a school is resourceful - you get a lot of support in every aspect (academic, career, religious, etc). You also get to enjoy extracurricular activities, for me it’s football so I joined the school team. For every issue you have, there’s always somebody to talk to, whether you need a CV reviewed, want to know about career options post studies, including career fairs with potential employers like the NHS. It feels good to know that the institution thinks beyond the certificate.”
And the course, how’s that going?
“The thing about education is that you must put in the work to get results. I believe this applies to wherever you find yourself. Although it can seem like a lot, the course work is fair in my opinion, provided I put the time in. People think it’s overwhelming, potential international students will always ask about the assessment methods, the volume of work and if they can study ahead but I always advise a calm approach, which has worked for me from the beginning. My plans after graduation are a bit personal, but I still want to continue my clinical practice and maybe explore some business opportunities in Nigeria. I have missed out on a couple of jobs due to lack of a Public Health degree, so I’m sure that’ll benefit me after graduation.”
What initially sparked your interest in public health?
“I did some volunteering with an NGO back in Nigeria and developed an interest in community development and global health coverage. There’s lots of inequality in terms of health, especially in low-income countries. Participating in these outreach programs revealed the need for more public health intervention and this is just an additional qualification and skill to better position me as time comes.”
How did you find making friends as an international student?
“I knew a few people coming to ARU from Nigeria, but I’m a sociable person so it was not difficult making friends. Getting involved in electoral activities also left me with no choice than to meet people since I needed their vote to win the election. I’ve also been volunteering with the SHoKE (Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange) community, I’m on the football team, I attend classes… So in all of these, I get to meet and know people.”
Tell me more about SHoKE…
“We’re a community of student volunteers who want to make a positive impact; what we do is social prescribing in a nutshell. We get to profile submissions for real-life social problems to partner organisations. We meet with them to understand their challenges and then come up with practical ideas to overcome them. One time we did a 24-hour brainstorming marathon - it’s quite a task but it was worthwhile! I’m learning and gaining a lot of experience in this, especially working with consultants and social workers, it also looks rewarding in the future. Meanwhile I got two electronic badges from Cambridge County to show for it.”
What made you want to be an ARU CampusConnect ambassador?
“I applied to be an international digital student ambassador, which involves giving potential students an insight into life at ARU. We do this by creating content for ARU’s social media pages and being representatives on CampusConnect. I get messages from incoming students and I’m always happy to chat to them.”
Reflecting on his journey and opportunities so far, Charles has some advice for incoming students: “There’s never any harm in trying something new and experiencing life.”
