Lauren normally asks the questions here at CampusConnect, connecting with current international students, prospects, and alumni, to brilliantly capture their stories of moving from home to embark on an overseas study experience.

We thought it was about time that Lauren sat in the hot seat! Meet Lauren!

“So, what is your favourite biscuit?” “A digestive.” “Oh, you CAN’T say that. That’s SO boring. Not even a Hob-Nob?” It was at that point that I decided that introducing myself quirkily by way of biscuit choice probably wasn’t the best idea. Instead, I’ll begin with some basics: 

• Cities I’ve called home: Manchester, Leeds, Lyon and Valencia. 

• British novelty I missed the most whilst abroad: Pound shops. Just for those bits you need now and again. I don’t want a trip to IKEA for a tin opener…

• Silliest thing I did as an international student: Booked my airport taxi for the wrong month and cried when it didn’t turn up. 

• Most precious possession: A notebook that I’ve been writing poetry in since I was 15. 

• Ideal day out: I’d wake up in a new city and explore its cafés and landmarks. Then I’d relax by a lake whilst people-watching, before spending the evening in a cosy bar. 

My university experience

Having always been a lover of languages, I studied French with Spanish at the University of Manchester. I picked up Spanish from scratch as I’d never had the opportunity to study it before but felt slightly guilty every family holiday when the furthest I could stretch was to ask for “una mesa para cuatro”. I absolutely loved studying languages and all of the opportunities it brought: new friends, another way of thinking, a variety of modules and of course, the year abroad. If I could change anything, I would have been more involved in student life itself. I didn’t quite make the most of the societies and other opportunities available to me as I was living at home. If I could give one piece of advice to incoming students, it would be to embrace all of the experiences whilst you can because your time at university will fly by! 

Where I am now

When I left university, I felt like I’d been plunged into a sea of applications and interviews. I knew I wanted to work in education but wasn’t quite ready to be a teacher. I decided to look into the broader field and came across roles in higher education outreach. It’s great because I’m involved in so many different things: from mentoring to marketing, student life to sign language tasters! It’s taught me that you never really know what’s out there until you start looking – so don’t panic if you’re not sure where your course will take you!

Working with CampusConnect

Working in the content team at CampusConnect means I get to chat with students from all over the world. My favourite part of the role is hearing the excitement in students’ voices as they speak about discovering their new city or their passion for their subject. They seem to be living a constant adventure, which takes me back to my year abroad! Some wisdom that’s really shone through from those I’ve spoken to is to thoroughly research the courses you’ve applied to before making any decisions. Read about the modules you’ll study as well as what kind of jobs graduates go into. That’ll ensure you choose the right course for you.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-valentine-1506/