Brunei

Whenever I think of Essex, I can only think of wonderful memories. The environment and community was so friendly and welcoming that I was able to adapt very easily and quickly. Essex Students' Union offers a variety of activities and hosts many different events. Being a multicultural university, one of my most favourite events was One World Essex (Cultural Week). I chose the University mainly because of the modules they offer for my course and I am glad I made that choice. With the encouraging and incredibly dedicated department staff and lecturers, I was able to graduate with a BA in Linguistics (Hons). This degree has helped me tremendously in my path as an aspiring Speech and Language Therapist (SLT). Returning to Brunei after graduating, I was able to work as an SLT assistant for 2 years and now I am pursuing my second degree in Speech Science. I will forever be thankful for the wonderful experience Essex has given me.

I chose the university upon reviewing the course structure and hearing about the brilliant student life on campus. I was drawn to the ease of settling into a home away from home and the vibrant, bustling mix of students and lecturers from all around the globe meant that I would fit right in with my international background. Essex itself is close to London, arguably the life-hub of the UK and that meant that I could easily commute to and from friends and relatives scattered throughout the UK. The university's reputation for teaching excellence preceded it, as at the time I began my studies it was steadily climbing through the rankings.

I was confident that the style of teaching as well as the balance between exams and coursework matched my academic learning preferences. I was even more content with the wide range of optional modules that enabled me to fine-tune and cater my learning towards suiting my academic and professional career goals, whilst still allowing me to also choose several modules of out of personal interest. The lecturers were noted to be experts in their field, being well achieved and consistently undertaking research to ensure that they were knowledgeable on recent developments in the subject.

As a whole, if I could relive my time at the University, I would. The knowledge and skillset I have gained can now be used to further myself, while the networking events hosted by the university's career centre allowed me to gain answers and a glimpse into the professional working life. This in turn showed me the direction I wanted to take in my own career. I have no doubt that the advice given to me by my lecturers, personal tutor and academic colleagues would be infallible as I turn the page and begin the next chapter of my professional life.