Tala’s story

My name is Tala and I’m from Jordan.

I’m studying a Business Management with Marketing degree at the University of Brighton in the UK.

I decided to study abroad because I wanted to become more independent, learn new skills and improve my English. I wanted to get a quality education that would really help my career prospects after graduation.

In order to prepare for university in the UK, I took a Kaplan pathway course at the University of Brighton International College (UBIC).

Unfortunately, when I started my pathway course, I had to do my first term online due to the pandemic. I was supposed to begin my 2^nd term in Brighton but 2 days before I was meant to leave, all flights going in and out of the UK were cancelled and I couldn’t travel.

So, I did my pathway course online. I was a bit worried about making friends but, thanks to the staff at the College who organised so many online activities, I was able to make new friends.

It was a bit stressful for me to study abroad for the first time, so whenever I needed some help, UBIC supported me in overcoming my fears with online and face-to-face tutoring and support groups.

When I first came to the UK, I was uncomfortable because I am used to being with my family and spending time with them. It was a difficult transition but once I started joining activities, I met some amazing friends that supported me in becoming more independent.

I was concerned about the cultural difference and how I would cope with it, but I overcame that by talking to other international students. We swapped stories about our cultures and shared interesting information that helped us understand each other.

When I did my pathway course (a Foundation Certificate in Business, Tourism and Social Sciences), I found that my classes were a very helpful starting point for university.

My favourite subject was Entrepreneurship because we got the chance to work in groups, develop our own business plan, and learn how to present our idea.

Then, when I progressed to the University of Brighton, I felt prepared because I got the chance to go into more depth about everything that I had studied the previous year during my pathway course.

For example, the Enterprise Project and Skills module of my degree is very similar to the Entrepreneurship module I took at UBIC: we have 3 assignments on making our own business plan and working in groups.

Ultimately, studying a pathway course at UBIC helped me learn so many new skills, like how to work in a group, and how to write long reports, essays and business plans effectively. It made my experience of studying a degree abroad a lot easier because I knew what to expect and I had the skills to succeed.

In the future, I would like to graduate university and do my master’s degree and PhD too. I want to have my own business and become successful.

I would love to be a very independent woman who does not rely on anyone. I want to become a role model to all the strong women out there, and show them that they are capable of doing everything they want because if I did it then they can too!

My advice to all prospective international students is to work hard and enjoy university life to the max. Your university years won’t be repeated so make the most of them and meet new people.

The best thing about my experience of studying abroad was making new friends from all around the world, exploring Brighton and attending activities run by the University.

Work hard to achieve your goals, become successful, and make your parents proud!