Ibidapo’s story

My name is Ibidapo Mayowa Adeolu and I am from Nigeria.
 
I studied at UWE Bristol’s International College from 2013 to 2014 and I want to share my experience with you.

I chose to study abroad in the UK because my degree wasn’t offered in Nigeria and, after some research, I found out that I needed to complete a pathway course — a Foundation Certificate in Science and Engineering — before I could begin university.
 
Once I knew that I wanted to be in the UK, I started the next phase of my research. I wanted to find the best and most suitable university. I attended some conferences in Nigeria where I had the opportunity to meet UK university representatives. With their help, I ultimately I decided to apply to UWE Bristol, which is a Kaplan partner university.
 
I chose UWE Bristol for lots of reasons, including the curriculum, the partnership with Kaplan, alumni testimonials, and access to resources.
 
When I arrived, I Ioved the environment. It was very welcoming, and I made my first friend on the first day, which is amazing because I am a shy person. The registration process was easy and the staff helped me settle in quickly.

The lectures at the College were great! I had access to free resources, offline and online (for example, online tests and practice systems). I could also talk to the lecturers who were always ready to help — I always asked questions, so I really made the most of that support.
 
Before I started my pathway course, I wasn’t a fan of Maths even though I was going into Aerospace Engineering. However, thanks to the teaching, by the end of the programme I was very much involved and interested. I was so good that I was even helping more than five of my friends (not bragging!). I also got 100% attendance, which was cool.
 
I got more interested in computers and programming because at one point I was learning how to program a microcontroller using programming language in the lab, and I also worked with MATLAB using the library resources. These were advanced topics outside my course, so I could tell I was gaining confidence.

When I got back to Nigeria, I used the skills I learnt to fund some of my activities. I helped final year university students develop codes, software, apps and gadgets.
 
Now, I have two registered startups: a web design and development company, and a robotics company (where we develop and create robotics kits for kids, and also teach them how to program them). I’m currently working with a tech company to develop their in-house software products.
 
One of the reasons that I’m passionate about helping children and future generations is that I remember Boeing/Airbus coming to my school once and asking us to develop a drone. It was a competition to create a cheap and effective model to carry water during fire emergencies. It was an awesome experience and really shaped what I went on to do with my life.
 
I loved my time at Kaplan and remember it for the friendly and educational environment — it was the perfect place to help me get to where I am today.