Evelyn’s journey from Colombia to Sheffield with NCUK
Evelyn’s journey from Colombia to Sheffield with NCUK
- * Evelyn Sofía Correa Díaz
- * From Colombia
- * Completed NCUK International Foundation Year
- * Progressed to University of Sheffield, BEng Bioengineering with a Year in Industry
Why did you choose to study with NCUK?
During the coronavirus lockdown I found NCUK the easiest and most efficient option to follow my dream of studying in the UK. With lockdown conditions, moving to the UK straightaway to do my international foundation year felt very the risky and blunt decision, however, I found an NCUK site in my city in which they support me not only in getting the knowledge I needed to prepare for my course in English, but also the applications to the universities. Also, it helped me to discover more about what I wanted to do with my future career and what paths to choose with some vocational help offered in the centre. NCUK was a knowledge, language and cultural bridge from my country to the UK and it is something I appreciate it now that I look back.
How has your NCUK experience helped you to get to where you are today?
From an academic view, doing the International Foundation Year with NCUK helped me to catch up and get more insight about the introductory modules that I was going to learn at university. I always take the example that at my high school in Colombia, the spectre of knowledge I got was not enough as is expected in universities in the UK, so having the “Mathematics for Engineering” module in my IFY was an enormous help as it taught me further maths topics that nowadays I use every day for my degree.
In my opinion, it got me used to the pace of independent studying that universities in the UK expect from you. It also helped me a lot in my English for academic purposes as I got taught how to write a laboratory report, essays, or academic writings essential for any student
What are your goals for the future?
Currently I am going through my year in industry, which is a 1 year long internship where I got the opportunity to work as a fermentation scientist in the development of sustainable projects that could be big soon. So far, I have obtained valuable skills and experience in the company I am working for, for that reason, after completing my year in industry I will complete the last year of my bachelor's degree, and keep my role in this company to pursue research and development scientist career with a focus on sustainable biotechnology. I would love to hopefully one day have a positive impact in the area with my research.
Do you have any advice for future NCUK students?
Firstly, I would advise future NCUK students to enjoy the maximum you can. Moving to another country is a very personal growing experience which is not easy at the beginning but with time I got more and more grateful about having taken this decision in my life. It is a great opportunity to pursue your passion and to get to know people from all over the world. The hard work I did since I started in NCUK is worth every second.
Secondly, it is completely normal if you do not keep up with the academic pace to start. I used to get frustrated if I did not understand a topic the first time I was exposed to it, however I understand later that I was not the only one and it is more common than it seems. So be patient with yourself, find your own best way to revise, and get a study group to help each other
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