Danish Isharuddin

Psychology – BSc (Hons)

Danish couldn’t wait to leave his home in Malaysia and embrace life in the UK. In just a few months at BCU, he’s been able to make long-lasting friendships, see what city life has to offer and make a mark on his new community.

“I always knew I want to attend university, but what wasn’t certain was the course I was going to do. One thing I was certain about, was that BCU was the place for me.

I specifically wanted to study in Birmingham because prior to arriving here, I did lots of research, all of which said that Birmingham is a ‘student friendly city’. After living here for just two months, I would say I definitely agree. In Birmingham, I get to live the city life I wanted, without the costs of somewhere like London.

As an international student, I wanted to feel like I was going to a university where I could fit in and make friends easily. All my family live in Malaysia so making friends was a priority. I currently stay in Jennen’s Court, it’s right in the city centre so most of my friends are really close by!

Plus, I’m right in the middle of the two places I need to be – Campus and the City Centre – I can walk everywhere! Being an international student, it was really important factor for me to have this independence and make a new city home. When I do want to travel, Birmingham has fantastic transport links, so I’ve been able to visit lots of other UK cities too. Birmingham is definitely the most convenient city in the UK for getting around and exploring.

I chose to study psychology because the student experience seemed great, there’s lots about the course online and it sounded like the course would be a good fit for me. I was worried I’d find the course difficult because I had a late arrival at BCU, I missed a few weeks of teaching, so I fell behind the rest of the class. My course leaders were really welcoming and helpful, their support allowed me to catch up in no time. I met my personal tutor straight away, which meant I knew there was someone I could turn to from the beginning. My personal tutor was a huge help in getting to know the BCU systems, learning how to organise my time and getting everything organised so I could catch up on work and succeed!

Managing my time means I’ve been able to get involved in some of the endless opportunities the university has to offer. In a short time, I’ve become president of the Malaysian society. It’s a big commitment but it’s a great way to make connections with people outside of my course and I’ve made lots of friends. I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with student life and taking the initiative to be an active member in the community.

Plus, I am working part-time as an undergraduate content creator, which has helped me develop my CV and employability. Plus, Graduate+, BCU’s employability service, is integrated into my course. So, I take part in workshops that develop my writing, presentation and employability skills. This is compulsory for the course, which shows to me that it’s something that’s really important to BCU as a university. I know that all of these skills are vital to my degree and future career. I feel like BCU is a university that is preparing students for their future career from the outset of their degree.

I feel as though the BCU community, whether it be my lecturers, the student union, the plethora of events taking place all the time – all of these have helped made my couple months at BCU enjoyable. I already know I’ll be able to complete my degree with flying colours whilst making long lasting memories.

To me, ‘I am BCU’ means taking pride in the institution we are in and embracing all the parts of BCU that makes it what it is.”