My name is Azgi, and I am from Kazakhstan. Let’s start my little story about how I studied at Bournemouth University International College by doing the Pre-Sessional English Course and International Year One.

Once upon a time, I came to England when I was just 12 years old. Since that time I knew that I would come back and do my degree in England.

On holiday in London when I was just 12 years old!

For me it was like a goal to achieve and make my dream come true. As soon as I finished high school back home, I started to search for universities and colleges. I spent a lot of time researching and it was really challenging to make my final decision. But the decision that I made by choosing Bournemouth University International College, needless to say was one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life.

Celebrating Christmas with the English tradition of Christmas crackers during my International Year One.

BU International College offers an amazing variety of courses. I picked Pre-Sessional English followed by International Year One Business so that I could fast-track into the second year of my degree. It goes without saying that, right from the very start, I’ve never enjoyed my classes as much as I did in my Pre-Sessional English. The teachers were absolutely outstanding and helped me a lot by giving feedback and explaining every topic very clearly. In my humble opinion, all sessions were highly interactive with my teachers and classmates. By doing the Pre-Sessional English Course I improved my grammar, vocabulary and the level of general English. Moreover, I developed my confidence and skills in classroom discussion and spoken English language proficiency. The combination of studying two courses helped to prepare for advanced study of various subjects and academic skills; an essential part of my Business Management degree at Bournemouth University. I’ve been introduced to key concepts and topics of research and academic writing that helped and supported my development as a student at BU. The International Year One course helped me to develop a variety of practical skills that are operational in business such as communication, problem solving, decision making, time management, planning, research and transferable skills.

On my placement year, contributing to a prestigious event at BU International College with special guest, the Mayor of Bournemouth.

Currently, I am on my placement year and have returned to BU International College! In my role as an Activities and Communication Assistant I create and deliver a programme of extra-curricular activities where students can improve their English skills.

One of the many fun activities is called “Crazy Comic”. In this activity the focus is on practising communication skills, while students create a comic book style story with both pictures and English phrases. I also organise “learning outside the classroom” opportunities with socials e.g. bowling and  day trips around the UK.

I recently organised a Bowling night in Bournemouth with current BU International College students.

I do enjoy my job a lot – as a former student of the International College I know what I need to do to motivate and encourage students. One of my best memories is from the International Tea Party where students shared a selection of different teas from around the world with cakes and traditional sweets. Yummy!

I have received loads of positive feedback for my activities which makes me really happy; I am very pleased that students enjoy them. Every day, I see them improve their English and make new friends, which is why I enjoy doing this job so much. Their opinions are really important for me, as I want them to enjoy every second of their student life as much as I am enjoying mine.

Celebrating student life at BU International College with the grand opening of the new building in 2015.

By Azgi Almamedova