Ella Aaltonen

I am Ella Aaltonen from Finland studying a Bachelor’s in Computer Animation Art & Design here at BU since September 2017. If like me, at the beginning of your research you are curious to learn more about Bournemouth University but don’t know where to find more information, I recommend attending the online events that BU offers.  I attended all the events I could and because of that, the beginning of my student life was made so much easier! Here are some of the topics that I found very helpful.

Open Day alternative

Leaving for University may seem a little frightening, especially if you are going by yourself. I know it was for me! I had a lot of questions about what Uni life would really be like and if Bournemouth was truly the best place for me. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend an Open Day, so I thought there wouldn’t be any way for me to get all the information that I wanted. Thankfully BU offers a wide variety of webinars and WhatsApp chats to get you on the right track. These events are a good way to ask current students and university staff questions, as well as a great alternative if you are unable to physically attend a University Open Day.

Know your course

I had done research on the internet, but one of the things that sealed the deal was attending a webinar about my course – Computer Animation. It was nice to hear more about my course and what kind of skills I would need. The cool thing about BU’s webinars is that there is always a live chat at the end of the presentation to ask questions about the subject.

Understanding accommodation

For someone like me who had no experience booking a house, there’s lots of support available. First, there was a webinar about how the booking system for the university halls work and what to expect. If you have trouble choosing between accommodation options, there are WhatsApp events where you can ask current students living in halls of residence. I probably wouldn’t have ended up in my flat without this, and I am very happy I did.

Working while at Uni

Another WhatsApp event I found useful was having a chance to ask the current students how to get a part-time job in Bournemouth. It was good that the person giving the advice was someone who had been in the same situation recently.

Final tips

These are by no means all the events available. If you have any questions I encourage you to find out more! Here are some key details to keep in mind:

• You can easily find all the upcoming events listed on the University website.
• You must register for webinars before they start, but the process is very simple. Just click the “register now” button, enter your name and what course you’re interested in, and you’re in!
• A benefit of registering for the webinars and chats is that even if you’re unable attend the event at the scheduled time, you can always re-watch them online.

Written by Ella Aaltonen (Finland), BA (Hons) in Computer Animation Art & Design