Hi, everybody! I am very happy and honoured to be able to share with you my experience of studying and living at Henley Business School. I am Felicia Qi, currently studying the MSc Management (International Business) programme. My fate with Henley began in early 2019, when I also had offers from other schools. However, it was not so much that I chose Henley as it was that Henley “chose” me.

When applying for a school, I was undecided of where to study. So I started a small investigation. I personally prefer quiet and sparsely populated places, because I have completed my bachelor education in China, and I wanted to enjoy a quiet and comfortable learning life. Reading is such a place, a sweet and peaceful town, without losing its life. In the centre of Reading you can find hawkers who sell fruits and vegetables every morning, and in the evening you can walk into a romantic and unforgettable restaurant to enjoy your food. It’s a 25-minute train journey from London. When you want to experience the prosperity and liveliness of the city, you can satisfy all your urban fantasy; when night falls you’re back at peaceful Reading, you can enjoy the beautiful starry sky and relax.

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The beautiful Reading campus is even more fascinating. The lakeside in the Whiteknights Campus is a paradise for all teachers and students. When summer comes, the evening is sprinkled on the body, chatting and laughing by the lake with classmates and friends, or jogging freely, all add a little beauty to your life.

My school selection criteria was to choose a school with a high degree of professional recognition. Henley Business School is the earliest established business school in the UK and it is also a “triple accredited” business school. Studying in a school with a high degree of professional recognition is really a pleasure.

Here, teamwork is very important. Almost every module requires group study. At this time, it’s time to show your personal charm. You don’t need to be shy, and don’t be afraid to say the wrong thing. Let yourself be involved and immersed in it, and also lay the foundation for future careers. Maybe everyone will face the differences caused by different cultures. At this time, you need to communicate with your group members in a timely manner, and as my non-Chinese students tell me: “You must tell me everything boldly, and blurt your ideas, otherwise we don’t know what you are thinking about, and whether you can accept some arrangements for division of labour and cooperation”. Don’t be shy!

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I currently live in the student apartment of Unite Students, who is working with the school, and I am fortunate to be one of the student ambassadors. We prepare a variety of interesting activities for students on each festival and every month.What I remember most is Halloween last year. All our students started socialising while enjoying free pizza. There are students from different countries all over the world. Everyone speaks different languages. We all communicate with each other in English, which is the only language everyone can speak.

Sometimes because of different accents, they will not understand what the other party is saying. It should be noted that Chinese students have such problems, and even local British students have such problems. Therefore, don’t worry too much about those who don’t understand.

In such a joyful conversation, we have chosen to teach all other students a sentence in our own language. Clumsy pronunciation and open conversation make the atmosphere very active, and it is also the best opportunity to witness the integration of different cultures around the world. When you come here, you don’t need to worry about whether your spoken language is fluent. You can use body language or look up the dictionary in front of them. People around you will also teach you pronunciation and explain it to you patiently. Fully integrating yourself into such an environment is the best memory of studying abroad.

Finally, I hope that sharing my experience can help you, and I hope everyone can enjoy their study abroad life and get good memories in life.

By Felicia Qi
MSc Management (International Business)