Moving to a different country can be a daunting experience, and it’s not uncommon to feel homesick while studying abroad. Feelings of being anxious, loneliness and isolation are totally normal in these situations. Been there, done that, and was it fun? Absolutely not. So here are some tips to combat this monstrosity!

1. Establish a Support Network

Not gonna lie, easier said than done. UCL is a massive campus, and you might be thinking, how on earth do I meet new friends? Fortunately, UCL offers more than 300 societies that you can join. Additionally, there are events and activities, especially during the first few weeks like freshers week, where you can meet like-minded people. While it might be intimidating initially, remember that everyone participating in these activities is in the same boat as you. Here’s an underrated tip: don’t feel pressured to form your core group of friends right away. Stay open-minded, explore more clubs and societies, and have fun!😉Here is a photo with me at an Engineers Without Borders Society social!

2. Explore London

There is so much to do in this city waiting for you to discover. From musicals and markets to parks and museums, there is always something. Discover hidden gems in the city: cafes, bookshops, river canals, and more! There’s a wide range of delicious food to try (see my previous blog) from different cultures is nothing short of astounding.

3. Ask to receive packages from home

Reach out to the people you miss the most and ask for their support. Personally, I craved the snacks from back home the most. Regular updates from loved ones can remind you that you aren’t forgotten and make you less lonely😊 Here is a photo of a care package my lovely fam sent me during my first year!

 

Studying abroad and adjusting to a foreign country might seem overwhelming, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I can do it, you can too! UCL Cares is a fantastic resource that offers superb support when needed. I hope these tips provide some comfort, even if it’s just a teeny tiny bit haha😉Lastly, remember: you got this!!

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This blog was written by Rachel, Biomedical Engineering

The experience I had working with Young at Heart Ghana could be summarised in 3 words: amazing, inspiring, and eye-opening. Before the placement, I knew almost nothing about the Ed-tech industry but after having interesting conversations with the team at Young at Heart, I can confidently say with no doubt that I am familiar with the industry especially the accessibility of the use of educational technology in developing countries.

Young at Heart Ghana is an Ed-tech organization which aims to make STEM education more accessible to students in schools through customised digital platforms and software. Throughout the placement, I actively engaged with their operations, research, and engineering departments, all envisioning the same mission: to champion access to Ed-tech spaces. Knowing that you are involved in a community, where more and more young students are getting access to digital content and practical knowledge because of the projects being done at Young at Heart is incredible.

During the placement, I took part in the user-testing for Ananse Hub, a teaching platform. I created STEM teaching material on the Solar System using infographics for the platform. I also developed quizzes related to the content material. Using the discussion platform in the hub, I presented the information and recorded voice notes. The team then provided feedback and outlined the technical difficulties occurring with the platform. The task was very insightful, such that using infographics can help keep the audience’s attention, and further enhanced my presentation and storytelling skills.

Since the internship was combined with in-person and remote fellows, I collaborated with the other remote fellows in developing a survey as a follow-up of the report the in-person fellows did. As a team, we created surveys in relation to justice, well-being and access. In the development of the survey, I reviewed published papers on access to Ed-tech platforms and measured the variables specific to distributive justice. In distributive justice, I analysed different variables such as internet connectivity, data and cloud storage availability in school infrastructures, and schools in different regions in Ghana. I then created a survey for different stakeholders like parents, teachers and technicians, asking them about their student’s access to technology and its reliability of it. Gaining more insights into the intersection between justice and Ed-tech was enriching and broadening. One of the highlights was learning more about the Vegas & Winthrop model, which is an aspiration of education post-COVID. Where the school is in the centre of the community, it powers every single student’s learning and development using every single path possible, from technology to health and social protection agencies.

One of the products Young at Heart Ghana is Ananse the Teacher app. The app combines African folklore and provides a medium where stories and learning intersect. The lesson usually starts with an African folklore story, engaging students with the STE(A)M lesson, followed by practical experiments and hands-on activities. We were tasked to plan and create a lesson for Ananse the Teacher app following the science curriculum for primary schools in Ghana. I designed the lesson on the topic of Materials, where students get to learn and classify everyday materials and objects based on their properties. I started with an African folklore story “Why the Tortoise has a rough shell?”, describing the tortoise’s shell properties and the properties of other objects that appeared in the story, linking it to the lesson. I also categorized materials into different sections: Natural materials, Converted materials, and Synthesis. This ensures that students know the different types of materials and where they fit into the classification. Finally, I created hands-on activities and projects to end the lesson. It not only enhanced my design and creativity skills, but I also learned that it is important to relate it to the student’s culture and background. It makes it more relatable to students’ everyday life, hence leading it to be more interesting and engaging. One of the highlights was engaging in a conversation with the founding director at Young at Heart, Josephine Marie Godwyll. She told us how children in Ghana don’t know the difference between broccoli and cauliflower, but that is because they have never tried it before, as it was never a thing in Ghana. Therefore, it is crucial in familiarizing yourself with the culture of the country when developing teaching materials!

Throughout the placement, we had multiple extracurricular activities from the team at Young at Heart. We learnt about a variety of topics from business to pitch training to career journeys. It was very insightful as listening to others about their career journey is at the same time further educating yourself. They gave advice such as “Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone as you never know if you don’t try.” If you try you may discover new opportunities that may peak your interest! We also had discussions and interactive conversations with the co-founder at Young at Heart, Martin Bruce. Martin gave us two videos to watch. Both videos are pitches at the Royal Academy of Engineering. We then stated the differences both good and bad, the takeaways and the key points. It was very interesting as judging from a different perspective, and we learnt so much more about elevating your pitch and starting with a purpose at the very beginning. Lastly, we had an engaging conversation about our career journeys with other remote fellows and Martin, what we envision doing in the future etc. Biggest takeaway: What you study doesn’t mean what you will do in the future as a career. Your interests may change from time to time and that is okay. University is for you to explore what you like and what you don’t like until you find what is your purpose. These quotes will be on my mind when I am having career troubles in the future.

I got to work and experience with a variety of different sectors: marketing, engineering, business and content creating. This placement not only helped me grow personally but professionally as well. By working with others and trying different sectors, I could see substantial development in my future career and real-world experience.

Working with the brilliant Young at Heart team on advancing access to high-quality education through Ed-tech solutions was very insightful and I would highly recommend this placement project to other students at UCL. Applications open in Dec/ Jan, for more information, please visit the following link: https://liveuclac.sharepoint.com/sites/UCLInternationalDevelopmentHub

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This blog was written by Rachel, Biomedical Engineering

From freshly made sourdough pizza to soufflé pancakes to sushi and Korean Food, UCL’s got it all. UCL is located in the heart of London, so there are tons of restaurants nearby, and there is definitely something for everyone.

Here’s the ultimate guide to my favourite restaurants around UCL.

Hare and Tortoise

Hare and Tortoise is a Japanese restaurant where it has a plethora amount of Japanese cuisine to choose from. They also have other dishes such as Pad Thai and Lo Mein. The price is pretty reasonable, and it’s really close to campus!

What to order:

My go-to order is their Yaki Udon and a side of California sushi rolls.

Location: Brunswick Square, London

Seoul Bakery

This cozy small restaurant has everything from tteokbokki to kimchi fried rice, however my favourite is their gimbap. A lot of Korean restaurants here in London don’t have gimbap on their menu sadly, so I was surprised and elated that they have gimbap here.

What to order:

Beef bulgogi gimbap or just gimbap (this is not a recommendation, it is mandatory)

Location: 14 Great Russell St, London

Franco Manca

A fresh sourdough pizza restaurant, and the best thing about Franco Manca is that majority of their pizzas are under 10 pounds! Their menu has a large variety of options and they have lots of vegetarian and vegan choices as well! It is located next to Russell Square Station which can be very convenient for commuters:)

What to order:

Any of their pizzas<3

Location: 4 Bernard Street, Russell Square/ 98 Tottenham Court Road

Fuwa Fuwa

I rarely repeat restaurants as there are so many food places around London to explore, but I have been to Fuwa Fuwa 5 times (yes, it is THAT good). Their pancakes are extra fluffy and light, and their menu has a wide variety of different pancakes to choose from. The minimalistic interior adds a unique touch to the dessert place and the size of the shop is huge. Besides, you order by scanning the QR code which is super convenient and Covid friendly!

What to order:

Any of their pancakes! They are all amazing:)

Location: Brunswick Square, London

Busaba

Craving for some Thai Food? Busaba is the best place for you. The best thing about Busaba is that it offers a 25% student discount (the perks of being a student lol). The restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere, and serves as a great restaurant to catch-up with friends.

What to order:

My personal favourite is their Khao red pork belly rice with a plate of fish cakes alongside it.

Location: 22 Store Street, Bloomsbury

Not sure where to satisfy your cravings? Or have you just finished a long day of lectures and just want some good food to finish off the day? Stop by any of these restaurants and I promise that you won’t be disappointed^_^

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This blog was written by Rachel, Biomedical Engineering

What I love about food markets is that it displays food cultures from all around the world. Food markets in London especially are so colourful, the atmosphere is vibrant and it has a variety of selection of foods to try from. It doesn’t matter if you are going for a big meal or just a little snack, there is something for everyone. Here are the best food markets in London, read on to see what all of these markets have to offer!

Old Spitalfields Market

Located near Liverpool Street Station, Old Spitalfields market is not just a food market, but it also sells other things like art, tote bags, candles, music boxes and loads more!

With the new Elizabeth line, it is only 2 stops from Tottenham Court Road, one of the closest stations from UCL. Old Spitalfields Market is only a 6 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station. Old Spitalfields market is one of my favourite markets as it is new, modern and very clean! I got a meat-filled Jian Bing from Pleasant Lady and a dessert from Humble Crumble. It was incredible and certainly worth a visit again.

Bloomsbury Farmers market

Located just opposite UCL campus, it is a popular spot for UCL students to grab a quick lunch in between lectures. However, it only opens every Thursday from 9am-2pm, which is a bummer! I visited this market numerous times, trying different foods from different food stalls. My favourite food stall would have to be Cakehole, where it sells all things cakes! I love a little sweet treat after a morning of labs and workshops, so Cakehole is the best place to go😊 They are handmade cakes full of fresh ingredients, and I would say their cacao brownies are the best!

Borough market

Ah Borough Market, the classic of all classics. Borough Market was the first food market I visited when I first came to London. Fun fact, one of the scenes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed at Borough Market! There is a vast food selection at the market, from smoothies to doughnuts to pasta. My personal favourite is the Hainanese chicken rice at Mei Mei. The flavours in the rice and the chicken were perfect and full of depth, transporting me to Singapore.

Camden market

Around half an hour walk from UCL, Camden Market offers a wide variety of food selections. My favourite roasted meat food stall, Three Uncles is located in the heart of Camden Market. It has the authenticity of Hong Kong taste, just the smell when you walk past the food stall will make your mouth water and the taste is irresistible. Camden Market don’t just offer food, there are lots of vintage shops as well, where you can easily spend an afternoon there. If you want to take a little stroll along the river, Regents Canal is just right around the corner from Camden Market. It is like a little escape from the city centre, and you can go to Primrose Hill to watch the sunset! Primrose Hill has one of the most spectacular views of the London Skyline. Two birds in one stone whoohoo I already created an itinerary for a weekend😊

Mercato Mayfair

Mercato Mayfair is one of the most prettiest markets I have ever been to. Well to be fair, it is more of a food hall than a food market. Nonetheless, they have an amazing variety of mouth-watering foods. Prior to being a food hall, it was a church (St. Mark’s Church, Mayfair). After 2 years of renovation, it transformed into a stunning food hall. Mercato Mayfair is made up of several floors where you can find dishes from all over the world. I had a handmade Rigatoni Bolognese pasta from Pasta Lovers, one of the food stalls on the ground floor. It was amazing and I highly recommend it😊 While enjoying a delicious meal, you can admire the beautiful architecture surrounding. The original stained glass windows are preserved, which makes it such an incredible place.

And the best thing about food markets? You don’t have to pay service charge😉. Whether you are looking for a quick treat/snack, homemade ingredients, or a huge meal, London food markets are the way to go!

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This blog was written by Rachel, Biomedical Engineering