Weitong Liu (Victoria) undertook the BA Education Studies.
She first became interested in studying education during an international week at her secondary school in China.
As part of this, she went into poorer schools to find out how they operate and soon became aware of gaps in the Chinese educational system.
"I immediately wanted to change the circumstances of students in these schools and make the Chinese educational system fairer. I began to look into courses that would allow me to examine global education and implement best practice from other systems back in China."
Community
" I loved that we have a diverse group on our course which allows us to share experiences about different cultures and education in other countries so easily. "
Placements
As one of her placement options, Victoria chose to visit a primary setting and observed different learning styles in the classroom first hand. She found that lessons in the UK can be very interactive.
"In China there can be a tendency to deliver a lesson in a lecture style but there is room to make the lessons more engaging and collaborative. I feel policies in the UK seem more open and transparent, allowing for more opportunities to influence and change things. I'm constantly making comparisons now and thinking of what I can take back to China in the future.
Sustainability in education
Victoria generally liked how the different modules on the course linked together, and found sustainability and special needs education most interesting.
"It's exciting to think of ways to make Chinese education more sustainable. I've also found that while both China and the UK have the same rules on treating special needs children equally, the UK implements it better."
Advice to prospective applicants
"Be open minded, critical thinking is vital and if you're an international student take full advantage of the support provided by tutors on writing academically."