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【Dual Degree】Utilizing resources wisely when studying abroad! Olga the travelnista in Nottingham.

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Coming from Belarus, Olga Sakhatskaya has taken on challenges of living in multiple countries, various cultures and traveling to different destinations. She first moved to Taiwan for work but later discovered GHRM MBA an opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally. She was the hard-worker among her class, always raising questions fearlessly and putting full commitment into her class works. As a person who has to support herself when living abroad, she learned to finance herself and be budget-wise, which helped her tremendously after being admitted to the dual-degree program in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University.

Before arriving in Nottingham, students will have to face the harsh accommodation-hunting process, and oftentimes, it is even harder for dual-degree students who arrive in late January, during a study year. “You really have to start early” said Olga. Fair-priced and better-located housing options get booked almost right away. Furthermore, most student accommodations seek long-term leases, which makes it more difficult for dual-degree students like Olga. She eventually went for what her classmates in Taiwan recommended and reserved herself a room starting mid-February. But then she faced the dilemma of where to stay before moving into the accommodation and that was when her traveling experiences came in handy, she decided to couch surf to save money. Other than time, one also has to pay attention to price. In general, it is possible to find affordable accommodations nearby the campus. However, the rent is still significantly higher than what people are paying in Taiwan. Additionally, most student housing sites require student to pay upfront, which makes it important to stretch that budget in the beginning.

Life as a student in NTU can be very different than in Taiwan. Due to the intense studying schedule, time management is pivotal. You may have already heard the “module system” in NTU, with which courses are taught in blocks instead throughout the semester. One might have the same course topic during the day and stay on the campus for a significant amount of time. Olga considers utilizing the resources provided by NTU an essential skill whilst studying there. “You have access to a large collection of academic journals, text books, computer pools, software and more via the library, which can really save you the cost what you don’t necessarily want to spend so much. Students can also borrow the fully-equipped, versatile discussion space, so they won’t have to fo to cafes and spend money” said Olga. When first navigating through NTU’s Boots Library and its system, things can be a little confusing due to the varieties of services the library has to offer, but once understanding it, the library serveices are great helps to NTU students.

During her stay in Nottingham, it was unfortunate that the United Kingdom suffers from the COVID-19 (Wuhan virus) outbreak. Reacting to the ongoing pandemic, Nottingham Trent University allocated its online resources in order to continue providing its students the education. Along with the top-tier environment and equipments the school provides, Olga couldn’t be happier for her decision of joining the NSYSU GHRM MBA - NTU dual-degree program. “Maybe the university won’t tell you what they offer, but being graduate students, to understand what resources you can get and to utilize them are the quintessential lesson you have to learn”.

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