Sam Pester

Choosing Surrey

I chose Surrey for the course. The main focus seemed to be on actually using the language and studying things that relate to the country and culture.  I also appreciated the detail about the course I could find on the University’s website and thought the campus was very attractive. Guildford seemed to be the ideal size for me – big enough to have a nice choice of places to go, but small enough to be able to easily escape!

I remember being really happy when I visited the campus for an open day. I especially liked its position just out of the centre, with everything you need no more than 15 minutes on foot.

The Course

I love that the focus at Surrey is on learning and using language for a purpose, such as translation, or just simply communication.  The modules have been really interesting too.  We’re so lucky to have such incredible teaching staff and lecturers in the language department and due to the smaller cohort sizes, they really get to know every individual they teach. They are on hand to help any time and go out of their way to ensure that every single student gets all the help they need. 

Life at Surrey

I lived in Battersea Court in my first year with 13 other students.  It never felt crowded due to the large kitchen and three separate toilets and showers. The room was a decent size too, with a big desk and plenty of room for storage.   It’s a good experience to live with other students, as it makes it easy to make friends when you first start, plus very convenient to live just opposite where all my lessons took place.

Professional Training Experience

We did entire modules focused on language for professional purposes, in which we wrote CVs and conducted job interviews in our target languages.  We also received lots of support in planning our training year, in which I worked in the English department of a school in Klagenfurt (southern Austria). I either assisted or led the lessons myself, in person and online, plus reviewed students’ work. The highlight for me was simply having the opportunity to gain experience in this area, and to see the differences between the school systems in Austria and the UK.

A professional placement gives you so much experience and you have a fantastic time.  I’d say it would do anyone good to take a break from the university for a year to do something different.

Best Moments

I would say that my best moment of university so far has been coming back here for the start of final year, after being away for a year and a half.  You become really close to the people on your course and who you live with, and I didn’t realise how much I’d missed being here until I came back and saw all the familiar faces!

Looking forward

I’ve definitely changed in my time here so far.  I’ve become much more focused on where I’d like to go and I’m much more informed about how to get there.  My language skills have vastly improved, which has prepared me well for the future, and I’m planning to train to teach next year.