For international student Yoon, the peaceful atmosphere of Royal Holloway’s campus was exactly what she needed to focus on her studies as she pursues her ambitions.
International student Yoon grew up in the constant noise and action of city life, first in Myanmar and then Bangkok. “There’s always been a big city vibe for me – very busy, lots of people, cars, and tourists. Moving here, it’s urban still, but peaceful. I can be by myself, without distractions.”
Changing career direction
After leaving school, she spent three years gaining HR experience, volunteering in a Non-profit Youth Organisation she set up with a friend, and gaining an HR diploma. But she felt that her heart lay in the field of STEM, having grown up watching her electronic engineer father taking broken things apart and fixing them. “Suddenly they started to work – it was like a mystery to me. I always tried to do it myself, but it never worked.”
Taking a gap year after her matriculation exams, she decided to follow her lifelong dream of studying in the UK and the chance to experience its diverse culture. After considering her options she chose to start with an International Foundation Year (IFY).
“I added Royal Holloway to my shortlist because of the good reviews and rankings, and the more I learned and found out about the tight knit community, and saw videos showing the beautiful campus, it became my first choice.”
Gaining confidence
Choosing to follow the physical sciences pathway, Yoon originally planned to go onto study a computer science degree, but that changed with a tour of the electronic engineering department arranged by her tutor.
“I just knew that I needed to do what I’d always wanted to and change my direction.”
Her success during the year-long course led to her being awarded the Royal Holloway International Study Centre (RHISC) Excellence Scholarship, a £3,000 award towards her first-year tuition fees. Acknowledging her academic excellence, the scholarship also considered attendance and extracurricular activities.
Electronic Engineering at Royal Holloway
Yoon is now in the first year of the MEng Electronic Engineering degree at Royal Holloway. She hopes to eventually work in electronic engineering research, building machines and robots that can help people and animals in distress during environmental crises.
“Trying to build something from scratch is a big milestone for me. Spending so much time and effort assembling it, not knowing if it will work. But then it’s so much fun to see the project completed and working in front of you.”
She feels the hands-on experience of the course is giving her just what she needs. “I’m doing what I expected to be doing as an engineering student, but the labs are a particular highlight. We get a topic and some guidelines, then work in a group for the next five to six weeks building whatever we want. It helps by letting you learn things by yourself and at your own pace, but the technicians are also helpful if you do have problems.”
Finding your people
Feeling quite shy and worried about meeting new people when she arrived in the UK, Yoon quickly settled in. “All the students on the IFY are international, so we all understood what it was like - moving countries, feeling alone and not speaking your first language. We spent a lot of time together and the teachers, staff and counsellors were all really supportive.”
“I had so much fun living in Founders Building student accommodation for my foundation year. It gave me a chance to connect with local students, find out about their culture and help them understand mine. We often stayed up talking until three or four o’clock in the morning. I still have contact with them even now I live elsewhere.”
Moving onto the first year of her degree Yoon has also built new friendships and support groups. “There aren’t as many women in STEM, but I’ve met three or four girls who have very similar personalities to me and we do all our work and go everywhere together.”
She’s keen to highlight how friendly and supportive the staff are in the department. “They always say, ‘think us like a second family’ and that helps a lot, especially for those of us who don’t have family here.” As academic rep for the course she also shares feedback with the university. “I can always arrange meetings with them and express my opinions very fairly.”
Advice for future students
Yoon points out how being surrounded by a very diverse community has helped her grow as a person. “Have courage and don’t be too scared or shy. Try to be more outgoing so that you can make friends in the university and find your people.”
Being able to connect with people from all over the world was part of the appeal for Yoon in choosing to study in the UK. As a student from Myanmar, she feels sad that future students from her country no longer have the same opportunity she did to study in the UK due to a change in the VISA rules. “I have friends who were preparing to come and study in the UK. It’s sad all their effort has gone, and they must now consider other options that aren’t as good academically or offer the type of life the UK does.”
Summing up Royal Holloway as peaceful, excellent and warm, she reflects on how her experience could help future students:
“Try to enjoy what you’re doing – whether that’s studying, joining clubs or going to parties. Because if you don’t enjoy living here, I don’t think you will enjoy studying here.”
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Find out about the support available to you as an International Student at Royal Holloway:
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Studying Electronic EngineeringExplore where a degree in Electronic Engineering could take you:
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