Gabriel Berwanger fell in love with MIddlesex University London and this is clear in the interview we did with him. Not only did he find support and create affective relationships with students, professors and within the university's administration, but he still strives to carry his story and inspire people who want to have an experience like his. This experience is just beginning, since, despite having finished his graduation, he is already enrolled in the master's degree.
That's what it's like to have found yourself in an institution, right?
Let's know a little more about how all this happened? Read the interview that loveUK Brasil did with him below:
loveUK: Why did you choose Middlesex?
Gabriel Brewanger: I chose Middlesex for several reasons. The first is that I really liked the combination of the Business and Marketing course, because it encompassed exactly what I wanted to do. And Middlesex excels in Business, so for me it was a plus. The combined Business and Marketing/HR/Finance/Accounting courses are very varied and I loved the idea of combining more than one subject because it gave me a huge range of possibilities for areas of work. Also, I liked Middlesex's face especially because of the support the university offers to international and LGBTQ+ students. These aspects were fundamental, because knowing that I was supported by the university as an LGBTQ+ international student gave me peace of mind to continue my studies knowing that I had made the right decision. In addition, I already knew that it was one of the most diverse universities in the UK, so it was a factor that weighed heavily in the choice, as I knew that I would not be alone and that it would be easier to make new friends from other countries that were in the same country. status of international students.
loveUK: What bachelor's degree did you take in Middlesex and for what years?
GB: In September 2017 I started my Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Marketing, and completed the course last month.
loveUK: What do you have to say about the University as a whole? From the infrastructure?
GB: I'm suspicious to say, but I fell in love with Middlesex and that's why I decided to continue there now in the master's degree that I start in September of this year. Middlesex, like any organization, has its own culture, and it is a very inclusive culture that makes anyone, regardless of where they come from and life history, feel at home. It is an extremely welcoming environment, and the infrastructure is excellent. And this is especially visible for students in the arts (film, fashion, music…), IT and natural sciences, because the labs in these areas are incredible. The university environment is very welcoming because it has several spaces for group study, a 3-storey library, gym, tennis court, soccer fields, bar, restaurants, room with microwave (for those who bring food from home, they can save at lunch), multiple computer labs, campus security, and free laptop printing and rental. That is, on all sides I always felt very supported by the university and there is always someone willing to help with everything.
loveUK: Do you support foreign students?
GB: Supporting international students is indeed Middlesex's forte. So much of the college's marketing is aimed at us, just see how much this is emphasized on the website. In my experience, particularly, since my application Middlesex was super helpful and showed interest in helping me. When I applied, I already had a degree completed in Brazil, but I decided to change areas and study abroad. I had applied to 5 universities, and Middlesex was the only one that really stopped to analyze 100% my application with my Brazilian degree even without my qualifications equivalence to compare with what an English qualification would be (at the time I didn't know, but this can be obtained by NARIC). In addition, I work on a student support scheme called Student Learning Assistant, which starts before the student moves to the UK, providing English conversation classes for those who need to improve their language before starting the course. During the course, this same scheme has students from virtually all areas helping new students in the modules they have already taken and who have gotten good grades. These are paid positions, which aim to support foreign and local students in both the English language and course content. In addition, the university has a team of professionals exclusively dedicated to helping foreign students with visa, immigration and adaptation issues in the country. Not to mention that there is psychological support for free, and the university, in addition to the Student Learning Assistants, offers Graduate Academic Assistants – students who have already graduated and work giving one more hand to those who are still in the course. The Learning Enhancement Team helps with references, writing and assignments, and the teachers themselves are available at office hours or via email. In other words, all the support for international students is very robust and leaves nothing to be desired.
loveUK: How was your adaptation process in London?
GB: Personally, I had no issues with the adaptation because I already knew London and loved the city, so I chose to live there and throw myself into the experience with the certainty that I would love it. I never had any problems adapting because I was already familiar with the culture and I always liked the climate and the country. It's always been a dream to live in England, so adapting was really just a matter of finally experiencing things I've wanted for a long time. I think for most people the biggest barrier might be making friends, but the good thing about Middlesex is that they have over 80 societies (even Harry Potter society does!), so it's a super easy way to meet new people and get fit in and facilitate adaptation.
loveUK: Tell a remarkable experience from your graduation.
GB: The most striking part of graduation is not necessarily a specific event, but the day-to-day. I will explain. It's just that when I look back, it's exciting to see the person I was when I started the course, and to be able to see an absurd difference in my personal and professional growth because of the experiences I had in this degree. One of the coolest parts of this experience at MDX is that there isn't a day of the year when you don't have to have contact with a student or professor from another country, and that makes you a more open and extremely well-rounded person. This puts you on another level as a professional, because you learn to deal with differences and to work with people who have a worldview and values that are completely different from yours. It teaches you to go over your beliefs and find common ground with people you would never have imagined you would have a relationship with. It is remarkable and exciting to look back, to think about the small town where I was born in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul, and to see that it was through this graduation that I managed to conquer my dreams in London and conquer what, for me, is the world. . Just going through this experience of studying in another country to understand that each day is very remarkable, and that each step you take will contribute to transforming you into another person later on. Every time I think about this journey I get emotional, and I still dream of graduation when the pandemic passes to close this stage with a golden key.
loveUK: Did your expectations meet reality?
GB: My expectations were very different from reality, but they certainly exceeded. I thought that the academic environment in England was much more rigid than in Brazil, but it is quite the opposite. Everything is more flexible and done with your well-being as a student in mind. That stereotype that people are cold has nothing to do with it, and it is very clear that the university actively does everything to integrate you. I had an idea that the teachers would be distant and that the class format that we see in the movies with 300 students in a room would be a very distant experience for the teacher. And I think that was what surprised me most positively, because yes, classes with 300 students took place, but several times a week we had seminars with classes of 15-20 students in which the professors worked on top of what was given in the “ big lectures”. So, in fact, the relationship with all the teachers was super close and they knew me by name, which was way cooler than I imagined. This proximity to professors and the office hours (times when professors are in the office available to talk to students) gave me the opportunity to create very close relationships with professors and professionals who are more competent in my area, and gave me work references, joint projects and jobs within the university itself. Also, I thought I would be in an almost exclusively English environment, and that's definitely not the case. London and MDX are VERY diverse, and the cool thing about this expectation not being the reality is that living in London gave me a bath of culture that went far beyond England.
An inspiring journey, huh? If you want to know how to join Middlesex University London, send an email to contato@loveuk.com.br and talk to one of our educational consultants!
