Every story written by PhD students can be colourful, messy, or a mixture or the two. As an international student, I came to QUB full of passion and expectations. Of course, as every story goes, I have encountered various challenges... However, I consider myself very lucky to study at Queen's, work with wonderful supervisors, and to be a part of various teams, all of which encourage me to improve my studies and help me get involved in local life. Therefore, I would like to share some personal tips for both international and PhD students.

Oral English

For non-native speakers of English, the first potential problem is language. When someone cannot understand the people around them or finds it difficult to express themselves, things can become very difficult. When I first came to Queen's I was afraid of making grammar mistakes and worried about Belfast accents, but the INTO courses helped me by providing English circumstances, wonderful teachers, and language partners.

Therefore, my first suggestion for my fellow international students is to keep interacting with people and never look down on yourself. You could take language classes (INTO center), attend workshops (MyFuture and the Graduate School), take part in volunteer activities (the Student Union), or join any societies. These will help improve your English language skills and may even be a great benefit to your mental health.

Difficulties in research

Given different educational systems and methods, international students can arrive at Queen's unfamiliar with how to prepare for differentiation and APR, how do PhD and the supervisory team work, or how to publish a paper. This can quickly become confusing, so from my experience it's essential to ask for support from your supervisors, your school, the Graduate School and any related institutions. Any queries or concerns can be answered by them, and If not, they will send you to the right place. Queen's always supports students, so you are never alone. Loads of workshops focus on postgraduate taught, postgraduate research, and masters, which can definitely support us in different ways.

Academic writing is another challenge, so I strongly recommend attending workshops on specific needs, such as how to write abstracts and conclusions. The Graduate School organises various workshops to improve academic writing. The In-sessional English program is an academic skill support for international students, which has one-to-one appointments for PhDs and is well worth trying.

Keep healthy

Sleep well, have a healthy diet, and exercise – the rules are not difficult to say but not easy to follow, especially when stressed and depressed. If I am allowed to suggest within one sentence, I would say to keep interacting with people, which in my opinion will not only help physical health but also mental health.

Friends mean a lot to human beings, especially those living and studying abroad. There are two teams that helped me to keep active and positive: joining the QUB table tennis club and working in the Graduate School as a community assistant. Both these teams have allowed me to make friends and feel involved in something.

Finally, despite all the challenges you may face as an international student, the most important thing is to do what you want, make the most of your time at Queen's, and try not too worry too much about anything. Whatever culture shock you feel at first will not remain a big deal for long, because you are in Belfast, a city filled with friendly and kind people.