Culture shock at UCLan
Students from over 100 different countries are represented at UCLan providing an richly diverse student body. But what is it like to leave Columbia, China, Hungary or India for the gloomy weather and fish and chips in the North West?
Jennie Aquilonius and Yebin Moon find out from four unsuspecting candidates at UCLan.
Meet Eileen Zhu, Judit Kerenyi, Catalina Orjuela and Siddarth Vishwanathan. They may be from four different corners of the globe but they have two things, at least, in common, they study at the same university and they have all discovered some stark and surprising differences between England and their native countries.
22 year old Eileen Zhu, from Shanghai, came to Preston on her teacher's promise of a vibrant Western cosmopolitan city.
Judit Kerenyi, 23, from Hungary expected a more traditional England - and Catalina Orjuela, 28, experienced a huge difference in family values which play a crucial role in Latin American culture.
Siddharth Vishwanathan, a 24 year old Indian, discovered a sense of order, and a more structured life compared to the chaotic India.
While business student Eileen Zhu has discovered a new passion for fish and chips. Catalina Orjuela, who studies MA Toy Design, loves her studies but finds the food a huge disappointment.
"I hate English food, I stayed here for three months, and I gained six kg!" Said Catalina Orjuela. "And the first week I went back to Colombia I lost all the weight I gained in Preston, it's because we eat natural food."
International business student Judit believes that living abroad makes you more aware of your own culture and she thinks that British people take many things for granted.
"My parents experienced the Soviet Union and we didn't have this kind of freedom, for example to travel abroad, before. We appreciate a lot of things that are natural for other people."
Catalina believes that the best part of Preston is its multiculturalism, especially as it compares with Colombia, which she calls 'not very diverse'.
Siddharth agrees as it plays a crucial role, especially in his studies of MA International Journalism.
"When people in the class come from different countries you get a range of interesting viewpoints on for example freedom in the media."
However, when people of different cultures and dissimilar perceptions of life come together, problems can also arise.
For example, Judit Kerenyi finds it quite easy to integrate with other nationalities in class, though she has difficulties with some Chinese students.
"Mostly because I think many Chinese students' level of English isn't good enough."
For Eileen, however, there is not enough support from the university help Chinese and UK students integrate.
"Most of my friends are Chinese, and I don't have many English friends. This is because there are 22 people in my course and all of them are Chinese. I think this is a really big problem in UCLan."
Eileen would like to stay on to do an MA then get a job, but doubts her chances in the job market because she is Chinese.
While for Judit, the main discovery has been about herself - as she feels less pressure here, and has more free time to think about her life.
And for Siddharth, who has had to learn a whole new way of talking, communication has been central to getting on in England.
"In England I can't weave around for twenty minutes and then get to the point. I have to say what I have to say in one sentence and be more precise. People in the West have shorter patience and they don't like people who talk to much, its different mindsets."
Watch the video above right to see a preview of Jennie & Binny's take on Preston. The video blogs are published in full @ http://thestudentvideoblog.blogspot.com
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Weather for Preston
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
