Yilin Tan is a final-year 'internet of things engineering' student on the joint programme with Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He's spending his final year studying with us at our Mile End campus in London. We caught up with him to hear about his experiences so far.
I have travelled to London twice in the past, and it always attracts me with its own beauty. I wanted to experience life and study in London, so the final year in London project gave me the chance to fulfil my dream. I have looked forward to coming to London since I was in my first year, so when the time came, I jumped at the opportunity!
The classes at Queen Mary are quite different. Classmates are from different programmes, and even different levels (half of our data mining classmates are postgraduates). The interaction between student and teacher is more frequent. Most importantly, the course arrangements here are much better; the first class starts at 9am, so we don’t have to get up so early!
Being on the joint programme, we have often met teachers from Queen Mary. They are all very kind, patient and helpful. Each teacher has their own teaching style and they really try their best to help us.
The facilities at Queen Mary are amazing! Most of the classrooms have the Q-Review system, so we can review the class conveniently by watching the video recordings on QMplus. The computers in the Informatics Teaching Laboratory (ITL) are really good, and I enjoy doing lab work there. The student accommodation is spacious and comfortable. The most charming place here is the library; it’s large, bright and well-furnished. It provides a perfect place for studying, reading and having group discussions.
This opportunity is very rare. We can step out of our usual comfortable lifestyle and experience a new environment. We can learn more about British culture and use this as a good opportunity to experience life abroad before postgraduate study. The difference in language, habits and thoughts encourages us to adapt and see things from a different perspective, and I am sure that when June comes, we will be proud of ourselves!
I think it is the daily life here which I enjoy the most. We live in a comfortable dorm, study in lovely classrooms and have fun at plenty of famous landmarks. The life here is unique, and I truly rejoice in choosing to experience it this year.