Being a Student Ambassador

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

After long hours of work and traffic, I want to do things that I like, such as writing! I remembered that Mbak Wuri asked me to write about working as a student ambassador so that others (Indonesian in Hull) can just read my blog to know more about it.  Well, here we go.

I worked as a student ambassador for only 6 months. I knew that there are student ambassadors but before I applied, I didn’t know how you can apply as one. Around May, I received an email saying that SCLS department in University of Hull needs student ambassadors. I applied. A few weeks later I got a series of training to be a student ambassador. Basically, we were taught about the event that we are going to have as well as an explanation about campus tour. We did the campus tour, actually. It was the first time I joined campus tour and it was quite fun.

After the training, I was involved in ACE Days event which is basically an event for secondary pupils. It was aimed to give some kind of information about higher education to them. The event is a little bit like training or something like that. There are some activities and it is fun (at least for me). I worked in around 5 ACE Days in the duration of 2 months. It wasn’t bad, really.

Besides ACE Days, as a student ambassador, you can also work in various university events, such as HE Day and Open Day. There are two types of events, the paid ones and the unpaid ones. Therefore, be aware when you read the announcement. I don’t mind doing voluntary work but it is also great to get extra money as well. The payment is quite good, especially seeing that the work is very flexible and not too difficult.

I think I gain a lot more than money as the result of being a student ambassador. I got to know people, understand the costumer service approach, able to do the campus tour, and I got to know about University of Hull and UK higher education system in general better. No regrets, really. I really enjoyed being a student ambassador and I wish I knew it sooner so that I worked longer.

If you are interested in being a student ambassador, you can just apply. Just send them email, saying that you want to work as a student ambassador and when they need you, they’ll contact you. The nearest event for now is Open Day and maybe if you apply now, you can work then. This article is solely based on my own experience and it may be subjective. But you can always try if you are interested. You’re not going to UK to study only, so get the whole experience! Cheers!

Oct 4, 2013

11676.88 km Later

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

11676.88 km is the total distance between Hull and Jakarta. The two cities that I call home.

Yeap! 11676.88 km later, after 19 hours journey, I finally arrived in Jakarta. There was a ‘slight’ delay in my first flight which scares me a lot because my connection flight is only in four hours and the delay was around 2.5 hours. But thank God, I could still catch the next plane home.

The first thing I felt after I stepped my foot outside the airport building was heat! It was so hot and the air wasn’t too good that I felt like I almost suffocate. Seriously. It was 33 degree when I arrived in Jakarta. Either positive or negative, Jakarta is not Jakarta if it is not hot. Just go with it!

The second thing that I feel very different from Hull is the traffic in Jakarta. I cannot believe I’ve survived living in Jakarta for this long. The cars, the jams, the discipline – all were kind of annoying, really. And today I realized, the Jakartans are very dependent on their private modes of transportation. I drove. I do not have a car now and my driving license expires. How should I go to places? There are modes of public transportation such as transjakarta and buses but with the heat and the traffic, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. Not after I just got back here yesterday. Today is the first time in my life I think that no car + no driving license = die. LOL

Well, now the thing that I will miss about Hull – environment wise.

I will miss the blue sky. When I was in the car today, I looked at the sky and well, the sky is grey in Jakarta. I will definitely miss the occasionally blue sky in Hull. I don’t like grey sky. But Jakarta has a very beautiful sunset. Yeap! I will try to enjoy the sunset instead of the blue sky from now.

I will miss the fact that I can sleep without being disturbed by mosquitoes. I forgot that there are lots of mosquitoes in Jakarta. Being a city in a tropical country, it is common that there are many mosquitoes in Jakarta. However, it is very very disturbing especially during the night. I will miss my sleeping time in Hull where I wasn’t disturbed by them. Okay! Let the mosquito battle begin!

I think I’m okay so far. I quite enjoy the fact that this weekend I don’t really have to do anything except activating my old phone number which was quite easy actually. I do not really bother, really to come home or not. Hull is home but still, 11676.88 km to the east from Hull, I am home.

It’s been a year!

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It has been exactly a year since I first stepped my foot in the UK. 22 September 2012, I arrived in Manchester.

Excited, worried, and tired were my three first feelings when I came. I needed to go by myself from the airport to Hull – you know, finding my way, buying train tickets, carrying super big luggage. I am amazed now looking at myself back then. Haha. How on earth could I do all those things by myself. But yeah, when you are forced to do something, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Time flies so fast. It’s been a year and there’s been loads of things happened. It’s been a great experience for me to be here. I was worried that my life is going to change in a bad way but it turns out that I really really like it here. I think, living in such a different place than my hometown is priceless. It teaches me many things. Ask me the price of eggs in Jakarta and I won’t know a thing! Ask me the price of eggs in here, I can give you a list of egg prices from different stores. Seriously. I think I’ve become more independent.

Is a year enough? Never! The time is never enough. I wish I have more time to stay here, travel, and learn. Well, maybe some other time. I’m a bit sad that I have to leave. I’m half-sided now. I am looking forward to go back home but I am not looking forward to leave this place. This is annoying, I know.

Anyway, I was worried that I won’t be able to survive and won’t like living far from home but I’ve made a new home here. I have great friends, nice classmates, friendly housemates, and awesome life. I want to go back to Jakarta but I’m not too eager to live my life there anymore. I seriously want to travel around the world if I can. Send me anywhere and I’ll be there. Haha. But, for now that’s a bit of an imagination. I have to go home in a few days, but I hope I’ll be back here.

I’m grateful for this past year and I hope I’ll have a great year ahead.

 Sep 22, 2013

My Last Few Weeks in UK

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Time flies!

Indeed. It’s almost been a year since I came to UK for the first time. Now, it’s time to move on and face the real world. OH NO!

So, after the Ramadhan, almost a month traveling around western part of Europe, now it’s time to pack and pack and pack. I don’t know how on earth am I going to finally finish packing my stuffs. The first (and hopefully only – macem jodoh aja) package had just been sent this afternoon. I hope it’ll arrive in Indonesia well, without any problems. Aamiin!

Around two weeks ago, I submitted my dissertation. Yeay! After 3 months of research and more months writing I finally made it. I was so relieved that I finish it. However, that’s not the end of the challenge. Now I need to focus on finding job – and finding job in this economy is not easy.

What do I do then, that I’ve finished my study? I feel like my primary job nowadays is packing. My to do list changes from writing this and that to packing this and that. Oh! And also finishing all the food that I have in my freezer. It’s going to be unhealthy last few weeks in UK, really. Again, I don’t know how on earth am I going to finish all that food.

Anyway, I still have some more jobs to do as a student ambassador. I think I really am going to miss that. I also need to have a quick travel to Scotland. Yes! I have to go to Scotland! Then… finally finish all the unfinished business here – meeting friends and lecturers and stuffs like that.

I feel rather empty, really. I’m not that busy in a way but I feel like I have loads of things to do. I am half excited that I am going home but I am half sad that I am going to leave this place – not particularly Hull but yeah… I like living in the UK eventually.

So… yeah, looking forward for the last few weeks in the UK – I’m gonna make the most of it. And hopefully I can come back here again.

Sep 11, 2013

Please DO clean your stuffs!

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After series of packing stuffs, a guy from accommodation office came and check the whole house. It’s not that I have to move out now, it just reminded me more that I need to move out soon. LOL.

There is only Stephanie and I in my house now. Just the two of us! So today we decided to clean our kitchen! Yes, the thing I would never do in Indonesia, I do it here. Cleaning the kitchen. Guess what we found.

We basically opened all the cupboard and decide what we are going to do with the ‘non-possessed stuffs’. There are three alternatives, whether we throw it out, keep it, or give it to charity. All the left over food – which is gross anyway – we throw it out. I don’t even think anyone would ever want the left-over food. We found oyster sauce, dried mushrooms, bottles of salt, bottles of vinegar, packs of sugar and guess what… tens of packs of flour! We’re gonna have to open a bakery to use all the flour, really. So other than the vinegar – which we’re going to use to clean other kitchen stuffs – we throw them all away.

BUT, it’s only half-clean. We needed to decide what we’re going to do with the cooking stuffs; you know, the pans, pots, and cutting boards. We literally can open a shop here to sell those stuffs. LOL. So finally we cleaned them all and put them in the separate cupboard for everybody who will come to use. How lucky you are if you’re coming to our house. It’s all clean and provided for you. Haha!

Another thing that we needed to take care of is eating utensils, such as plates, glasses, cups, spoons, and stuffs like that. The same thing happened with the eating utensils. We cleaned them all and put them in the separate cupboard. I can’t believe how many of them we have now.

Other than that, the detergent, laundry stuffs, and cleaning stuffs. We have a crate of them. Literally a crate. Three kettles, a rice cooker, and a toaster – yuhuuu I think our house is the most complete house among all the student houses. We also still have loads of tea bags, chocolate powder, baking soda, all the baking stuffs, and canned foods.

The thing is, why don’t you all clean up before you leave? You see, when you left all the foods and those stuffs, the people coming after you won’t know what to do with those things. They will either cleaned them all or worse, just left them there without knowing anything until a year later. Seriously. One year left over food is just gross. It reminds me though – that I will have to clean up my kitchen stuffs soon. The art of moving away…

Sep 11, 2013