by Emilia Slavova

This project gives an opportunity to those of us who have returned from study in the UK with a host of priceless experiences and impressions to share them with others and to translate their experiences into ideas about transforming their surroundings.

The project has a real and a virtual dimension: on the one hand, a series of talks are envisaged in which Chevening scholars share their impressions with students, and on the other hand, the scholars share their impressions in text and pictures which can become accessible to a wide audience through the ABCS site.

Here is a story about the first of a series of talks which happened on March 9th 2006 with students at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Languages at Sofia University.

Event: "Looking out"

A joint project of ABCS and the Faculty of Classical and Modern Languages at Sofia University

Emilia Slavova

The idea was to share with the students our impressions from study in the UK and then to encourage them to generate ideas about projects which they could start on their own, thus making the academic experience more exciting and fulfilling for all of them.

The topics:

1. Student and teacher mobility;
2. Developing links between education and business;
3. More active participation of students in the academic life and participation in extra-curricular activities

Participants:

* Dr. Petya Yaneva, Dean of the Faculty of Classical and Modern Languages;

* Representatives of the Centre for Professional Orientation at Sofia University;

* Memebrs of the Business Club at Sofia University;

* Iva Boneva, Chevening Scholar;

* Martin Ivanov, Chevening Scholar;

* Svetozara Petkova, Chevening Scholar;

* Emilia Slavova, Chevening Scholar and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Languages.

The talk was very fruitful and lead to other events at the Faculty: a meeting with graduating BA students from the Department of English and American Studies was held in May. The students were given career development ideas and introduced the MA programmes of the Department. The students themselves organized a grand farewell party. The start of an alumni network was given for former students of the English and American Studies Department.

Here are the stories of ABCS scholars about life and study in the UK.

Story: Oxford: “Life in Society”
by Emilia Slavova

I would like to share my impressions from the University of Oxford, where I was a Visiting Student for 9 months and worked towards completing my PhD in Sociolinguistics at Sofia University thanks to a Chevening Scholarship of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Open Society Institute. I could talk at length about academic life in Oxford, but I’d rather share my impressions of life outside the University – for all the academic fame of Oxford, I could say that for me, the most valuable lessons were learned outside the lecture halls.

It is hard to describe everything in a few lines, but indeed, student life in Oxford is full-blooded – a fiesta which sweeps you off your feet; and as a German student once put it, Oxford would have been perfect if we didn’t have to study.

It’s almost out of the question to think of working while you study at Oxford, and the University does not look approvingly on working students. What they are expected to do is study – and then take part in the social life surrounding their academic activities. There are, however, lots of opportunities for work during the summers in which the students can accumulate valuable work experience. The Careers Centre actively helps the students in their search for jobs. Many graduate students may have spent several years working and saving money, so that they can further their education and get another degree.

Another way to accumulate valuable experience that will look good in a CV is through participation in the multitude of clubs and societies Oxford has on offer. Everyone can find what they are most interested in, develop their talents and skills, pursue a hobby, stand for a cause or do something of social significance. There are volunteer communities, political issues groups, religious groups, sport art and drama clubs. Some societies are united by their academic interests, such as The Linguistic Society, for example, which organizes talks by famous linguists on current topics in the field. Others are elite clubs such as the famous The Oxford Union which has a great number of members, an imposing building, and a solid membership fee. It organizes grand social events, expensive balls, trips to neighbouring countries, meetings with famous personalities (such as Michael Jackson), debates on topical issues (such as the future of the Monarchy), and so on. There are also societies dealing with student issues, such as The Oxford Student, who recently published a study according to which the stress caused by academic overload drives the students to take drugs. Other student groups try to make student life easier by, for example, organising internet sales of second-hand student items and textbooks. They do this on a voluntarily basis and do not gain any profit from it.

Thanks to the great number of students from Eastern Europe, there is also the OU Central and East European Society, the OU Balkan Society, and the OU Bulgarian Society. And we should also mention such unusual examples as The Hand Knitting Society and The Oxford Beer Appreciation Society.
More about Oxford Clubs and societies can be found on http://users.ox.ac.uk/~scug/clubs/all.shtml

Last but not least, I’d like to say a few words about the way informal contacts between the students are encouraged. On the one hand, there are the social events – black-tie dinners and parties, exchange dinners at other colleges and a great number of opportunities for the students to meet other students and form interesting contacts. The beginning and end of each term is particularly eventful, while the mid-term period is relatively quiet and allows students to focus on their studies. The contacts between students are also maintained through various mailing lists which make communication easy and direct. In addition, the telephone lines within all the colleges of the University is absolutely free; so is the internal mail through which letters and course work can be sent and delivered within hours.

Contact with former students is also maintained through the so-called alumni associations. Through them, the former students (sometimes called Old Members) learn about current events at their college. They may get invited to special dinner parties, student reunions (expensive and luxurious events), and they get informed about the life of other former students: new publications, appointments, births, marriages, or deaths. It is worth mentioning that many students pay back to their college for the attention by taking part in its life or offering financial support for its projects and activities.

All this helps to create a sense of belonging, which in my opinion is one of the most valuable things a university could give to its students.