MSc insight: My first term on campus

24 November 2021

Our MSc students share their experiences of their first term on campus, and discuss what they're looking forward to in the coming months.

Noor-Ul Ain, MSc Finance & Economics

Experiencing life at Warwick has been surreal - I still get goosebumps whenever I walk past and actually enter the WBS building knowing how long it had been on my wishlist! During my time here, I’ve gotten a chance to meet with a diverse range of people from all kinds of cultures and academic backgrounds, and have learned so much in the process. It’s been an honor to learn from professors who are experts at what they do, with hands-on industry experience and a passion that motivates their teaching.  

Apart from academia, Warwick is such a fun place to be at and there’s never a dull moment, with all sorts of events happening across the week. Living on campus definitely gives me an edge, as I have a beautiful lake that I get to oversee from my study table which keeps me energised during studies, and also gives a perfect setting for my evening cup of coffee. The campus is also well connected to the city centres of Leamington and Coventry, which make a great place to shop and grab a bite on the weekends. There are also numerous historical places to visit, like Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace), or Warwick Castle, which is great if you enjoy doing touristy things as much as I do.  

It is no surprise that the ongoing pandemic has had a great impact on the academic landscape, but I believe that Warwick has coped well with it. The university ensures that teaching is as interactive as can be, and is slowly normalising face-to-face teaching as we learn to adapt to the “new normal”. I look forward to meeting new faces next term and hope that we can all safely get back on campus very soon! 

Anran Xie, MSc Accounting & Finance

Hi guys! My name is Anran, and I am doing my master’s course in Accounting and Finance at WBS. Currently, I am living close to the university in a quiet neighbourhood within 30 minutes walk of campus.  

This is my first term at WBS and life here is quite different from my undergraduate life. It’s been a long time since I’ve been outside of the hustle and bustle of big cities; studying at Warwick has given me a precious chance to enjoy peaceful campus life. Walking around the lake and watching those geese gathering has been a great pleasure for me, and you won’t believe how gorgeous the campus is in autumn time. 

Though the campus is not located in a busy region, life here is not isolated at all. There are plenty of fantastic places to explore, such as Tocil Wood, Warwick Castle, City Centre, etc., and Leamington Spa can be a wonderful place to hang out with friends on Friday nights.  

Although many classes were conducted online in the past semester due to the pandemic, we still got plenty of opportunities to meet in person (of course with protective measures) and socialise with each other. SU parties are thrown occasionally and there are also many other events like feast food, Christmas dinner, and so on. I am really looking forward to meeting with more students in person next term! 

Lisa outside the WBS buildingLisa Vollnhals, MSc Management

During my first term here at WBS, I really enjoyed getting to know the talented and diverse people in my cohort, who really have helped me to settle in. It was great to meet most of them face-to-face at the seminars. Since we’re all coming from different backgrounds, we were able to benefit from each other by sharing our strengths and knowledge. We not only met in the postgraduate lounge to practice for case interviews together but also visited beautiful places in the area like Warwick Castle and the Christmas market in Birmingham.

My learning experience here at WBS has been amazing. Since I come from a non-business background and some of the modules have been very challenging, I really appreciated that the professors and seminar tutors were always willing to help when I had additional questions and even offered to set up in-person meetings if needed.

One thing that I have realised during my first term is that as a postgraduate student you spend a lot of time on campus for group meetings, and society events, as well as seminars. Therefore, if I could choose again, I would go for accommodation on campus.

Overall, I’ve had a great time at Warwick Business School so far. I look forward to choosing elective modules next term, which I’m sure will further enhance my experience.

Zihan standing in a restaurantZihan Huang, MSc Business with Marketing

I arrived on campus a month before Welcome Week because I wanted to get used to life here. Warwick has a large campus where you can access all the resources you need. For study and seminars, Warwick has a huge library, and there is a lot of study space available, not only in the library, but also in the WBS building and Students’ Union. For entertainment and leisure, there are many cafés and restaurants on campus, and I’d recommend visiting Warwick Arts Centre, where you can enjoy the latest movies and orchestral concerts. There is a large sports centre on campus and also a gym in the Cannon Park shopping centre nearby. I bought a second-hand bike and go to classes by bike every day, as I am living in a house not far from the campus.

This term we’ve had all of our lectures online and our seminars face-to-face at WBS. Participating in seminars gives me the opportunity to meet more friends, and when I can say hello and dine with friends in the WBS café, I feel truly integrated into the bigger MSc family. Next term I hope to have more opportunities to socialise with my friends on campus, and hope we have a break to slow down, review the lessons, and enjoy life at WBS.

I travel to nearby towns every weekend, such as Leamington Spa, a cute town with lovely street, Kenilworth, which has a Waitrose (most importantly!), and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, where you can follow in his footsteps, and find many vintage shops. It is also easy to get to Coventry or Birmingham by bus or train and both can reached quickly.

Discover more about the MSc student experience at WBS on our Postgraduate blog.