Starting at University - Henry's experience

30 July 2018

In this student ambassador blog, Henry Fong talks about the four things that he was most excited about when he started at Warwick Business School.

I can still vividly remember how excited I was two years ago when I knew I was coming to Warwick Business School. However, at the same time I was a bit worried about coping with living on my own and feeling homesick (considering my home is 6,000 miles away). If you’re feeling the same, trust me you’re not alone! Many people who are about to go off to university will be feeling just like you.

If you’re worried about being homesick, know that there are plenty of things you can do at university to occupy your time. Apart from your degree, you can join clubs and societies, get involved with volunteering, or get a part-time job. We have more than 250 clubs and societies and more than 65 sports clubs at Warwick so you’ll certainly find something that interests you to fill your time with. And you can always hang out with your flat mates in the common room if you want to be around people. When you start missing your families and friends, you can have a video call with them every day or go home at weekends once in a while (which is what my housemates do). You may even invite them to visit once you’ve settled down. Warwick provides all kinds of support, ranging from residential tutors (older students who are trained to support you throughout the year in your accommodation) to Nightline, from the Student Union to the Chaplaincy, should you want some counselling or someone to talk to. Trust me, homesickness will pass in the first few weeks (for me it was less than 2 weeks – bearing in mind I’ve never really been apart much from my parents)! 

When I first started at Warwick, I had absolutely no idea how to cook or how to properly organise my laundry. I remember on the first day I stood in the kitchen googling how much is one portion of pasta, what I should add to the water, what do I season meat with, how long I should pan-fry chicken breast for. Fortunately, my flatmates were very helpful and guided me every step of the way. And now I’m so good at cooking that I will sometimes invite my friends over and cook them a decent feast. If you don’t feel like cooking on some days, there’s always the option of ready/prepared meals. As for laundry, there are washers and dryers in/near your accommodation blocks so don’t feel like you have to hand wash your clothes. Okay enough with the worries, let me tell you four things that got me excited about starting at WBS.

Being a part of a business school with an excellent reputation...

WBS is one of the most prestigious business schools in the country and in the world, well-known for its excellent research and teaching. Most, if not all, of the courses here are highly ranked in a range of league tables. Plus, it has a fantastic reputation for post-graduation employment and connections with big players in the business and finance fields – Warwick is the #3 most targeted university in the UK by the largest number of top employers according to The Graduate Market in 2018 Report. Having studied here for two years, I can tell you that WBS offers well designed and structured courses and provides tremendous amounts of support to students both academic-wise and career-wise. The Careers Team helped me every step of the way in my internship applications, from CV screening to mock interviews to mock assessment centres. They also upload preparation videos for each stage of the application process on my.wbs (an intranet for all WBS students). Each of us also gets assigned a personal tutor whom we meet with at least once a term to discuss our personal and academic development. They are very helpful in offering tips about managing our studies and revision!

Making new friends...

It may sound cliché but it’s true! When you begin your life at Warwick, you’ll meet people from all over the world, we’re a very diverse community. You’ll make some of your best friends and these friendships will last a lifetime! There are plenty of opportunities for friendships to be made, from meeting your flatmates to your course mates to other people in the club and societies that you join. There is also a welcome week for freshers before the academic year begins in which there’ll be a series of social and networking events where you can meet many people. I met some of my closest friends there!

Being independent...

Living away from home for the first time means that nobody tells you what to do or when to do it. You can eat whenever you want. No bed time. No wake up time. No chores. You have a say over everything, making this a really good opportunity to experience real independence! You’ll be living with new people and you’ll be looking after yourself and your finances. It’s an incredible experience that prepares you for life after university!

Discovering your passion...

Another reason I was excited to start at WBS was that I could study a subject I loved learning about and I knew there’d be lots of other opportunities for me to discover my passions and what I want to do after I graduate. Warwick offers a much, much, much wider range of clubs and societies than my secondary school, such as accounting, consulting, economics, finance, investment, marketing and management societies, that provide a platform for students to meet and exchange thoughts with others and find out what business areas suit them the most. Also, in the business world, it goes without saying that it’s key to expand and keep a strong network and joining these clubs and societies can exactly help you achieve that. Furthermore, WBS allows students to take a placement year to help you discover your future career and equip yourself with a fine set of skills to give you a head start before you finish your degree here at Warwick.

Finally, if you have got any questions about joining the business school you can always contact the Undergraduate Recruitment Team and if you are joining us in September then we look forward to seeing you soon! 

If you haven't yet applied to Warwick Business School and would like to find out more about our courses, why not download our Undergraduate Brochure?