Latest blog posts from students

Tips for International students coming to University of Exeter: MAIFB

It can be really scary and exciting at the same time, to go away from home and study in a new country. It is overwhelming to experience different cultures and people from all around the world. The MAIFB course is one such course where you would have a mix of students from different parts of the world. It helps broaden your knowledge about how people differ in different regions and parts of the world. Coming from a country like India, I made friends from the Caribbean, China, America and different parts of Europe. From my experience I can tell you that it is the most enriching experience of my life. But even before I got here, I had a lot of unanswered questions in my mind. Even though I found my way through, I wish I had known a few things before I landed in UK. So here are some tips: (more…)

   August 8th, 2019    Freshers Week, International, MA International Film Business, Miscellaneous, Preparing for University, Studying, Studying abroad, Year Abroad

My top tips for Clearing

Tip 1: Plan ahead

I hadn’t really thought about studying abroad before the release of my public exam results but I still applied to several UK universities as a back-up plan. Once I got my results, I knew I was not able to meet the entry requirements of local universities and I changed my mind about my previous UCAS applications. That was when I turned to Clearing for more options. (more…)

   July 1st, 2019    Clearing, International, Studying

My Housemates at the University of Exeter

I have been very lucky in my final year to be blessed with great housemates. In the beginning of the year, I’m sure many of you are concerned about how to be a good housemate to keep everyone’s living situation pleasant. Here is a snippet of my experience and tips for sharing a house at university! (more…)

   June 27th, 2019    Life in the South West, Miscellaneous

The University of Exeter Experience from a Japanese (日本人）Perspective

日本人から見たエクセター大学の経験

初めまして、エクセター大学３年生のコナです！最近卒論書くの終わったばかりで今年の7月に卒業する予定です。科目は BA International Relations （国際関係）です。自分ごとですがこのブログでは私の三年間エクセター大学の経験を話ししたいと思っています。私は小さいころからイギリスに留学していたため、日本の学校に行ったことがなく日本語もおかしいなか、エクセター大学にいる日本人と友達できるかなーととても緊張していました。しかしながら、大学三年生になって大学生活を振り返ると、日本人の友達がたくさん作れて、とても光栄に感じています。 (more…)

   June 27th, 2019    International, Miscellaneous

Berlinale Film Festival 2019: impressions of a first-time attendee

        

European Film Market
Business cards – packed, flyers for Green Days by the River (my last film) – packed, smart dress code – packed, passport and most importantly good vibes – packed. I am as ready as I ever will be for my very first Berlinale Film Festival. I have been to festivals such as TIFF, Tribeca and LA Film Festival and found that the bigger the festival, the harder it is to network, get access to panels and see films while the smaller festivals make it easier to get access to people, and have an experience. I wanted to be sure to meet as many people as possible and learn as much about the European Film Market (EFM) and understand the role and importance of this market to the industry and for filmmakers. I made sure to book my flight to arrive on the 6th Feb so that I could get a full day in at the EFM as our accreditation as students was limited.

Walking up to the Gropius Bau I was filled with excitement to enter the EFM and any opportunity that might present itself inside. First through the door, a massive variety sign and magazines everywhere and a guy giving out screen international bags. The place was massive, buzzing with activity, I really had no idea this was happening in the world of film. I had heard of it, but it was one of those things you needed to see to understand it. I walked into the huge lobby area with thousands of companies’ signage everywhere. As a filmmaker it was really exciting to be in a space so focused on selling films. I walked past the stalls with great intrigue, picking up leaflets and sales booklets. Companies from around the world had come to sell their country as a location or try to find distributors for their films. I had never been to a place that had so many movies for sale. It was also overwhelming to think about the competition to have your film sold.

After investigating the stands for a few hours, I realized it was really only sales companies selling movies, I didn’t know why I had the perception that buyers would have stands there also. I really thought I would see HBO, Netflix, Paramount, Lionsgate etc. It was a learning experience to realize all those companies were at the festival, but they were in ninja mode and only seeing the sales companies they were interested in. They were there on a mission to purchase films that made sense to them. The movies that could be their next breakout hit. The EFM represents a meeting place for film business, both formal and informal. It is a time of the year for industry people to meet face to face. I think, I will come back to the EFM better prepared next time.

Berlinale Film Festival
Next on to the Film Festival, which attracts so much talent from producers, directors, actors and crew members. Most screenings have Q&A’s in the main competition and there are special press and market screenings that you can line up and get access to once the cinema isn’t full. A really great place for networking. Just strike up a conversation and make new film industry friends. I saw some really amazing experimental films that I don’t think I would be able to see anywhere else. I prefer to see those types of films over films that will get a theatrical release as  you can catch them anytime.

Experiencing the EFM first hand is something I would highly recommend to Master’s in International Film Business Students. The knowledge gained has been perspective shifting as it allowed for a greater understanding of what happens to films that have been made or are in pre-production and how they are sold. It is a true marketplace for movies and networking. The EFM is only one aspect of the Berlinale Film Festival and totally worth spending time at, along with the rest of the festival. This event is definitely worth attending, whether your interest is watching films, networking or trying to find a sales agent or producer, you can do it all at the Berlinale. As a first-time attendee of the EFM, it is the place to be for the business of film-making. Five stars!!! Also, if you get time checkout the Berlin Zoo!!!

   June 26th, 2019    Careers, MA International Film Business, Miscellaneous, Postgraduate     , , ,

UK bucket list

If you made the wonderful decision to move to the UK to pursue your undergraduate studies or as part of an exchange student, I assume it’s partly because you want to experience part of the culture this country has to offer. With that in mind, allow me to suggest to you my top ten things to do while here to make the most, not only of the country but of the perks of living in this beautiful corner! (more…)

   May 22nd, 2019    Cornwall, Exploring Devon and Cornwall, Food and eating, Lifestyle, Studying abroad, The city of Exeter, Year Abroad

Things that surprised me about the UK

When moving to England there are certain things everybody comments about, a little bit about the weather, a subtle comment about Netflix’s The Crown, perhaps even a nod towards the imaginary that they really love their tea. Additionally, you will most likely know a lot of things from the culture that undoubtedly moved you towards considering and eventually choosing a university on this lovely little island. For me, I knew quite a bit about the culture, my school was a ‘British School’, I had visited quite a few times, and some of my closest friends had done their undergrad in different British universities. So over-all, I felt I had a decent picture or understanding of how my time there would go.

Nonetheless, the theory of living in England and the practice of living in England are quite different things and within the reality of it, there were a few things that actually took me by surprise. These are things that are probably no secret to anyone, I even knew about some of them coming here, but, again, the way they played out made them come as a surprise. (more…)

   May 22nd, 2019    Life on Campus, Lifestyle

What’s Next?

Ten years of my life were dedicated to practicing horseback riding. I loved the feeling of companionship that you get when you train with a horse long enough, I loved the speed, the adrenaline, I loved feeling the change of pace when you (gently) nudge him/her to start cantering instead of trotting, and certainly I loved jumping and doing an obstacle courses. My family constantly used this sport as a metaphor of what life can be like, you see your obstacle, you take your time to get ready, you face it and you overcome it. Alternatively, you take your time to get ready, you forget a detail, the horse doesn’t follow through (as horses naturally won’t jump unless you give them the incentive to do so) and you fall down. When this happens, though, you get back up –not necessarily immediately, sometimes it takes a good solid minute to get back up from a bruised ego– you quite literally shake it off and then you try again. Either way you do not give up. (more…)

   May 22nd, 2019    Careers, Higher Education, International, Miscellaneous

India at Berlinale – My Experience at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival

I applied to the MA International Film Business course with the aim of learning more about how the cinema of my country is received in the international market and how I could contribute to making it even better. Attending the Berlinale was a dream in which I would get to meet professionals from the Indian film industry and get first hand insight on what it takes to represent the country with the largest output in terms of number of films in the world. Well, India’s presence at Berlin International Film Festival 2019 was much better than previous years but slightly underwhelming. (more…)

   May 13th, 2019    International, MA International Film Business, Miscellaneous

My guide to wellbeing and taking care of your mental health

It is that time of the year again – assignment deadlines are stacking up and exams are just around the corner…There is a lot to do, you have got essays to write, exams to revise for and it feels like you’re always busy. However, this blog post is here to tell you that your work and revision can wait, but your health, especially your mental health, should be your top priority.

It is normal to feel stressed, that just means you care about what you do and that is a great thing. Just remember you need breaks and a clear mindset in order to work well, so you need to allow yourself to take breaks. Here are some of my personal tips on what to do when you are starting to feel overwhelmed by everything in life.

  1. (more…)

   May 13th, 2019    Exams and Assessment, International, Lectures and Seminars, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Preparing for University, Studying     , , ,

5 quick breakfast ideas for students

Even though I am somewhat of an early bird, I still have my mornings and days when I truly don’t want to get out of bed, much less get out of bed just to go to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. However, even when I’m tired or just not feeling it, skipping breakfast is a no-go for me. Breakfast is an essential part of my morning routine and having a good one helps me feel like I’m off to the right start.

To this end I love finding the balance between something easy and quick, while also being wholesome. Thankfully this is not hard to achieve. It just requires a bit of preparation, but nothing too extreme, I promise. So here are my five to go breakfasts for when I rather spend some extra time in my bed. (more…)

   April 30th, 2019    Food and eating, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Why I chose to study MA Theatre Practice at the University of Exeter

It is that time of year, the time where the questions about your next step become more imminent and the pressure seems to be slightly on as the possibility to apply to a number of universities opens again. Thinking about the future, how this one decision seems to have much more weight than the others in shaping what your life will turn out to be. And to be quite honest the fact that there is a huge variety of options for “what to study?” “where to study?” “why there and not here?”, makes the whole process even more daunting. Now to that added stress factor in that you might be considering moving away from your country to study abroad.

If you are indeed thinking about doing your undergrad or your postgraduate studies abroad, I am not going to deny that it can be harder to make this decision. This is mainly because most of us cannot visit campus on open days and are essentially missing out on the one to one information and the vibe that you can get from the university during these events. As a result, we must rely heavily on the information we find online about accommodation, studies, social life, academic style: literally every aspect of what “uni life” means.

Taking this into account allow me to help you (even in the slightest) by telling you how I came to the decision of choosing Exeter. And why, even though is not technically a “drama academy”, I stand by my choice of studying theatre in a university as opposed to any other option. (more…)

   April 30th, 2019    International, Life on Campus, Miscellaneous, Postgraduate, Preparing for University

Balancing Your Breaks

I’m sitting in the train, and it suddenly hit me. “How did half of my Easter break fly by? My exams are in less than 3 weeks and my essays are due in a week!”

Being at the University of Exeter, you might’ve realised that we get pretty long Easter breaks and we often finish all our lectures and seminars beforehand. With about 5 weeks of holiday or more (depending on when your exams start), how do you organise it to get the balance of both work and down time?

This is something I’m still figuring out as I go along this Easter break but I think I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of how I probably should’ve spent the earlier weeks and how to make the best out of the remaining weeks. (more…)

   April 30th, 2019    International, Miscellaneous, Studying, Undergraduate

BSc Business in Penryn – New York City Field Trip

One of the really cool things about studying BSc Business at the Penryn Campus is the field trips!

Our group on the first day at the Statue of Liberty

I am currently in my third year, and have just come back from an incredible field trip to NYC for my BEP3090 Research Module.  The premise of the module was to perform a mainly ethnographic study on an independently proposed research topic.

The idea was to give students the opportunity to observe business operation and internal dynamics in real life, in a national or an international context. On the trip, we were given access to international organisations and institutions through visits, guided tours, networking and informal interactions.

For my topic, I chose to observe the ways in which different organisations brand themselves to be ‘sustainable’ and whether or not these brand images held true in reality.

Read below to see a bit more of what we got up to throughout the week. (more…)

   April 11th, 2019    Cornwall, Higher Education, International, Lectures and Seminars, Life on Campus, Miscellaneous, Penryn Campus, Studying, Studying abroad, Undergraduate

Road trip in Cornwall – The Minack Theatre, St Michael’s Mount and Land’s End

I have almost finished my degree. I’ve submitted my last assignments and finished my lectures. The only thing I still have to do is to finish my dissertation. To make the most out of my last days as a student, my friends and I decided to explore Cornwall a bit more and visit these three amazing places.  (more…)

   April 9th, 2019    Cornwall, Exploring Devon and Cornwall, International, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Lifestyle, Penryn Campus, Undergraduate     , , , , , , , ,

Skip to toolbar