October and our IB Diploma Programme Class of 2018 is now well on the way in their new lives at universities around the world!
We wanted to share their first impressions with you all and wish them every success and happiness! Way to go, guys! Way to go, girls!
“I am doing great – so far so good! I am the only Greek here which is fun and I am constantly being teased for being the youngest one in the group! I am enjoying my new life for sure!!”
– Kelly Malli, Class of 2018 (Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada)
“Everything is really good here! The university is quite demanding in terms of work, because there are many mandatory tutorials and seminars but the curriculum isn’t difficult. I bike a lot here – about 12 km a day! I’ve met a lot of new people and also hang out with Marita and Konstantina so I have a really good company. Housing is also decent, a bit far from the center but in a nice, quiet neighborhood. The only problem is the food, I’m doing my best with that though…”
– Andreas Lourakis, Class of 2018 (University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
“My life in London since I’ve been here has been better than I ever imagined. Imperial has exceeded my expectations… in my course, professors are extremely helpful and approachable and older undergraduate students offer their advice on a regular basis. In my course, the male to female ratio is approximately 1:1… which is surprising for an engineering course! Throughout the Fresher’s Fortnight, there were so many events organised by our Halls of Residence, the Department and Student Union, and I had the opportunity to meet so many people from different backgrounds.”
– Athina Dendri, Class of 2018 (Imperial College London, London, UK)
“My first days at Duke University were filled with overwhelming excitement. I was in awe of the beautiful, gothic campus, impatient to explore what Duke offers academically and thrilled to meet so many new people, among which are now great new friends. From the very first moment I loved Duke’s vibrancy and its strong school spirit; we are crazy about our athletic teams, the Duke Blue Devils! I am beyond happy and excited to spend my next four years at Duke!”
– Despoina Chouliara, Class of 2018 (Duke University, North Carolina, USA)
“University life in Holland is lot of independence but also responsibilities and, of course, fun I really love it!! The courses are divided into lectures, tutorials and labs so far. Each student has a personal tutor who are very helpful. Lectures and tutorials are all day from 9 to 5 so my day starts at 7:30. I bike to the university and I come back home at around 6. One of the most interesting parts of this experience is the people here. All of them are sooo friendly and warm-hearted! All my friends right now are from all around the world – India, Brazil, Indonesia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Turkey. I love it!!!!! The only thing that I’m still struggling with is food! Haha! I miss Mum’s food and Greek food in general…”
– Christina Vallini, Class of 2018 (University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
“I am very delighted with everything here. It is a little bit cold but everything else is perfect. Many cafes and restaurants, beautiful buildings etc. Also Musselburgh – that is my campus – about 6 minutes by train but 30-45 by bus. It is a really nice small town. My course is a lot better than I expected. We have an internship in a 5 star hotel, The Waldorf Astoria, a Hilton brand and we are the only university that does that so early. Generally we have many opportunities including an internship abroad, study abroad, work in excellent companies, volunteering … My room is nice (the bathroom could have been bigger) and food in the University is very good. Every day there are at least three different dishes that are different daily – and always salads and soups. It is a small university and that helped me to get to know my teachers who are very good and helpful. I want to tell you that the support the university gives and the way they prepare students for the next step of finding a job is unbelievable. I totally forgot to say that we have a lot of partying too. They just end a bit early…”
– Mikes Kavouklis, Class of 2018 (Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland
