31 March 2016
When I chose to study in the United Kingdom for my master’s degree, my aim was to get the best education possible while living in a great city. I love everything about life in Wales and studying at Cardiff University, especially the architecture of the university buildings and how healthy the city is compared to Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, where I live.
The buildings of the university are full of art. The sculptures, the paintings and the quotes inspire students to achieve and to be ambitious. People, regardless their age, walk and use bicycles. The special paths for walking away from streets are great. The nature is amazing and the parks are beautiful.
I really like living in a healthy environment without cigarette smoke, with electricity all day, internet and a good phone connection in my room, and hot water! I didn’t have any of these at my home. There, when I want to call someone, I have to go all the way outside of the camp to get signal. You can’t imagine how difficult life is when, after a long shift at hospital, I come back home to Shatila to find that I had no electricity, and sometimes no water at all, let alone hot water!
I really enjoy my course here. The subjects are really well taught and the material is useful. Every module/session is very important to my medical career. Medicine as a science develops and, the focus here is on evidence-based medicine.
Last September I sat the Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists( MRCOG) exam. I knew I was going to be assessed in many branches of medicine, including statistics, so I spent a lot of time last summer trying to understand the basics. I passed the exam but realise that I needed to learn more. My Masters course includes modules in medical statistics and basic epidemiology, which have been an essential part of my continuing medical education. I have already shared a lot of what I learned in these modules with colleagues back in Lebanon. I have also learned a great deal about assessing people’s health needs and how to plan efficient, effective and inclusive responses.
Through the modules in health management, health economics, health policy, applied epidemiology and leadership in health, I have learned how to manage outbreaks of infections, organise the health care system and services with a ‘team work’ mentality, and respond appropriately to disasters and crises. I have really enjoy studying and I am sad that time is running out for me in Cardiff!
Before I arrived in the UK I expected to face difficulties because of my travel document and because I wear the hijab, however I did not face any difficulties with these. Instead, the challenges I’ve had have been in writing assignments and essays full of analysis with critical appraisal.
During my journey to the UK, I flew into Edinburgh airport first then transferred onto a flight to Cardiff. At Edinburgh, everything was so easy, no one asked me about the special travel document I have as a Palestinian from Lebanon, nor did they ask me to open my bags for extra checking. I thought that this extra checking would be at Cardiff airport. I reached Cardiff airport with group of British youths who were visiting to watch a rugby game, but no one was present to check my papers. I went to the main building and looked for a police officer to ask if she wanted to check them. She was astonished, telling me that everything was done in Edinburgh and that everything was legal. She told me that I just had to do the police registration once I got settled in. At the police registration, the officer was extremely polite, she welcomed me to Cardiff and told me to enjoy studying and living in this lovely city.
In Cardiff, no one asks me who I am, where I am from, which religion I belong to, or which political faction I support. People are so friendly and polite. In Beirut, except my lovely neighbours in Shatila, people tend to be very anxious and afraid. The environment makes people very anxiety and pushes many people to adopt unhealthy lifestyles including smoke cigarettes and shisha.
In my spare time, I enjoy walking around Cardiff. There are a lot of green places and parks and my house is five minutes away from the river. I also take part in student societies related to my course, as well as new activities like meditation and Indian culture. I joined the Muslim students society in Cardiff and have attended some activities at Dar Ul Isra, a local Mosque in Cardiff. I have also made many friends. I believe that good social relations are key for happiness in any place in the world. I have plans to go around Cardiff during the Easter break.
When I chose Cardiff University, my main concern was getting a good education and a scholarship. Before applying, I read some of the positive comments that students made about the city and I thought this was just advertising. However in the first week of living here, I completely fell in love with the city. I used to wake up many times every night to make sure that really I am in Cardiff and this is not a dream. I have told many friends to come and continue their postgraduate studies in Cardiff, it’s such a great place and I love it so much!
Finally, I do not have enough words to express my gratitude to every person working at MAP and the Asfari Foundation. Many thanks for all your efforts, and the help that you offer to our families and friends in Palestine and Lebanon, and many thanks for offering me the scholarship and giving me this valuable chance to visit and live in the UK and undertake this Masters degree.
Featured image: Amani, at Cardiff University
