Don´t make the same mistakes

I've wrote the ten top mistakes that i've made as a fresher in Brunel. Don't do the same I did!

1 - Buy a Railcard, not a student Oyster.
If you study in Brunel, live on campus and don´t take public transport every day, what you do need is a Railcard. It gives you 1/3 discount on tube fares and daily cap. Oyster, on the other hand, only gives you discount on weekly and monthly travelcards. I've never need one!

2 - Learn how to use trains and buses.
Underground is amazing, but sometimes using trains is much more effective, not to mention that there are some planned engineering works running on weekends that can leave you without Metropolitan and Picadilly lines sometimes. That´s the hell! Buses, differently, are very nice to go through the city, because it allows you to see where you are goind.

3 - Create opportunities to speak English.
Notice that I´m not telling you to find opportunities. You have to create them. Mainly if you live with many people from your own country around. Do something that they don´t do. Travel by yourself. Go shopping. Join a society. Attend meetup groups. Go couchsurfing. Don´t sit on your kitchen waiting someone to come and speak in English with you.

4 - Walk.
You´ll have a completely different impression of the city when you walk London. The city is not that big as you imagine. The nicest things are between a tube station and an other and you´ll never discover them if you don´t walk. if you really like walking, I recommend you to follow some routes from the website www.walklondon.org.uk They have a lot of marked trails everywhere in the city. I wish I had discovered it earlier!

5 - Find a hobby.
Photography ( <3 ), music, language, sports. After, search a society in Brunel, a course, or a meetup group, and practise it! It´s the easiest way of finding native friends.

6 - Make a list of places you want to visit when you arrive, not when you are going home.
It´s so simple, don´t let for tomorrow. Try to visit this places as soon as you can. Leave the touristic places to when you receive some friend or relatives. enjoy your last days, visiting again the places you liked more, not trying to go to every single place you haven´t time.

7 - Read and summarise academic content throughout the year.
Follow the reading list your lecturers recommend and start to read from the beginning of the term. If you make a good summary, your exam review would be much easier!

8 - Go out every week.
Time runs and you won´t notice. There are a lot to see, London is amazing. It will be difficult to go out on winter, so enjoy the other seasons.

9 - Look up information about a city before booking tickets.
This is absolutely important. NEVER buy a ticket (mainly Ryanair) without check where the airport is, whether it's possible or not to take public transportation to the city centre when you arrive and if the airport is open during the evening if you intend to sleep there. Some airports simple put you out. Also, check the prices in the city (hostels, food) and if it's possible to visit what you want in the period you intend to visit. Some attractions close in some months of the year.

10 - Don´t buy books.
I LOVE books and I usually buy a lot of them, but they will be a headache when you are going back to your country. They are heavy and will take a great space in your luggage. Seriously, don´t do that. If you want to buy some book for studying while you are there, buy an old (and cheap) one. Then, you can donate it after for someone who needs. By the way, I found on Brunel library all books I needed, and if you read throughout the year, you won´t have to compete for them when the exams arrive. If you want to read novel, fiction, or want travel guides, buy a e-reader (Kindle or Kobo). They are light and it's definitely worth the investment.

Good luck!

Here in London... How a Brazilian girl sees this lovely city and people!

Following Olivier's idea of sharing his perception about Brazil, I decided to write my feelings about London, England and British people. They are not true, they're only the point of view of a Brazilian girl who lived one year in this lovely city.

1. Here in London you can drink tap water. Actually, you can even order a glass in a restaurant and you'll be served and (of course) won't be charged. 
2. Here in London in pubs and some restaurants you have to order you food at the till, pay for it and wait in your table to be served. But first you have to find your table and get the number on it (That's a difficult thing to do when you're alone in a busy restaurant).
3. Here in London when you enter a restaurant, you have to wait at the door to be sited in a table.
4. Here in London there is always a festival happening everywhere: art, music, food, films, plays... enjoy them!
5. Here in London people don't look at each other on the tube. Actually, they'll always avoid eye contact if you don't know them.
6. Here in London many people share houses, not only students. I think that only people who live with their families don't do that.
7. Here in London you have to pay annual TV license to have the rights of watching TV. This is not optional and is extended to some online channels.
8. Here in London there are not metal detectors at bank doors and ATM are everywhere on the streets.
9. Here in London banks have an integrated system that allows you to withdraw money from your account using an ATM from another bank without paying fees. You can also transfer money between different banks only with the sort code (equivalent to agency in Brazil) and account number. That's amazing!
10. Here in London the atmosphere is cosmopolitan. If you've never seen a woman wearing veil before, you'll see in your first day. If go to a multicultural event, you'll meet somebody who comes from a country you don't know where it is. Open your mind!
11. Here in London not all people are blond and have blue eyes. There are a lot of Londoners whose families have origin in other countries, but have settled down in the country a few generations ago. They're British but not necessarily like you imagine them.
12. Here in London there some "standards" in the dressing art. If you go to a night club, do not put on trainer shoes. If you are not going to the gym, do not dress yourself like that.
13. Here in London people don't care about what you are dressing. Yes, I agree that it contradicts the previous item, but that's true. You can wear a pikachu costume to go to the supermarket (never try it in Brazil!) and people don't judge you, don't even look at you.
14. Here in London toilet paper should go to the toilet. The bins are for tampons or other trash.
15. Here in London you'll have to get used to hand driers after using the toilet. I used to hate them, now I don't care.
16. Here in London there is fire alarm in all buildings and you'll have to leave your basket at the supermarket if it sounds.
17. Here in London people love fish and chips. And chips (not french fries, which is not the same). And potatoes. Potatoes are the main staple food and are served with almost every meal.
18. Here in London the "a" sound in "potatoes" is the same as in "a" sound in Portuguese.
19. Here in London the dinner is more important than lunch, so that dinner is also more expensive in many restaurants.
20. Here in London it can rain any day, even if when you go out is the cleanest sky you've ever seen. Be prepared.
21. Here in London people are unfriendly, if you compare to Brazilians, but only with strangers, in a first moment. They won't talk to you if you've been waiting for a long time in a queue, not even to complain about the weather. If you do manage to find some British friend, he/she would be very friendly though.
22. Here in London people are polite. If you step on someone's foot, the person'll say "I'm sorry". But of course, you are supposed to say the same.
23. Here in London many people have bad manners. They don't bother looking for a bin to throw their daily newspaper after reading it.
24. Here in London people wait the first years of their lives for their university time. This normally means a new life for them, with independence, a new city (or country), a temporary job, and a lot, a lot of alcohol. 
25. Here in London people start their careers in temporary jobs, like waiters, receptionists, call centres. That's not shameful.
26. Here in London people don't want to stay their whole lives at the same job. They are not that afraid of getting fired as we are. They save money, leave their jobs after some time and just go travelling or start their own business in something they are passionate about.
27. Here in London people can have a gap year between high school and university. They are in no hurry to start their academic and adult lives.
28. Here in London people don't like the very same transportation system we do love. They complain about the service delays, disruption, fares. They don't know how we find it amazing to have all the information about underground and buses in a website, name on the bus stops, plenty of maps and timetable for the bus.
29. Here in London there are taxis and minicabs. Avoid the taxis, call a minicab agency and save a lot of money.
30. Here in London you don't need to go to the supermarket to buy your groceries. You can do it online. It's common, it's practical, it's cheap and it works.
31. Here in London - if you do go to a supermarket - you can pay your groceries in a self-service machine. Just scan your products, put on a bag, pay and go. 
32. Here in London people you'll ask if you need plastic bags. Reuse them or have your ecobag. 
33. Here in London you pay different prices if you are having your coffee at the establishment table or are taking it to go. Eat in is normally more expensive.
34. Here in London only rich people employ someone in their houses. People clean their own houses and children stay at school while their parents are working.
35. Here in London things work and when they don't, there is an alternative plan. If there is no service on the underground, there is a replacement bus. If there is no bus, well... then I don't know.
36. Here in London crowds are dispersed peacefully. When a football match is over, the crowd is conducted by the police to the tube stations, which refrains people along the way to avoid overcrowding inside. While people wait, policemen just stand in front of them, sometimes chatting, laughing and with no violence at all.
37. Here in London futebol is football (not soccer) and subway is a path under some road or the fast food restaurant, do not confuse it with underground.
38. Here in London you go to restaurants to eat. If you only want to drink, go to a pub. Never go to a restaurant and ask for a glass of wine while watching your friends dinning. 
39. Here in London shops close at the closing time. If it closes at 5, they will sell to you until this time. Some minutes before, a salesperson will politely advise you to hurry up! At the same way, don't enter the bank 2 minutes before they close.
40. Here in London you will receive your one penny coin as change. Don't discard or stock them. Use them to pay your next purchase or donate them to the charity.
41. Here in London it's difficult to get lost. If you are stupid enough to do so, try to find the closest tube station and then go to your safe zone. Maps are everywhere.
42. Here in London punctuality means respect. If you arrive late to a lecture, you might offend the lecturer. If your friends said you'll meet at 8, you're expected to arrive on time. If you'll be more than 5 minutes late, warn them some minutes before that and apologise when you arrive.
43. Here in London yes means yes. Don't say you are going to a meeting if you do not have the intention to go.
44. Here in London people drink a lot and constantly. People drink beer at lunchtime and pubs will be crowded on Fridays, after 5pm.
45. Here in London people love sun and heat. If you are lucky to have sunshine and  20ºC, you'll find it difficult to get a seat in one of the many parks.
46. Here in London they have beaches even if they don't have sea. They created beaches near the river and ponds, with sand, deck chairs and people posing on swimwear.
47. Here in London you can see the year going through. You'll enjoy the autumn leaves on the floor, complain about the cold weather, get amazed with the flowers and boil in a bus having a cooler drink. If you are staying for one year or more, photograph it!
48. Here in London you can see at least one airplane every five minutes and, most of the time, long trails being left behind them.
49. Here in London there is a website which gives you a lot of different routes for walking, around all the city. If you follow some of them, you'll know a London that most people don't know.
50. Here in London I'm sure you'll have one of the best times of your life as I've just had.

Farewell season

Hi there!
It's hard to believe that I have less than one month left before going back to Brazil and these last weeks have been extremely difficult to me. First because it's time to finish my summer project, which means many hours working to conclude that and writing my report before I go. Also, as the time passes, I see how many things I'm still wanting to do here in London: places I've never been to or I want visit again, things I want to learn, pictures I want to take. However, the thing that most upset me is having to say good bye to my friends.

Flat 53 family gathered together for the last time at Lacy Hall

When we arrived here, my flatmates and I took the decision on living really like a family and I think we did very well. Many people don't believe when we say that we share food (and bill), responsibilities in the kitchen and cook for each other every day. It might sound impossible and sometimes it was really tough.We had a quarrel several times during our weekly meetings. We disagreed countless times about how to share the bills or who should do the dishes. I had to put my foot down many times when they passed the acceptable limit on noise. I had to complain about ownerless spoons in the sink. But, of course, it doesn't mean that I haven't got along with them. Isn't it the way that a family behaves? On balance, it was a very positive relationship! I'm completely sure that all I'm going to remember from now are the cheerful moments we've had together.
Fortunately, I'm the kind of person that life's prepared to farewells. I've moved so many times in my life that it should be impossible not to learn how to deal with it. I am completely sure that distance is not a barrier when you really want to keep people you love in your life.

See you soon guys, I'm sure!

Improving English and making international friends with Meetup

A challenge that many people - like me - face when they come to an English-speaking country is to adapt to the language. Of course, to be accepted in a university in the UK I've done a proficiency test, but I was still struggling with the language after around 9 months living here.

I have been doing all that things that everybody says to you to avoid when you go study in another country: make only friends from the same country which you come from, continue listening musics from your country and reading books in your language. The result was that I was deeply upset with myself about not having achieved the level of English I expected when I came here.

Everything changed the day I discovered Meetup.com . The website's purpose is to connect people with the same interests within an area. For example, you can search for people who like board games, in your neighbourhood or city. Or photography. Or... languages, of course! Then, you can enter as many groups you want and go to the meetings organised by them. Many of them are free, other charge a nominal fee to attend. I had never heard about it, but since that day when a friend of mine told me about the website, my life here totally changed.

I can't count how many meetings I've been so far, but the experiences I had were all fantastic. I've experienced both free and paid events and they worth it. Personally, the groups I like more are The London English conversation group ( paid English lessons with a native and amazing teacher), Babble Exchange (meeting in a pub, you can improve any language you want), Ken's London Walks (£2 per a guided walk in different places in London) and London Let's Click (free and paid workshops).

The advice I can give you is not to look only for those groups related to language, even if your main purpose is to improve your language skills. The problem with language groups is that most of people who attend them probably are not native speakers as well. I know you can learn with people from other country as well, but - for me - it's so much funnier to practice my English with British people, while we go on a stroll in a park or in a photography tour around London.

Give it a try!

What is Brazil waking up for?

Many of my Brazilian friends which study here in Brunel with me are right now at Parliament square to protest against last days' happenings in Brazil. And when they left, I have to answer the question I've been trying to answer to myself these days: why I'm not going? I don't have a precise answer to that, but I have some things in my mind that doesn't make me feel like going. I believe the point here is the contrary: why are my friends and millions of Brazilians (in Brazil and in the world) going to streets?

"Vem pra janela" or "Come to window" - A way of showing that you want the protests occur in peace!
Picture from Carmina Nascimento.

Final exams

After one week without thinking about academic activities, I feel comfortable to talk about it, then I've decided to write a little bit about exams here in Brunel.

First thing I have to say is that it is totally different from exams in Brazil: format, expectations, environment... The biggest difference is the fact that exams here include all the content of the year (while in Brazil it is split into three smaller exams).

Also, here we have too much pressure about this and the environment is so serious that we feel scared for only see the room! To give you an idea about that, we have to leave all our belongings (including even coats) in a specific place in the room, we can only have a bottle of water (label has to be removed) in our desks, besides basic material (pen, pencil, eraser...). The answer book is very similar to those we use in tests to get a public job, in Brazil.

Besides that, the exam structure itself is also much more complex. The questions (at least in my modules) are much more reflexives, rather than direct use of concepts or definitions. We have to apply the knowledge for the whole year to examples, study cases (sometimes previously distributed to us) or problems from real life. I can not gie you an example of this, because I've already forgot everything that occurred in those days! Haha

Another thing which is different is that although all lecturers had explained well what was expected from us in exams, after finishing them I didn't have a clue about how well or not I did. I think this is mainly because these were my first exams in this format and I don't know exactly how they will be assessed or how flexible lecturers are with answers.

I'm not sure that my performance will be as good as I wish it was, but I'm sure that I did my best.

See you!

Finally, the spring...

Yes, you are right.
This post is a bit late, but if the spring can, why I couldn't?
The point is that the weather is finally good, days are longer, flowers are everywhere and I'm totally in love with this mood.
The only point is that while there are so much good energies outside, I and some other hundred students are confined in our rooms or in the library, until the end of exams.
I hope this weather still the same when I finally finish them!
See you!  

Red tulips, at Brunel

After a storm a calm comes...

Or in my case, the opposite. After three gorgeous holiday weeks, it's time to prepare for final exams.

Source: http://www.rsmsr.nl/tips-and-advices-for-bachelor-2-trimester-2-iba-exams/

In two weeks I'll be going crazy in a room, and now it's revision time. Ok, I confess, for some modules it has to be a little bit more than only a revision, but that's fine. In this mood, I've decided to talk about how my module are going to be assessed here in Brunel.
First thing that I should say is that assessment here is very different from Brazil (at least most universities, I guess). Grades here follow a scheme of letters (from F to A) rather than numbers (from 0 to 10). Each letter ranges from minus to plus (A- to A+, for instance) depending on the performance the student has, of course.
Secondly, even we have courseworks which count for the final grade, the exams evolve all the content of a module, which is the most significant difference, as in Brazil we have the topics split into 3 exams, along the year. And I have to say that it is scary for me, too much content in a single exam!
Finally, another difference is that exam structures vary a lot. For example, in one of my modules, I will have four questions. If I answer correctly only the first, I'll get a D; if I answer the first and the second, I'll get a C; a B if the first 3 are corrected and all rights would give me an A. That's very strange for me, as if I would be able to answer questions 2, 3 and 4, they would not be considered as I didn't completed right the first one. That's terrible!
The nicest things are that most lecturers explain quite well how it will be the exams, which sort of questions we can expect and also that 5 of my 6 module had a coursework which counts for the final grade. In fact, in three of them I've achieved at least a D- in the module, independent of how I'll perform in the exam.

I hope I don't get mad until there!
See you.

How is Brunel life?

These days, many Brazilian fellows were applying for the same program by which I came to the UK - Science Without Borders*. Many of them made me several questions about how is my student life at Brunel, so I've decided to write a little bit here for all people who are interested.

• Classes: Most of modules are split into two different classes. One is called Lecture, in which Professors introduce contents of the subjects. Compared to Brazil, we don't have as much content in the lectures, but many extra reading is expected of us to complete the topic. To complement the lecture, we also have a more practical class, which can be a lab or seminar. Labs (in my course) are used to practical activities, like using some computer software. Seminars, on the other hand, help us to think about a lecture topic and discuss it with other students. For example, I have lectures for Usability Engineering and we always discuss a specific problem in HCI in small groups and have to present our solution in the end of the class.
• Campus facilities: We have everything we need inside the campus. I almost don't have to go to city centre if I don't want. There is a gym, sports centre, a little market, vegetable market once a week, medical centre, pharmacy, restaurants, pub, disco and so on. The library is also very good (I've never searched for a book that a professor recommended which wasn't in the catalogue). Mainly core books are available in great quantity and there are also some dvds for location. We can renew or reserve items online. Library is open 24h almost every day. Computer are also available on library and  many other buildings. There is internet wifi in most (maybe all) buildings.
• English support: This is one of the most fantastic things that Brunel offers for students. We can join many English courses which cover academic skills, like Academic writing or Discussion skills. This courses are amazing and that's a pity that most international students don't attend this lessons. The academic writing I took was a course for life, not only English, but also how to write good essays and reports. I do miss Paul's lessons!

That's all for today. Maybe another day I can tell you about fun around Brunel!

See you!

* Science Without Borders is a program of Brazilian government which provides scholarship for undergraduate students to study for one year abroad.

Effective Learning and Ask Week

This seems to be a great week for me. First, this is the Effective Learning Week (popular as Reading Week). A whole week without lectures and seminars, in which we are supposed to take advantage to be up to date with our coursework or readings. Not all of the courses really have Effective Learning Week, I don't know why, but I have mine and I'm grateful for it! I have to say that it comes in a great time. I have two deadlines for the next week! So, just in time!
Apart from this break in the lectures, this week is running the Ask Week. Ask is a university department which help students with Academic Skills. They help us, students, with tips for writing, presentations, preparation for exams, statistics, and so on. Today I've attended a workshop "Top Tips for Clear Writing", which will be very useful in my next 2 assignments. The coolest thing is that these things I've learned are useful for life!
I'm already looking forward the next workshop!

And the winner is...Brazilian snowman!

As I've said previously, my Brazilian friends and I have entered in the snowman building competition at the uni, and yes... We've won! This is our Brazilian snowman, a work made by many Brazilian hands!

Brazilian snowman - Picture sent to the competition

Now, we just have to decide how to divide our lovable prize. :)

Our prize

Thanks to all fellows who collaborated and to Brunel for the gift. 

Brunel Diversity

Last English class, I met people from so different countries that I've just decided to create a map, showing how well-opened Brunel is for international students.
Of course, as I'm here almost 5 months, I won't remember all nationalities I've crossed around. These are those that I remember now (Click the map to see the full size).

Countries from where I've met people in Brunel so far

I hope I still colouring it from now!

The day when the university stopped

It should be a common Friday, but it dawned with the roofs white and a snowman building competition announced. It was impossible to stay away of the fun, the happiness which seemed to be everywhere.
Here are some pictures from this funny day.

Amazing English Lecture

I've just found the English course that I needed. The first Academic Discussion Skills class was brilliant. Friendly lecturer and good methods which make me leave my comfort zone and start to talk, and talk, and talk (my friends know how it is unlikely).
My classmates, Victoria (from Taiwan) and Leilei (from China), and me got plenty of tips about how to take part in an academic discussion, from verbal to body language.
How would be nice if more teacher were able to percept students feelings and give them what they need exactly like Professor Deborah did. I'm almost sure that my classmates would say "I totally agree with you, Renata" (using the expression like we've been taught in the lesson).
I'm already waiting for the next class!

In-sessional English @ Brunel

I've just returned from my first English class on Term 2 and decided to write about In-sessional English at Brunel while my clothes are at the laundry (this makes me write more objectively :). In-sessional courses run every term and are free of charge for all students whose first language isn't English.
I can't say about all of them, but those which I've attended are a mix of lecture and group discussions or activities. Classes are mostly very interactive and have a friendly environment. I've met very nice people through them!

Snowing at Brunel

I know that snow can be very annoying for those people who have this in excess. However, as in my country it's almost impossible to see the snow, today is being a real funny day.
This is not my first snow experience as I've luck when I went to Norway in October seeing a little snow some hours before get the flight back, but I still feeling like stay looking at the falling snow all the time.
It's not looking that it will accumulate today, but it's a good start! Let it snow!

View from my kitchen

View from my room

Happy New Year, from London!

Living in London for one year allows to me taking part in important moments of the city. The most recently was be present in London's end of the year. The atmosphere completely changed when tourists (and many, many Brazilians) invaded the city. Everything became a little bit difficult and getting the tube was challenging! On the other hand, it was amazing to see the so much life in the city while the campus was deserted.