Aida's Journey to Finding the right path

Switching paths

I originally started my university life studying an experimental science degree at a different university. After studying there for a little while, I realised that this path wasn’t right for me and took the decision to explore my other interests. After lots of thought, I decided that I wanted to explore studying a business degree here in the UK.  

Surprisingly I am one of the few people who actually likes the rain! I was attracted to Manchester and Salford because I wanted to live somewhere that experienced all four seasons. I started to do some research on what it was like to live in Manchester and found out about the local area, traditions and foods. After this, I knew that Manchester was the only city I wanted to study in.  

I began researching the different options for universities in the city and I was attracted to the practical-based teaching methods used by Salford Business School. I didn’t just want to come to university and sit in lectures, reading textbooks. After a lot of research, I realised that Salford would not be like that at all and decided to apply to study BSc Business Management. I had the correct entry requirements and was also awarded the Global Gold Excellence Scholarship.  

Industry-Focussed Learning

I am not exaggerating when I say that none of my modules are anything like the others and no lesson is taught like the previous one – this is what makes studying at Salford so engaging. I love the atmosphere of the sessions and how I can apply my learning to real-life situations. Every module feels like a journey, with many unexpected challenges and surprises throughout.  

We use business simulations to help us gain a better understanding of what a real business environment would be like. It also helps us to understand the effect our decisions can have on all elements of the organisation. As an example, in our module ‘Business Finance in Practice’ we ran a simulation of a sports business and each week we were tasked with making decisions about different aspects of the business, just as a real business leader would have to do.  

This was by far my best experience of learning because at the end of each week, we could see the results of our decisions and how we functioned as a team. We used the previous weeks learnings to inform our next decision and each week we saw improvements in both our decisions and results. It was much better to make mistakes and lose money in the classroom so that, hopefully, we won’t make the same mistakes in real life. 

Life outside of the classroom

The University has lots of events for international students where they can get together and speak about their experiences. These events are where I met some of my best friends at Salford. With them, I have explored Salford and Manchester, each weekend I try to go to a new area of the city because there are some beautiful places to explore. I also take the train to different cities around the UK and visit them for the day. 

I have a part time job as a Student Ambassador for Salford Business School. In this role I have been able to network with different lecturers, other staff, visitors and applicants. My favourite part of the role is helping at events such as Open Days as there is a very good atmosphere on campus. After these events, myself and some of the other Student Ambassadors head to the Students’ Union bar, Atmosphere, and have some food, a few drinks and listen to the DJ.  

Along with this, I also work as a substitute English Teacher, where I step in to cover for any teachers who are absent or unavailable. Back in Iran, I worked as an English teacher for two years, so I used these skills to find this role. It is a very interesting role where I go into different schools around the area and help students improve their English.  

Salford Business School’s Employability Team run workshops and seminars to teach students different employability skills and how these can be applied to their chosen career. Throughout my first year, I have attended many of these sessions as I have found them to be very insightful and useful. This year, the school held the first ‘Dean’s Employability Awards’ which recognises students who have worked to develop their employability skills. I was thrilled to win the award and it was presented to me by the Dean, Dr Janice Allen.  

My advice

It is normal to feel homesick when you move to a new country however Salford has so many events and clubs that you will easily make friends. If you start to feel homesick my advice is to get out and do something that makes you happy. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go out and try new experiences, so you need to make the most of everything that comes your way.