In January 2009, 44 former students graduated with their Masters degrees from the University of Sheffield. These students included two who received Distinctions in their Masters – a great achievement! They were Jia Chen in MSc (Eng) in Polymers and Polymer Composite Science and Engineering and Lisha Yang in MSc in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management. We asked some of these graduates how Sheffield International College had helped them with their studies at the University of Sheffield.

"On a Masters degree, time is the most valuable thing and students have to work hard to meet the assignments deadlines, prepare for examinations and work on their dissertation. At Sheffield International College, I passed different modules such as Advanced Mathematics for Engineering and Statistics which helped me to save time and spend more time on my research project.

I improved my general English skills such as speaking, listening and writing which helped me to communicate better with other friends and students. I improved my Academic English skills such as academic essay writing, technical report writing, research methods and thesis writing. This also helped me to get higher marks compared to other international students.

I also learned how to use university facilities such as using the library self-issue machine, accessing the university’s databases, e-journals and eBook. It saved me a lot of time on my dissertation."

Farzad Barari
MSc in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management
Iran

"The best thing about Sheffield International College is the people - those friendly tutors, lecturers and classmates. It’s a very nice friendly college. The lecturers and tutors are very kind. They not only helped with my studies but also helped me adapt to life in the UK.

Sheffield International College helped me to understand how to write a proper essay, which is very important for my study at the university. The courses such as social research method and politics are very useful. They gave specific knowledge which was particularly helpful for my further study in journalism."

Sijie Sophia Wu
MA in Broadcast Journalism
China

"SIC taught me all about how to study for my Masters. For example, the academic skills were very helpful for me, because the way of writing essays in the UK is different from that of Japan. SIC also has lots of helpful and kind staff."

Shintaro Yagi
MA in International Political Economy
Japan