From Accents to UNO: How Nottingham Turned Me into a Brit

Hi friends!
I’m Roweena, and I am studying for a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation. I’m super excited to share my time at Nottingham Trent University in the UK for the Global Summer School Program.

Earlier this year, in July, I touched down in the land of tea and biscuits and was ecstatic to be in the prime location to test out my British accent (to which I can now gladly say my tutor officially verified my British accent).
Before the GSS began, I had a few days to travel around central London, catching the tube, cruising down the River Thames and visiting as many art galleries and local markets as possible.

Arriving in Nottingham, I was surprised by how easy it was to make new friends from around the world, with everyone being so open, exchanging stories about our lives back home, bonding over friendly banter and which set of rules we would agree to play UNO and of course mimicking each other’s accents. What made the NTU Global Summer School a truly unique experience was the diversity of students from different countries: Canada, Mexico, France, China and beyond. I was just one of 120 students from 16 countries, making it a truly global experience.

The NTU Global Summer School had so many social events packed in just two weeks: evenings out at the Piano and Pitcher Bar and local events where we could meet new friends! A highlight was the day trip to York, where we explored more incredible art galleries, weaving in and out through the lanes, which inspired J K Rowling for Diagon Alley!

The course I studied was Photography and Heritage and included students from Australia, India and Canada. My tutor joked the class could be easily mistaken as the finals of the Ashes test, which I thought was rather hilarious.

There would be day trips around Nottingham, where we’d wander around the Sherwood Forest to end with a sweet treat and a scoop of ice cream, or afternoons spent around Matlock Bath or a trip down history’s lane at Newstead Abbey. It was crazy how quickly our class bonded; by week one, it was a ball of energy that could not be contained even on bus trips and photo walks!

On other days, we would spend our time editing away on Lightroom in the Mac Suite or developing our B&W photographs in the darkroom (it truly felt like you had entered the Batcave). It was so easy to lose track of time once you went in; you’d be zoned into the rhythm of film development! Before entering, we had to switch off all our devices to make sure we didn’t expose our photographs to any light!

During the course, I was challenged by both tutors to see things in a new light to focus on the subject. The meticulous, patient process of developing negatives in the darkroom was such an enriching, fulfilling experience that I would not have gained if I had not applied for the Global Shorts Program. It has completely changed my perspective and appreciation for the art of seeing through careful consideration of composition, subject and collaboration with various students from around the globe and their worldviews and unique perspectives.

To end the two weeks, we finished printing and binding our photobooks with Japanese stitching, which was a beautiful way to weave together an incredible 2 weeks; after thanking our tutors, we wrote sweet goodbye messages on everyone’s cards where we said farewell to all the new friends we had made, exchanging contacts and small gifts we had brought!.

I am so glad I said YES to going on the Global Shorts Program; it has been such an enriching experience that I’ll look back on many years to come and reminisce on the life-changing experiences and life-long friendships I’ve made!

Cheerio, Roweena Ow
Faculty of Health and TD Innovation
Global Summer School Program at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship Recipient