Interview: A Malaysian Student in London

The Malaysian Student Experience in London: Interview with an Ex-Student

We sat down with an ex-student who used to live at Beaumont House and asked them about their time as a Malaysian student in London. If you are considering moving to London for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, we hope this interview will help you feel reassured and answer any questions you might have.

What did you study and where?

I chose to study an MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology at Imperial College London. London seemed like a great place to come and study, particularly for a postgraduate degree.

Had you been to London before you came here to study?

No, I had never been to London before!

How did you find settling in at the beginning?

I was definitely nervous at first, especially considering I had never been to London before. However, it’s a lot easier with social media. I joined a scholarship group on Facebook and connected with people through that. It was a great way to get to know similar people and make friends.

Did you have any expectations before coming to London? How has the city lived up to those expectations?

Yes, I had very high expectations actually! It was hard at first and it took me some time to get used to the city so I guess my expectations weren’t met straight away. Having said that, after living here for more than a year, the city really amazes me in lots of ways. Good ways of course!

What’s your favourite thing about London?

I think the busy lifestyle is probably my favourite thing - it’s not like anywhere I’ve been before. There’s always loads of people around and so many different things to do. It feels very unique.

Is there a sense of community among other Malaysian/ South Asian students studying here?

Yes, definitely! It’s easy to find other international students on Facebook and we’ve definitely built a community where we help each other out.

Why did you choose to stay at Beaumont House?

Beaumont House is really close to UCL which is why I decided to stay here. There’s also a real Malaysian community here which helped me settle in and feel at home.

What’s been the best part of your student experience in London?

I’ve loved the opportunity to live in another place and experience the local culture for over a year.

We hope this interview with a Malaysian student in London has helped you decide that it’s a great place to live and study!

If you have any questions about life at Beaumont House, you can get in touch with us.