Life at Bellerbys College

Farewell To Bellerbys

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

I came to Bellerbys with no idea what to expect in my Engineering Foundation course. But throughout my stay of 8 months in the UK, the people in Bellerbys have made my life without my family much easier. They became my British family with their conviviality. With that said, now that I am officially graduating, I feel obligated to thank these people.

TUTORS

Mr. Oliver Bentham
Thank you for your extremely systematic teaching system, providing us with superb notes as well as a wholesome approach to Mechanics and Pure Maths. We really appreciate your sense of humour with us chaps! It makes your classes so captivating!

Ms Lorna Jenkins
On behalf of the Engineering class, thank you for making our English classes so enjoyable. You always manage to make us learn yet have a good time. We really appreciate your compassion and your willingness in assisting us not only for English, but other matters.

Mr Ben Kershaw
IELTS could have been such an issue and a boring occasion to prepare for, if not for your lively classes. You make us look forward to English classes, not to mention obtaining the grades we needed for IELTS.

Mr Dominic Rhys
English in Term 3 has definitely been very fun with the countless debates and lectures that we went through. Thank you for giving us a taste of university life, helping us prepare ourselves for the future. We have learnt a lot from you. Referencing is our expertise now!
 
Dr Jackie Grant
My deepest appreciation for your patience in dealing with us engineers! You always explain the subjects (Matters & Waves, Electricity & Fields) clearly to us, with extra information. Graduating from your teachings, we all learn to read and understand questions carefully before attempting them.

Mr David Jepps
It has been a pleasure learning Pure Maths from you, especially seeing that you are a Cambridge graduate. It makes me all the more inspired and motivated to be as successful as you! Thank you for your guidance.

Dr Howard Cameron
Albeit learning Mechanics for barely a month, it has been a great experience. You are such a responsible teacher who never fails to keep up with the learning schedule, keeping us on the right pace. Thank you for everything!


Dr Ken Butcher
Thank you for the sky-high pile of past year Mechanics papers. Besides the profusion of exercises you have been lavishing us with, you make great notes and taught us to understand concepts clearly.

Ms Sarah Witherby
I love IT classes with you because of your bubbly personality. You have totally injected life and energy in your classes which makes them such a pleasure. I must admit that I am hopeless in computers, but you helped me gain confidence in my computer skills. Thank you!


Mr Tim Hewson
I could not believe that I could make leaflets and web pages on my own, Thank you for all your guidance and teachings in these Microsoft applications. I am rather certain that they would come in handy in the future.

Mr David Nix
It is rather unfortunate that I could not have proper Art classes with you since I am in the Engineering Foundation. And yet, you have agreed to help me out in preparing my architecture portfolio. My time with you may have been very brief, but in that short period of time, I have learnt so much about architecture. I appreciate all the encouragement given. I really am thankful for your help.

Mr Fraser
Thank you for assisting me when Mr Nix is busy. You have certainly helped me a lot, with the editing and formatting of my pieces before they are proper enough to be sent to the universities. Would have loved be one of your actual students.

The list could go on and on. In fact, it is so long that the list would continue in the next and final penning of mine as Bellerbys student blogger.

Keep reading!

This Is It!

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Term 3. Final term. Last 2 months in Bellerbys. This is it. Downside of this term? We got to stay through the summer holidays, just after bidding farewell to our fellow mates from A Levels and graduates from the September intake Foundation Program. 

I sighed to myself, wondering how I could survive this last two months without the usual liveliness of Bellerbys. I was horrified to picture the place I usually sit in for breakfasts, with all my friends occupying the whole row of tables reduced to a pathetic measly few. OH boy! How different would things be?

I slugged down the residence area for my first breakfast in Term 3, with a much weaker punch of enthusiasm. Then startled to sight a mob of new students, queueing up for food. They were the new Embassy students; also known as my life-savers for Term 3. Finally, a glimmer of hope that this final term would not be as lonely as I’d thought it would be.

Mrs Chris immediately introduced me to my first Sweden friend, Dennis. He is genuinely charming, not to mention a natural clown! It was admirable that he has come here all by himself to study English and stayed very optimistic about everything, albeit suffering from partial blindness. Getting to know him has made me record his name in my personal ‘People I Respect’ list. Definitely learnt a lot from him. 

Not only have I met Dennis, I soon got to meet a few more new students, most being older than me, already with a degree!

Things just kept getting better as I went to pick up the weekly activities schedule and saw a plethora of activities prepared for us for this summer. Field trips, clubbing nights, beach parties, sports like volleyball and bowling and salsa dance classes! Yes, we can officially forget about what I wrote earlier! The college has definitely catered to our needs, being as considerate as always.

2010. June to August. How can I forget the epic FIFA World Cup? Just this could occupy quite some time in my daily routine. As we all know, Spain emerged victorious. Another occasion that brought back the vivacious ambience in Bellerbys. The flags of all qualified teams were hung all around our cafeteria to get us in the mood of the prestigious event. 

And did I mention that we happened to go to the Brighton Kite Festival? It was spectacular as I never knew that kites could actually ‘dance’ besides having a stellar yet innovative outlook.

There are so many things in store for us that I have forgotten to tell you the main aspect of this term: academics. I study FES III, Mechanics II and CIT. As teachers would have to leave for their summer break as well, we have two teachers for some modules, each teaching half the course. My teachers include: Mr Dominic Rhys (FES III), Dr Cameron and Dr Butcher (Mechanics II) and Ms Sarah Witherby and Mr Tim Hewson (CIT). They were kind enough to spend part of their summer with us!

A bit more about the modules? FES III is all about preparing ourselves for university life, teaching us how to do researches without plagiarising etc. In other words, to score in this module, plain hard work is needed as we are required to submit a ‘mini-thesis’ of 1500 words. Also, we would occasionally have debates, note-making practices from listening to lectures and presentations. 

Mechanics, on the other hand, is rather nasty in my opinion. It was slightly tougher than the former module. But I shall strive through it. CIT, I would say, is a subject that complements FES III as we learn to use basic Microsoft Office programs, conduct proper research and professional presentation as well as designing our own blog/webpage.

With our term exams lurking around the corner, the annual prize giving ceremony was organised to acknowledge outstanding students in their respective fields. I was fortunate enough to bag the ‘Best Engineering Foundation Student’ award. A few of my other friends also managed to receive awards! 

Bellerbys also presents awards to most improved students so as to motivate all the other students to work as hard to our own betterment. With this ceremony over, all that is left is the term exams. I am lolling now in my room that has grown to become my home, counting down the days before I officially spread my wings from this pleasant college to university life.

Indeed, how time flies! This is really it. My final chapter in Bellerbys. It has been a great journey so far and I hope that this last run would be as terrific.

Stay tuned!

Post Exam Feelings And My Life At The Moment

Posted by Sebastian, just graduated from studying Law Foundation at Bellerbys Oxford

Dear followers,

First of all I want to apologies for my long absence.  I was asked to continue blogging or at least write another entry but since I went back home to good old Germany, I became incredibly lazy. I guess it just happens when you have nothing really to do and you are hanging around, staying up until the crack of dawn all the time, sleeping in until afternoon and then still feeling tired and wondering why. 

In the beginning it is okay to live like that because you have been looking for that for such a long time and you are really enjoying every minute of that but after a while it gets a bit boring though and also you might feel a bit miserable because you are always tired and you are always doing the same. That is why I now choose to do break the circle and do something different, for example writing this blog entry and feeling good and relaxed about that.

I still remember quite the day when we had our last exams at Bellerbys. Both exams, Law 3 and Politics 3 were on the same day, one in the morning at 9 and the other at 1:30 in the afternoon – so we knew it is going to be a tiring and difficult day for us. However it was good that Law was first because it was the harder part. I just remember that I learned over 130 cases for just law, so I really felt like a walking casebook! By now I probably have forgotten most of them again. 

At that time my mind was dominated by names and facts of cases but just knowing the cases is not enough because you also had to learn the legal principles and the information around them that belongs to the cases. In addition there was Politics to learn, so it became really difficult to keep all that in mind and there was a little lack of motivation. I must again thank all the people, for example my parents, brother and friends who told me to sit through this and in the end it all worked out as I imagined.

On the exam day we told ourselves we would not talk about the first exam and compare what we wrote because it would only make us nervous and we would think too much about that. Instead we tried to revise for Politics after the Law exam. I said we tried because we did not feel like revising the information again, we just wanted to finish the exam and then feel free as birds and in my case before the exam it felt like eternity until the Politics exam was due and then the worries began. 

As usual we all hoped the questions would be as we prepared and the luck was with us. However, as far as I remember I have so many things in my mind that I want to write so I can never finish but it was enough to achieve a good pass and to qualify for Oxford Brookes. I already knew that right after the exam was over, it just felt like I did it.

In addition it took some while to realise that we just finished our last and final exam and could now relax and let go. As I told myself, the good time began! 

 The following week my parents came to visit with my sister and they wanted to be there when the graduation for the leavers took place. The graduation was before the results of the exam were out but the atmosphere was still great, relaxed and happy. I am still very proud to have won two awards – one for 100% attendance throughout the whole year and a second for outstanding effort. Two of my classmates also received awards, so we were all extremely happy and I was happy for them because they really deserved them. Besides it was another good occasion to wear a suit!

It just came into my mind that my father recorded most of the graduation. So I will ask Bellerbys Oxford if they want to have a copy of the film to upload on YouTube for everybody to watch. Feel free to watch it then if you are curious!

While my parents were in Oxford with my sister, we went to Jamie's twice – the restaurant of the well known English cook Jamie Oliver and we seriously enjoyed that food. It was very tasty and the atmosphere in the restaurant was fantastic. Also I think we deserved to celebrate all that success.

So two days after the graduation, we were told our exam results and this was another relief! From that moment on, it was all clear that the hard work was worth it and it was official that we qualified for our chosen universities. I was able to finish the Foundation Law course with an average of 75% and my university asked for 65%, so I think they were quite happy to accept me and to change my offer from conditional to unconditional.

After saying good bye to everybody in the college – which felt terribly hard by the way because you have made so great friends with everybody and all that things you have been through together – we stayed in England another two days until we drove home by car which took us a whole day from Oxford to Germany. So after that long journey I first decided to have a very long and good sleep at home and I think it is funny when you think that you drive through 4 different countries while travelling – England, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Finally this adventure in the United Kingdom of England was finished and it first felt strange as you had developed this routine and you were so used to it and it took me a long while – I guess until now – to really calm down because I always thought that I need to do things quickly as I used to while studying and that time is running. I always had to tell myself too slow down now and really try to relax and it is not easy I must say.

Another thing that got me excited right after coming back to Germany was the World Cup, of course (I think another reason for delaying the blog for so long), it really caught my attention and I was very enthusiastic about the German football team and it was a very happy time, especially if you see such wonderful football. The atmosphere in the local pub where I watched Argentina against Germany was amazing. 

However, after the World Cup it started to become boring as I mentioned in the beginning and doing the same things all the time is not so satisfying. The only thing that got me excited after that was when I received a letter from Brookes confirming my accommodation and forms for me to fill out. It makes me want to start to study as soon as possible and I am really looking forward to September. Furthermore it is nice that I already know Oxford like the back of my hand and I can visit old friends, for example I will definitely visit Bellerbys in September when they are in their new building near the river and say hello!

I think that more or less gives you a little overview of what has happened in the meantime. I could go on like this forever but I do not want to make it too long so that nobody is interested in reading it any more. I will try enjoy my holidays in Germany as best as possible, for instance I am looking forward to go to a music festival in August and also my niece will be born in August which is really exciting for me. When I think about that I will be an uncle at the age of 20 makes me feel old somehow but I promised myself to be the best uncle possible and a very modern one, too!

In my last post, I promised that this time I will include some pictures and I am holding my promise of course! You can see some pictures from graduation and from my parents and me being at Jamie's with my sister(you just can never see her because she took the pictures) including some of the food there we had.

So I hope you enjoyed this entry and I also hope that I can make some more in the future , hopefully when I am at university I can tell you about my experience there!

Thanks for reading and bye for now.

Bellerbys Term 2 Gone Already?!

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

“It’s going to be a breeze!”  That was my first impression of Term 2, seeing that we have one less module to study.  I could not even describe my repentance for this underestimation.  Term 2 was undoubtedly as eventful as the first, with a profusion of activities organised as well as the even more challenging modules of Electricity and Fields, English and Pure Maths 2.

As regards to the academic aspect of this term, Electricity and Fields would be the one module which I least looked forward to.  It was never my interest to study Kirchoff’s Law and the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment.

Thankfully, I had Dr Grant (my Matter & Waves teacher) as my teacher again.  Already used to her teaching method, it was made slightly easier for me to ‘conquer’ Electricity.  Similarly, Mr Bentham (Mechanics teacher) continued teaching us, but this time around, he taught us Pure Maths 2. English, on the other hand, was taught by Mr Kershaw and it took just seconds before we broke the ice then got comfortable with him.  He is one jovial teacher!  Definitely a proficient tutor to help us brace ourselves for the IELTS exam by the end of the term.

The main highlight of this term was the annual May Ball, which I have previously posted in greater details. Once again, I have to say that it was a truly magical night.  I was also fortunate enough to have a surprise birthday celebration organised by my friends in May.  Definitely one of my best birthday celebration ever which would have been perfect if only my family and friends back in Malaysia were here.  

Finally being able to go in and out of the residence block without dropping signatures surely felt liberating, though I would miss those daily check-ins where the supervisors check on us every night.  It was sometimes reminiscent of my parents checking on me before bed, making me feel safe and secure.  Not to forget, the Brighton Festival which commenced with a grandiose Children's Parade and ended with similar fashion projecting a mesmerizing array of fireworks display at the Brighton Marina.

Term 2 also defined our anxious wait for the university replies to our applications.  Students were seen scurrying in and out of the exam office’s walkway, checking their university mails.  Most were content, while some vowed that they would work harder to achieve the conditions offered by the universities.  I was personally gratified as the University of Sheffield has granted me an offer!  And the first person that came into my mind (besides my parents) was Mr Nix, my art teacher who has given me immeasurable assistance in bringing out the best in me for my portfolio devoid much architectural knowledge.  Then of course, Program Manager Mr Alan Beer and Kerry for helping me out with the application procedure, as well as the helpful advice on university choices.

 As usual, term exams awaited for us soon after completing the modules.  The Maths department designed an exam that took almost every ounce of my brainpower to answer.  Of course I was disappointed after the long hours of revision, but I have tried my best.  On a lighter note, Electricity was quite manageable despite my struggle with the subject.  Most students had to go through the IELTS exam as well.  Having finished our papers, I could not help but feel elated from the completion of Term 2.

Despite the joy of post-Term 2, it also meant the bidding of farewell to the friends whom I have grown close to from the A-level course, the Embassy and the September Intake Foundation course.  

6 months have passed so very swiftly and I could not believe that I have to part with them already.  Not only were they great friends, they were role models as well, earning recognitions during their prize-giving ceremony, being the top in their respective fields. They were such short friendships which I greatly appreciate and would like to maintain.  Bonds that would certainly persevere after my time in Bellerbys.  Emotions got the best of me as I could not help but shed a few tears when I sent them off, one by one.  I wish them a fantastic summer holiday.

All in all, Term 2 was concoction of thrill, laughter, hardcore work as well as hardcore fun, though ending in quite a bittersweet note.  The end of this term meant the numbered days left that I have in Bellerbys.  It had sunk in that I would be going into my third and final term, before I graduate and proceed to the new chapter of my life: Sheffield University. 

Excited for Sheffield yet reluctant to part with Bellerbys, I could only appreciate this final term and make the most out of it.

Until then, dear readers!

Thank you for reading!

My First Post from Bellerbys London!

Posted by Aishat, studying A Levels at Bellerbys College London.

Hello everybody! It’s Aishat Raji here!!!!  I’m pretty new at this so pardon me if I’m a bit rusty. I happen to be the new blogger for Bellerbys London taking over from my predecessor MAGGIE. Note to all though – NOBODY CAN EVER BE QUITE LIKE MAGGIE...NOBODY!!!!! So don’t be too hard on me.

OK, back to course. I’m meant to introduce myself so I’m gonna do just that. Yours truly hails from the most populous city in the whole of West Africa – Lagos. Lagos is the commercial centre in Nigeria (not that you’ll ever need to know that, but I just thought I should hit you all up with a piece of history).

I have three siblings. One elder brother, one elder sister (of which she’s not as old as she thinks!) and a very troublesome little sister. Both of my parents are accountants... little wonder why I’m utterly obsessed with accounts!....(and of course because of Chris’ wonderful teaching skills *wink*..lol)  Chris, by the way, is my accounts teacher. ALRIGHT!!! Enough of my family history, don’t want to bore you with that.

Being very serious now...(clearing my throat at this point and speaking in a very intelligent manner).. I am studying A Levels at Bellerbys London. I just recently completed my first year...yippe!!! Ok, back to being serious.  I study four subjects namely: MATHEMATICS, ECONOMICS , PSYCHOLOGY AND ACCOUNTS! All of which are absolutely fascinating in a very weird way plus the teachers are all so lovely. Note to my teachers – that will be an additional 10 marks next session for painting you in such good light.

London Bellerbys is such a lovely place.. no jokes! What I like best about it is the homely environment. It’s such a close knitted family, which makes it a lot easier to blend in. 

There are also so many social events on the social calendar every week. It ranges from getting to know London sometime in the first week when you arrive to going to Thorpe Park to going to musical concerts. There’s so much to see and do... I must admit though that I haven’t done so much. But you can’t really blame me, the work is just too much.... Thus, I’m having a new session’s resolution to go for more social events. I’ll let you know how that works out later in the year. Argh! I’m drifting away again aren’t I?... ok so basically I’m just saying that if you are the type that loves going out and seeing places then Bellerbys London is the place to be!

My typical day in Bellerbys goes something like this .... I get up at 8:00 am, get dressed and leave my room at 9:00 am. Then I go for breakfast. Classes start at 9:30 am so I finish breakfast 5 minutes before that. We get a short break at about 10:45 am to 11:15. At this point, I just stay in class or disturb my teachers.

For instance, on Tuesdays, I have Economics. So when we go on break, I just stay back and talk with Mr Lee (my economics teacher). Meanwhile my classmates go for snacks such as chips, hotdogs which is served in the school cafeteria.. yup!! Right there in the school! 

We get another break at 12:45 which lasts for one hour. Lunch is also available at this time. I usually don’t eat lunch either. I spend my lunch break chatting with my friends.. namely Emma, Tari, Yinka.. the list goes on. Classes resume at 1:45 and end at 4:45, there’s a 30 minutes break in between somewhere. And dinner starts at 5:00 pm till 7:00. 

After dinner, I either go to the library, hang out with my friends, go to the gym or just sleep! And that’s my typical day.... pretty boring I know but it doesn’t have to be yours... You can go off to central London after school so long as you are back in time for curfew if you’re under 18 like I am... bummer I know! But that’s how it is!

When I eventually create some free time, I love going shopping... (I mean which girl doesn’t?!), I love going to see movies in the cinema (can’t wait for Eclipse and Karate Kid to be in cinemas), I enjoy taking a long walk and appreciating nature, I love listening to music (need to get new headphones though...skull candy to be precise!!!), I like to draw and practise my graffiti and sometimes I just hangout with my friends and have a good laugh. Note to everyone – a good laugh is necessary periodically if you don’t want to lose it especially if you are studying A Levels!

Blah! Blah!! Blah!!!  I’ve just been going on and on about myself and my life.... hope I haven’t bored you too much though.. so that’s a little info about yours truly. It was actually a thrilling experience writing my first blog, don’t know why I was so intimidated about the whole idea. The trouble now is what the title would be and I don’t have a catch phrase yet... cause I really think catchphrases are cool.. u know how James Bond says ‘’the name is Bond, James Bond’’ or Terminator says  ‘hasta la vista baby’’....something like that... will definitely work on that too.

A bientot (see you soon in Francais)

Yours truly,

Aishat!!!

Find out more about studying A Levels at Bellerbys College London.

Meet Aishat, Our New Blogger for Bellerbys College London

We are delighted to welcome a new student blogger to represent Bellerbys College London.

Say hello to Aishat Raji from Lagos in Nigeria. 

Aishat is studying A Levels at Bellerbys London and hopes to study Accounting or Economics at university.  

She has set her sights high and is hoping to gain a place at either London School of Economics or Warwick University.

Outside of the classroom Aishat enjoys "listening to music, watching movies, drawing, visiting new places and cooking.  Oh yeah, photography too!"

Visit the blog again soon to read her first post about settling in to life studying A Levels at Bellerbys College London.

Easter Road Trip Around UK Universities! (Part 2)

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Hello hello!

Back again here for the second part of my extensive trip during Bunny period!

Edinburgh

Perhaps the most distinguishable aspect about Edinburgh is the people there. Locals in Britain are generally amiable, but I must say that the people in Edinburgh are even more hospitable. They are extremely well-mannered, not to mention very efficient at work. (The waiters are amazing!) Edinburgh is packed with street shops, a rather nice city. We managed to drop by the castle terrace. The University of Edinburgh, on the other hand, is renowned for their  preeminent medicine degree course. Food wise, Scottish pie is not to be missed as well as their tender sirloin steak. We also had Chinese food for dinner and they sure do cook as well as the actual Chinese.

Otterburn
Otterburn was an impromptu stop for lunch and it turned out to be one of the nicest meal in my opinion. It was at Otterburn Mill, catering traditional cottage food as well as handling wool by their bred sheep. It seemed like a very nice breather from visiting modern cities.

Newcastle
We arrived at Newcastle and I thought I recognised the atmosphere. It seemed very much like London, except that London is slightly busier. Plenty of shops, within walking distance. Although Newcastle is nearly identical to London, the biggest difference would be that Newcastle is the Britain city with the lowest cost of living, contrasting with London, of which has the highest. Newcastle University has consistently been ranked as one of the top universities, yet offering amazing offers to students like scholastic discounts. Students graduating from Bellerbys are even eligible for further discounts. How lucky are we!

Manchester
Glory, Glory, Man Utd. Yes, we all sidetracked from university hunt to football fever. We laid eyes on the actual Manchester Stadium. Merchandise were everywhere and boy, we were tempted! Not only that, there were prints on the brick road; names of the footballers such as David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jimmy Delaney. Satisfied from our football fetish, we went to Manchester’s Chinatown. Its vivacious ambience could match the one in London. I felt like it was home again. Manchester, I would definitely come back here sometime soon.

Sheffield
My future. I stared at the buildings wide-eyed. This is where I would be going after graduation in Bellerbys. I just fell in love with the place. Though slightly colder than Brighton, Sheffield (the green city) is profuse in terms of lifestyle. It has the Supertram, the award winning light rail service as well as one of the biggest British shopping mall, Meadowhall. Not to mention, a very active nightlife in West Street and an eventful performing arts platform. And paramountly, Oriental food stores in abundance! 

There are two universities in Sheffield: University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam, both very prestigious campuses. University of Sheffield, in particular, has been graded with numerous first-rate courses. I could not wait to start my university life there, yet reluctant to leave Brighton.

Cardiff
Cardiff seemed more of a rustic town, having more conventional ancient buildings and greenery. Having said so, it simply means that it is an ideal place to study as one would not be easily distracted. 

The university, on the other hand, is one of the upper echelons among elite universities as well. Very highly regarded for their architecture course, they also provide numerous services within the university to attend to the students’ needs.

Bristol > Bath
Bristol is apparently a nice city. I was not too sure because I have slept through the journey when we were passing through Bristol. According to my friend, it is a very lively city, with a cornucopia of shopping malls and public vicinities. Bristol University would be famous for Law and Medical Science courses. It is situated very close to Bath, a more serene city. The University, however, is currently the top architecture school in Britain. It is one of the most beautiful campus I have ever seen with an established performing arts sector in the university.

Brighton
Finally, Brighton, the place where my post high-school life had started. I sincerely feel that Brighton is an amazing city to start off as a foreign student. It is generally a city, moderate in size with many events especially since it is a tourism hotspot, mainly due to the pebble beach. I am more than grateful to have chosen to go to the Brighton campus. It has undoubtedly become my second home. Bellerbys has only made the whole college experience even easier.

Brief Summary : 
This trip is like a hamburger of fun, knowledge; culturally and academically, mashed up together. I have learnt wonders in this road trip, from Britain’s geography, university whereabouts and ultimately, the beauty of snow! I am a snow person. On a more serious note, it gave me a very clear impression of my university choices, hence enabling me to choose more wisely.

Going to so many places in the UK made me appreciate Brighton so much more. Definitely proud to be a ‘Brighton-eer’. I LOVE BRIGHTON!

For more pictures, do have a look at my albums. Do keep up with me and my posts! 
You readers are truly an inspiration for me to write more often.

Bye!

Roadtrip Around UK Universities!

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Hello readers!


This is probably the one entry which I have incessantly been procrastinating to write. I guess the late submission of this post is pretty self-explanatory. Why, you may wonder? Besides putting the blame on my occasional slothfulness and the upcoming exams, there was just way too many things that I have experienced during Easter. After all, I went for a road trip organised by my friend’s family around the UK. Around Britain for more than a week!

This excursion was mainly to visit all our university choices besides chilling ourselves out. A gist of the whole trip: absolutely breathtaking! I shall comment on my road trip experience chronologically.

Oxford
We stopped briefly to have a look at the Oxford University, taking pictures of ourselves with the university as our backdrop. Just standing there made me feel smarter! Did not get to do too much there.

Birmingham
Our first main stop. First impression: Scenic lively city. Birmingham is extremely vibrant, be it day or night. In the day, one is welcomed to a plethora of shopping malls notably the Bull Ring as well as tourism sights such as churches. 

The most defining trademark, in my opinion, is the Selfridges Department Store, an exemplary tour de force of organic architecture. Nightlife, on the other hand, is out of the world! 

The most popular street (Broad Street) was filled with convivial bars and clubs. Albeit the very inviting ambience, we took a detour down that street and entered a locale which greatly resembled a smaller version of Venice. Waterway, boats, lights, reflections, ducks. You get the picture. 

We dined at an Oriental Restaurant to satiate our dire longing for spicy food. During our stay, we also ate Jumbo-sized burgers and Scottish pies. Very palatable, I must say. 

Aston University is a renowned for its top notch business faculty. Apparently, global business conferences are often held there. It comprises two main blocks, both with approximately 15 floors, conjoined by a pair of lifts.

These cities seem rather similar, though Blackpool was the coldest. The coolest thing I remembered from these short stops was the sight of multiple motorcyclists clad in funky rabbit outfits (One was sporting Scooby Doo!) to celebrate Easter. British people are just so fun. Before further digressions, Blackpool appeared to have a profusion of theme parks. We stayed at Premier Inn that night. In short, it was a comfortable stay.

Windermere > Carlisle > Glasgow
These towns are much chillier than the previous ones. I walked around, quivering despite countless layers of clothing. It was supposed to be spring!  Again, the weather was such a wet blanket. It rained the whole day. By the end of the day, it was snowing badly, to the extent that we could not do much in the town. Etap Hotel was where we bunked in. Premier Inn was better.

Loch Fyne
A vast boundless white sight. That summed up the scenic view on the way to Loch Fyne. The hills were all still blanketed by an avalanche of snow. It was my first time seeing that much snow, as if I was in an actual‘Ice Age’ scene! So, why stop at Loch Dyne? 

Loch Fyne is a prominent seafood restaurant, most well known for their oysters where even my Prime Minister had allegedly dropped by to try them. And they certainly did not disappoint. I never liked oysters, but I hypocritically finished at least a dozen of oysters and mussels. The quick serving speed undoubtedly augmented the whole dining experience.

Oban
A town by the seaside. Imagine the tranquility, with the sounds of the gentle lapping waves and the seagulls. Still enthralled with the epic seafood experience, we ate at Ee-usk, another well-known seafood restaurant within Oban. It was simply delectable, though not as epic as Loch Fyne’s. We spent the night at Regent’s Hotel. Despite the grander name, it was lacklustre in terms of accommodation satisfaction. The next morning, we managed to check out the Oban Distillery, displaying an array of wines of the best quality.

Tyndrum
On the way to Tyndrum, we were fortunate enough to sight a drove of sheep being herded across the road by a man with his dog. It was a rather fleeting experience, though that occurrence would not just be an ephemeral one for me. At Tyndrum, we ate at the Green Welly Stop. It was meant to serve home-cooked food. Would have felt even homelier if they serve peppery Chinese Food. We crashed in Travelodge that night; a rather pleasant stay.

St Andrews
We stopped by the small town to visit the university. University of St Andrews, most notable for their medicine degree, was exquisite. The building layout was very user-friendly. I would have loved to study there if I were to take up medicine. An ideal university if one prefers a nice, quiet town. 

We dined at this Japanese-Thai restaurant called Nahm-Jin. It was amazing, despite the very long wait. 

Also, we stopped by the famous St Andrews’ Swilcan Bridge. The surprisingly petite bridge was in the middle of a golf course. I was lucky enough to take a shot of the bridge before being shooed by golfers. 

We had a detour to St Andrews’ Castle before leaving: it was ‘architecturally enriching’. After these innumerable strings of words, I have merely covered half of this wonderful trip. More to come in the second part of this entry.

Toodle-oo!

How I Was 'Architected'

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Hello dear readers!

Some people know precisely what they would want to pursue since childhood. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. I personally found it really tough in determining the course I would like to pursue. If you have been reading my previous posts, you would know how easily enthusiastic I could be in everything. This attribute of mine (which I feel grateful to have) actually backfired during this period of time. Since I enjoy doing a lot of things, I was not able to identify what I enjoy doing the most, or which one of them I have the most talent in. 


Accordingly, this post would be all about how I determined my course in hopes of sharing my experience in literally shaping my future with you readers especially those who might face the same dilemma as me.

So why architecture? I used to immediately reject the thought of becoming an architect every time it was suggested. I was all over the place, considering from psychology to food science, business to fashion designing and even teaching or medicine. I then started to envision what I see myself doing in the future, not professionally, but what I expect to literally do. I initially confirmed that I would pursue something related to art yet with a bit of science, then progressed to envisage the frequent practice of leadership, teamwork and presentations. With these little aspects that I foresee and the help of my education agency, I finally settled down with architecture. I should not have made presumptions about architecture as my inceptive idea about the field was so different from what architects actually do, after listening to my agent’s elaboration of the esteemed profession.

Seeing that it was such a late realisation, I came to Bellerbys, devoid of any knowledge about architecture. I have tried my hardest to do researches, but I just did not know where to start. “Do you have a portfolio?” Mr Beer, my programme manager asked me on my first day. I stood still, dumbfounded, flatly saying no. Thankfully, Mr Beer was kind enough to explain what I was supposed to do. I was told to draw random portraits of buildings while he arranged art classes for me.

Feeling extremely unprepared, I tried my best to make up for my lack of self initiative by starting to sketch buildings in Brighton. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew that I needed to put something together for my art teacher to evaluate. Using purely my instinct as I have never drawn buildings before, I meticulously sketched out the photographs I have taken. 

Surprisingly, it turned out not too bad! Encouraged, I started drawing more and more.

When I had to see Mr Nix (my art teacher), I remembered him advising me to start seeing things as an architect, besides telling me the outline of the architecture degree programme. Being an Engineering Foundation student, I only had limited time with him. Realising so, I attempted to make full use of the time by preparing questions to ask him before I see him. Eventually, I was only able rendezvous with him as the term became busier. As instructed, I started initiating my own projects for my portfolio, seeking his advice only when necessary. I found this process quite strenuous, yet again due to my lack of knowledge and self confidence in my judgment. Nevertheless, this independent style of learning really made me grow so much as an aspiring architect, not to mention embracing myself for university life.

I pushed my own boundaries, endeavouring to experiment with a plethora of art techniques. I tried the typical sketching and detailing with different mediums; pencils, pens, chalk and photography work, steadily progressing into carvery, collage and the study of motion. I had to do figure drawing too. Yes, drawing nude people standing right in front of me.

Speak about awkwardness! Albeit being a conservative Malaysian, I ultimately got used to the idea. (Going to the gym really helped reduce the awkwardness level!) I also conducted researches on architecture for some self development before university life. When I was finally endowed with adequate confidence, I mustered up my courage to attempt some self designing, initially creating a dog kennel based on an apple, tiger and the colour black. In due course, I have designed toilets, stadiums and museums.

In the past term, I have been so engrossed with architecture that I even found orange peels architecturally enthralling! Finishing my portfolio elated me, literally having a huge part of my burden banished. It has been such a fun experience and I have started to believe that architecture is the right choice for me. All in all, I just have to say that a course should be chosen after a lot of individual researches on the field and whether it is what one would be most passionate about, rather than what is most financially rewarding. It is going to be something we deal with for a lifetime.

 I really hope this could help some of you troubled pre-college students as I fully comprehend how it was like, having been in the same position once.

A big shout-out to Mr Nix before I end my penning: Thank you so much for being such an amazing teacher. You have made me develop wonders in my architectural skills. I appreciate your effort in making me think independently and learn to trust my instinct. Thank you for the occasional words of encouragement as well as the timely laughters. You are a VERY FUNNY teacher! Also, my deepest apologies for bugging you almost 24/7. I am just naturally compelled to see your face! :)

Thank you for reading!


More of David’s coming soon! Stay tuned!

Of Big Hair, Bright Colours and a Clown Suit PLUS a Dash of Quirkiness - The Bellerbys Brighton May Ball 2010

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Hi readers!

It was the time of the year again. Everyone, in the past week, has been caught scurrying all over Churchill Square and street shops in Brighton to hunt for their perfect ‘outfit’. Yes, the Bellerbys students were anticipating the annual May Ball. I, myself, am not afraid to confess that I was one of them. Being a person deeply riveted to the wonders of fashion, I could not help but ensure that I appear fashionably decent.

I was so excited to the extent that I got dressed up one and a half hours prior to the event. The boys in my circle of friends then assembled at my room in dire need for some fashion assistance and hairdo service. It’s funny how metrosexuality has become crucial to all men. 

Anyways, we still did not take as long as the girls. The wait was worthwhile though, as they looked stunning with their make-up and exquisite dresses. It was a nice transition compared to my daily view of them with the typical ‘going to college’ outfit.

 Having been greeted by a ‘ring of fire’ entrance, I was shocked to see that the college was already packed with people. People here do really stick to the punctuality concept. Back in Malaysia, we were often teased for our tendency to be ‘fashionably late’. Of course, we were all scouting around to see what people were donning. I must say, they were generally audacious, sporting very bold outfits. 

The most eye-catching costume has to be this male duo, sporting a loud afro wig and tight bright suits. Girls, on the other hand, generally played with face paintings and long dresses as well as adorable short puffy dresses. Nonetheless, I had to give my props to the teachers. In my opinion, they were much more committed to the dress code! I caught bold lipstick shades, pink wigs, bright suits, a handmade dress and a CLOWN SUIT (plus a complete face paint)! I actually thought he was a hired clown. Paradoxically, it turned out to be Mr Addison. What a truly sporty and jaunty principal! How cool was that?

Settling down amongst the crowd, I could not help but notice the elaborate decorations around the campus. I felt immensely proud of the Art Department. It was just weeks ago when they ambitiously presented their envisaged ideas to the committee. 

I must say that they have definitely lived up to their expectations. I do not think anyone would have missed the prodigious legs protruding conspicuously from the library ceiling and the billions of quirky figurines hung around the building. 

Furthermore, photo stands were creatively mounted in various places. I especially liked the exhibited art and photography work related to the theme. Being able to make use of this social event to practise and develop your artistic skills, not to mention gaining leadership and teamwork experience while doing so, the Art Foundation must have had a great time!

Guilt-injecting finger food were waiting for me in the far corner opposite the exam hall. Sushi, bruschetta, crisps and many more were spread out near the receptionist desk. It was so tough for me to actually move away from that spot. So what could possibly drag me away from my sushi addiction? More food, in the cafeteria! I entered the cafeteria, sighting a smorgasbord of palatable temptations: a tower of cupcakes, a grandiose array of assorted fruits as well as typical edibles found in circuses. The revamped cafeteria (with table cloths and balloons) totally looked the part of a sophisticated dining experience and as I found my seat, I spotted the chocolate fountain. Plus, the BBQ stand lurking outside the cafeteria. Desserts? Popcorn and ice cream near the library. The catering team has definitely outdone themselves.

Inside the Exam Hall, there were performances by winners of our recent BE Factor. Unfortunately, my glutton got the best of me, causing me to miss their performances.

Thankfully, I did make it in time for dancing. With the blaring music, I danced my heart out with my friends, to the extent that my kidneys were on the verge of popping out! (Dancing really helped me digest the massive gob of food that I have consumed.) Somewhere in the middle of the night, an avalanche of balloons rained down on us.

By 11.30pm, guests were all ushered out. It was a rather tedious task as everyone was still in the mood of partying, though the chore was certainly ameliorated with the set alcohol restriction to prevent any excessive drinking, hence no drunken guests! A very thoughtful committee, I must say!

I recalled chattering with my friends about this event just a few weeks ago and could hardly believe that it is over. Definitely one of the best costume balls that I have been to. Bellerbys has made the students feel very appreciated, graciously taking into account our suggestions for the event and prioritise student satisfaction as the ultimate goal of the event. 

 I am extremely proud to have been able to work as a committee member and am looking forward for more of these opportunities. I just revere the whole committee; be it the Student Services, Student Council, Art Department, Catering Team and the principals, for making such an amazing night possible in this college. It is definitely not just any ephemeral nights.

That’s all for now!

For more pictures, do visit the Bellerbys Flickr page, or simply visit my Facebook page. My albums are all public. :)

Enjoy!


Thank you once again for reading.

Signing off.