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My name is Efe and I’m studying at KICL. I came from Turkey and I’m 20 years old. I came to UK and I chose London to improve myself as much as I can. Not only in terns of academically but also as a better individual. Honestly I was planning to go back to my country right after I complete my postgraduate programme but I’ve started to gain different ideas about my future after I came to London because the potential of this city is insane. Currently my priority is to do my best and get highest grades I could and start working part-time. I wanna have a working experience at this age to prepare myself to the business life. However, to be able to do all these things I’ve mentioned, I undoubtedly need to learn time management. Unfortunately, I’m not good at this. I can easily loose my concentration and ruin my schedule. Maybe that’s what I need to improve after I’ll take care of my grades.

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I’ve gained different communication skills in KICL. It’s not always like talking with local people from your country but also being able to learn how to communicate with strangers people from all over the world. You learn how to control the tension of the conversation and of course speaking English. I also learned communicating with teachers at uni level has to be more formal and respectful compared to previous school experiences I had. I definitely believe that I’ve became more confident speaker in London in terms of my native language and English because I practice both everyday, especially English. I’ve presented my extended project homework in class, in front of my teacher and classmates which is also contributed my confidence.

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I can say that I made some progress about researching and finding right sources. Also I’ve learned how to use Google Scholar properly. As I’ve mentioned on my previous slides, I just made a presentation 2 weeks ago which was not bad. I addressed couple students from my class and my teacher. At the end I answered the questions from my teacher. It was good experience and I did my best. Talking in front of people made me feel like a politician addressing his nation. To conclude I can say it was a nice experience for my debut. I can say that the research skills I’ve gained at my extended project module was game changing. I believe it will made difference throughout my university career.

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My favourite module is surely economics which is my current major for QMUL. That’s what I’m interested in and what I’ve been working on since the beginning of this year and actually I don’t know why. The topic I enjoyed most is macroeconomics and of course the economical ideologies. First one is something more academical and we study at school but honestly I enjoy trying to learn the understanding of economical ideologies more. To be honest there has no difference between the way I study since I came London but I can give an example about me, only focusing on mock exams in math while preparing for the exams. That was effective but unfortunately I still failed on most of my math exams. Rather than organising my study time I try to take at least two hours for studying every day. The fact that I have bunch of responsibilities like cooking, cleaning etc. that’s best I could do so far.

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Living in a city like London is undoubtedly a great experience in my life. The variety, opportunities and the hidden gems in this city is just amazing. Compared to what I’ve heard before I came here, this city is beyond beatiful with few cons that I can ignore. I’ve been in different restaurants and parks that I enjoyed like reagents park and flat iron steak. London is different compared to where I used to live. Firstly, London is way more crowded and international compared to my hometown Ankara. Personally, the time I spend in London is more joyful than my hometown. It’s been almost 8 months since I came here and I’ve been living alone. One thing I’ve learned in this 8 month is “No one will help you, get you out of the point you stuck if you don’t show any sign of effort.” I wanted to give this as a quote.

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In addition to improving my research and presentation skills, I’ve also learned how to manage academic deadlines and prioritize tasks under pressure. Before coming to the UK, I used to procrastinate a lot, especially when it came to long-term projects. But now, I’ve started planning ahead and breaking down big assignments into smaller steps. This helped me reduce stress and gave me a clearer view of my progress. I believe this habit will benefit me not only in academics but also in my future career, especially if I work in a high-pressure environment.

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Moreover, I’ve become more familiar with academic writing techniques such as paraphrasing, citation styles like Harvard referencing, and structuring arguments logically. I used to struggle with expressing complex ideas clearly in English, but by reading academic journals and writing essays, I’ve noticed real improvement. Getting feedback from my tutors also helped me spot my weak points and fix them. Overall, I feel more equipped now to deal with university-level assignments confidently.

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Another big part of my personal development has been learning how to manage my emotions and stay motivated even during tough days. There were times when I felt homesick or overwhelmed, especially during the first months. But little by little, I started building mental resilience. I began journaling, going for walks, and giving myself small goals to stay productive. Living alone forces you to become your own motivator, and I think this has made me mentally stronger.

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Also, I’ve become more independent when it comes to daily responsibilities. Things like cooking my own meals, managing my budget, or doing laundry were all new to me, but I’ve learned how to handle them. Now I understand the value of time and effort more than before. All of these small routines helped me grow up and see the world from a more mature perspective. I think this independence will help me a lot in my future, especially if I go abroad again for work or study.

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One thing that really helped my communication improve was working on group projects. I had to cooperate with students from different cultures, and at first, it was a bit hard to understand each other’s ideas. But over time, I learned how to listen more actively and explain my thoughts more clearly. I also realized that communication is not just about speaking — it’s also about reading the room and adapting your tone or style depending on who you’re talking to.

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Another important experience was joining classroom discussions. At the beginning, I was shy to share my opinions, especially in English. But once I started participating more, I noticed how my classmates and teachers respected my contributions. That gave me the courage to speak more often and even challenge ideas when needed. Now, I feel more confident expressing myself in both academic and casual settings. It’s definitely a skill I want to continue improving.

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What I find most exciting in academic life is discovering connections between different subjects. For example, while studying economics, I sometimes relate certain ideas to psychology or history. Understanding human behaviour and decision-making is something I’ve started to enjoy a lot. It shows me that academic learning is not only about memorising theories but also about seeing the bigger picture. I’ve started watching YouTube videos or reading articles outside the syllabus to go deeper into topics I’m curious about.

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Another thing I’ve realized is the importance of learning from failure. Like I mentioned, I failed one of my math exams even though I studied hard. But instead of giving up, I reviewed my mistakes, asked my teacher for feedback, and changed my study method. I learned how to prepare more strategically, especially by using past papers and timing myself. This helped me improve not only my academic performance but also my self-awareness as a learner. Failure is tough, but it teaches you more than success sometimes.

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In addition to improving my research and presentation skills, I’ve also learned how to manage academic deadlines and prioritize tasks under pressure. Before coming to the UK, I used to procrastinate a lot, especially when it came to long-term projects. But now, I’ve started planning ahead and breaking down big assignments into smaller steps. This helped me reduce stress and gave me a clearer view of my progress. I believe this habit will benefit me not only in academics but also in my future career, especially if I work in a high-pressure environment.

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Moreover, I’ve become more familiar with academic writing techniques such as paraphrasing, citation styles like Harvard referencing, and structuring arguments logically. I used to struggle with expressing complex ideas clearly in English, but by reading academic journals and writing essays, I’ve noticed real improvement. Getting feedback from my tutors also helped me spot my weak points and fix them. Overall, I feel more equipped now to deal with university-level assignments confidently.