By Enxhi Vorpsi
About myself and my dream to study abroad
My name is Enxhi and I’m an Albanian who was born and raised in Germany. While I was doing my Bachelors in Civil Engineering in Germany, I always thought of studying abroad. After graduating, I had the desire to study for my Masters degree in an English- speaking country within Europe. Known for its remarkable international reputation of higher education and qualifications, I decided to apply for universities in England.
Myjourney to England
For starters, I submited my masters application prior to Brexit and as a European student no visa was required. Whilst doing some research, I found “College Contact” – an educational consultancy that gives free advice to students who want to study abroad. With their support my university application process went smoothly and I was delighted to get into a renowned university “The University of Birmingham” located in the Midlands. I highly recommend College Contact to Albanians based in Germany looking to study in England. Of course, feel also free to contact me if you have any questions.
My time in England
Moving to England and joining a new environment surrounded by new people was overwhelming. I started my Masters degree during COVID with limited social interaction and online lectures. I was glad to share my course with students from different cultural backgrounds. I had such a beautiful and memorable year as a student in Birmingham, but student life can also be stressful at times. In a different country, sometimes you feel lonely and I often missed my family back in Germany. I’m sharing this with you, because I want you to know that you are not alone. Your mental health and wellbeing are important. We always have to make sure that we find ways to make us feel good mentally. What helped me on the days I felt overwhelmed was going to the university’s library or to other study places. Being surrounded by other students that are working on their projects helped to keep myself motivated.
Don’t forget to take breaks. Don’t lock yourself into your room, but go out for walks, refresh your mind, recharge yourself and come back with more energy. Have regular talks with friends, family via face time and other students. Join extracurricular activities at your university e.g., sports clubs, music bands or dance groups. Also remember that hard work pays off; this pushed me further and encouraged me to keep working hard on my studies. Finally, I graduated with a distinction in MSc Advanced Engineering Construction Management from the University of Birmingham and now I’m pursuing my construction career and my passion for music.
The idea to create and establish our community: AYPM
Even though I met many multicultural people, I was disappointed that there wasn’t an Albanian community at the university. However, LinkedIn was one of the platforms that gave me the opportunity to connect with other students, professionals and with ALSA UK. With two good friends, Daniel Nikolla and Megi Miftari, we had the idea to found our own community “Albanian Young Professionals in the Midlands”. We know how difficult it can be as a graduate or young professional to find the right way into the professional life. Our aim is to connect our like – minded compatriots based in the Midlands, to create a social platform where they can connect and exchange interests and support them in their early years of their professional career. We hope to grow our network and to become a big community of Albanian young professional based in the Midlands. You can find us on LinkedIn and Facebook and we welcome you all.
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