“I came to York as I thought that it would be really great to be able to immerse myself in a different type of culture, especially when I'm diving into a new field.“
Introducing this week's Human of York - mature student Eliza Joy.
"The University has been absolutely wonderful at taking care of us mature students. In my experience I was actually quite nervous going back to uni at a later stage in life, especially having to do a new field altogether.
“I was wondering whether I’d be able to fit in. Will I be able to find a routine back into uni life after having been in the workforce for a while? The programme directors have all been very good with us making sure that we are okay, giving us resources that we need to ensure that, that we are okay physically, mentally and emotionally. It has made transitioning back into uni life as a mature student much easier.
“Within the University I joined the Korean Cultural society. I'm currently learning Korean and I enjoy learning K-pop choreography. I also dance Latin dances so I found local groups around York and Leeds that held events and put on classes. I found a way to settle into York, not just as a student but as someone who actually lived in and experienced the city.
“Before York I had actually gotten my Bachelors in International Relations at the University of South Carolina and then pursued a Masters in International Relations at the University of Glasgow back in 2015. Upon graduating, I moved to Washington DC and worked there as a federal contractor. Within my field in IR, I worked as a Southeast Asian subject matter expert for my company. I had always really liked the aspect of marrying culture and technology together, which is the reason why I moved to York to pursue my degree in Digital Heritage.
“I would tell prospective mature students to not be afraid. Hey, you've done it once, you can absolutely do it again!”
