Hi there 🙋🏾♀️,
My name is Brenda Bih Chi, and my pronouns are she/her. I am an activist for women’s rights and anti-racism. I am currently pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Women and Gender Studies (GEMMA) at the University of York. The aim of this blog is to share with you my experience at the Centre for Women’s Studies at York.
YOUR WELL-BEING MATTERS AT YORK
Managing between school and personal life can be overwhelming, especially when you are new to the university and town. I am a very emotional person who easily becomes worried over little things. Hence, one challenge that often concerned me at the beginning of my studies was how to manage my finances, given that York can be an expensive town and I had no job. So, I booked an appointment with a pastoral supervisor who gave me recommendations on how to save more as a student. She recommended visiting charity shops, getting cheap bus tickets (Student Bus Travel), applying for the Student Support Fund, etc. Many of her tips helped me manage my finances and feel less worried about my situation. She was also of great help in giving me tips on how to work on my assessments progressively, to avoid stress during the last week of submission.
WORKSHOPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ACADEMIC SKILLS
I am from a scientific academic background, where I studied Agronomic Science for my bachelor’s degree. Before beginning my Masters, I was afraid that I would not cope with diving into social sciences, even though I was very passionate about women-related issues. At the start of my Masters, I had difficulties reading long texts and writing academic essays. Fortunately for me, the university has an Academic Skills Community where workshops are organised to improve students’ academic writing and reading skills. Through this community, I have attended workshops on critical thinking, effective reading, academic writing, and dissertations – just to name a few. If you are a tech person, you could attend data skills workshops and visit the Maths Skills Centre. These workshops are organised throughout the year, and recordings are always made available each time you register for the workshop.
ADMISSION AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT
There is also a lot of support when it comes to the admission and visa process. As an international student and a mother, I was quite worried about the whole visa application procedure and getting support for my partner to join me. The Support for International Students office was always keen to share weekly updates regarding immigration rules. This helps you to make decisions that will not affect your studies while ensuring that you are up to date with all migration checks.
MY EXPERIENCE OF STUDYING AT THE CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S STUDIES
A picture of me taken in front of the Law and Sociology Building
SISTERHOOD COMMUNITY
Throughout my studies at the Centre for Women’s Studies, I felt very supported and welcomed. The professors are very kind and understanding, and their doors are always open during tutorial hours to discuss any issues you may be having. At the beginning of my first semester, I was heavily pregnant and would often struggle to attend three classes on three different days since I lived off-campus. So, I discussed with one of my professors the possibility of being placed in a group where I could have two classes on one day. This reduced the number of times I had to come to campus per week, reducing my transportation cost throughout the semester.
My professors were very understanding and placed me in a group that required me to be on campus just twice a week to attend my three classes. Meanwhile, the rest of the week, I attended academic workshops, virtual lunches, and other university online activities to remain connected with school.
WEEKLY COMMUNITY LUNCH
Another thing I enjoyed about the Centre for Women’s Studies is its community lunch organised once a week. It is a space for both students and staff to meet in person, eat, and discuss everything and nothing. During this lunch, I got the chance to socialise with students from this department who do not take the same classes as me. During such conversations, I learned about other cultures, gastronomies, ways of feminist practices, amongst many other things. These conversations always inspired me and made me think about feminism in a broader context.
LEARNING BY DOING THROUGH ARTIVISM
One of my Artifact designs during the class of Feminist Cultural Activism
I am someone who loves to participate in activism. Hence, my favorite class at the Centre for Women’s Studies was Feminist Cultural Activism. During this class, we learned how to denounce social injustices faced by women and marginalised groups through art. I am not a very artistic person, but the workshops on Queer photographs, Zines, and making resistant materials helped me practice how to voice out my mind through artivism. Additionally, I volunteered in organizing events like the International Women’s Day at York.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the Centre for Women’s Studies for anyone passionate about women’s issues.
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