To enhance student representation and foster a sense of community within the University and the Democratic Education Network (DEN), we are conducting interviews with second- and third-year students. The stories we gather will reflect their insights and experiences, helping to ease the integration process for their peers. In this interview, Afra Bhuiyan provides personalised guidance for all students, equipping them with effective strategies for personal and academic success.
1. What is your name, and year of study?
Afra, and 3rd year
2. What factors helped you feel at home during your initial months at the University of Westminster?
People that I met, mainly Michelle, that girl knows everyone
3. How have you managed your academic program and overall university life so far?
I didn’t work before, so I was able to prioritise uni over anything else
4.How would you describe your approach to managing reading, assignments, academic work, and meeting deadlines?
I do the readings a few days before the deadline, the same day every week, assignments are longer, with at least a week before the deadline, and I add deadlines into my calendar to remind myself of when things are due
5. What academic or personal support have you received from the University and DEN?
From the university, it would be the Westminster award, and all the opportunities that are available and offered, and with DEN it would be the internship, the opportunity to chair international conferences, and meeting friends that im still in contact with today
5. Which skill did you develop the most last year (e.g., facilitation, research, public speaking), and where did you practice it?
Public speaking, because I chaired the conferences, which forced me to go outside my comfort zone and explain and question people I had never met before
6. Did the feedback you received from your academics or friends last year influence your development? If so, how?
I tend to speak quickly, so I work on slowing down.
7. What were the main obstacles you faced during the last academic year, and how did you overcome them?
Being scared to talk in front of people I had never met before, especially during the beginning of the DEN module, and now I speak to those people, pretty much every day
8. Did a specific event, such as a workshop, conference, or field trip, become a defining moment that changed your direction?
The international DEN conference in Hanoi, as I had never travelled by myself without my parents
9. When did you first discover DEN, and what essential advice do you have for new students entering this year?
I found out about DEN in my first year, because I had Farhang’s 1st year module, and he asked me to write a blog for the website and the advice I have is that don’t be scared to volunteer for opportunities
10. How has DEN connected you with the broader community, and what have those connections been like?
Uzbeks, Thai, and Vietnamese students, and I had a lot of fun during the summer school last year, and I still speak to them
11. Over the years, has your role at DEN evolved from participant to coordinator or mentor?
Yes, from participant to event coordinator and now mentor
12. Would you like to add anything else?
Genuinely, do not be afraid to volunteer for opportunities, even just taking notes for the weekly meetings, as it can take you a long way
Afra Bhuiyan