To a new year at Cranfield University

My name is Capucine, I crossed the English Channel on September, 28 2020 to start my Food Systems and Management MSc here at Cranfield University.

For my first week on campus I had to quarantine at Mitchell Hall, I was feeling very unwell. Maybe it was Covid-19 or just the flu but what I do know is that I did not get bored, as I slept the whole week! The bright side is that the accommodation team choose me a very cosy room and my meals were delivered directly at my door. Furthermore, a live-chat was available online for any questions. Overall, the organisation was very good!

The induction week was planned for my second week of arrival. There were multiple live sessions to welcome us and to tell us what the new learning year would look like, I really appreciated the presentation skills session. Preparing a group presentation about ourselves was a nice way to meet and interact with new international students. I could see that the lecturers had worked hard during the summer on planning interactive online sessions.

Third week at Cranfield, I am finally out of the hotel and I can meet my new housemates! We are a group of five, in a lovely shared house. I really enjoy spending lunches and dinners with them as they are all really good fun. Before arriving on-campus, I hesitated between living in a student residence or in a shared house: I do not regret my decision! During the week, I attended my first face-to-face class, attending in ‘real-life’ felt like Christmas!

What I really enjoy about this MSc is that there are NO stressful exams at all. It is basically one week taught module and the following week is to self-study for an assignment on the subject of your choice. The teaching week is to give you all the tips to prepare your assignment and teachers are always available to resolve any doubts and to answer any questions.

As we are all in lockdown until December, my positive thoughts are:

• UK Universities are still open which is not the case in France for example.
• Let’s spend this time on thinking about our future by looking at job opportunities.
• You can go on a walk in the fresh air outside with one of your housemates (With a mask of course)

I am looking forward to a new year at Cranfield University!