Ryder Taff from the USA is studying an MSc in Maths and Philosopy at the University of Bristol. He tells us about his reasons for choosing Bristol, how he settled in, academic differences and social opportunities.
“When I was searching for universities to apply to in my last year of high school, I came across Bristol as it was ranked near the top of league tables. When I researched their mathematics department I found rankings even higher. As I applied, I learned more about the city and the University, the more I learned the more I wanted to go. After I was accepted it was only a matter of convincing my parents sending me a quarter of the world away to the University of Bristol was a good idea.
Armed with only the information gleaned from the internet and a few people I met who knew of Bristol, I set off to my first year of university a week early to get acclimated to the city. I easily fell in love with the city of Bristol. The narrow winding streets and bustling city life was a stark contrast to my home in Mississippi (although the vast public green space is amazing). I spent the first few days just wandering around, getting lost and absorbing everything that I saw.
’Freshers Week’ was a fast week of meeting everyone in my halls and getting oriented to the Clifton area. It seemed that everyone on my corridor was a perfect fit for each other. While the week was packed with pub crawls and club nights, we had plenty of time to bond over tea and adjust to the mealtimes.
I easily adjusted to lecture times scattered across the week, and to the various accents of my mathematics lecturers (German, Ukrainian, Australian...) and the tutorials for each subject made it easy to get help whenever I needed it. The tutorial system of the University is quite different from most American Universities. I was attracted to the idea of having a person to meet with once a week to work on understanding the course. Tutors and tutorial groups are the best tools for learning the material I need.
I have been trying to make the most of my University experience with clubs, sports and various adventures. Besides exploring Bristol on weekends, I joined the Explorers club, which takes walks and day-hikes in accessible areas like the Brecon Beacons or the Mendip Hills. I also participated in the RAG jailbreak, where me and a friend raised over £150 for charities and ended up in Arnhem, Holland, without spending a penny of our own money.
My experience here at Bristol so far has been amazing. I love the people that I have met, and the opportunities for things to do within the University and on my own time. Coming here has opened me up to new ideas and options that I never had to consider home in Mississippi. The quality of the academics combined with the outside exploration is the best education I could imagine.”
Ryder Taff, USA
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