Herman lives in one of Bishop Gate’s shared flats with nine other international students. The kitchen brings everyone together. It’s where they share food and socialise.
Hi Herman, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m in my first year, studying Physiotherapy. I’m originally from Hong Kong and this is my first time in the UK.
How are you finding living in one of the shared flats?
It’s pretty good! We have ten students in our flat and they all come from different countries like Korea, China and Japan. We share the kitchen and we eat dinner together – it’s like a social activity each night and it means we’ve created a good bond with each other.
That sounds great…
Yes! And we get to taste different cuisines and introduce different kinds of food to each other. Different countries all have really different food cultures so it’s good. We all share equipment and borrow ingredients if we need to.
So how do you use the common spaces in the building?
I use the study room a lot. It’s a quiet area and takes you away from the distractions in your room, which is perfect when you have deadlines. The facility is very good. There are self-study spaces if we want privacy and then areas with screens and large tables which we use to show presentations and have group discussions.
Do you ever invite people over from your course to study with you here?
Yes, we make really good use of the facilities.
Do you feel there’s a community here?
Yes. Lots of people play table tennis in reception or use the private dining room or the study rooms. It’s like living in a little city because there are always lots of different activities happening.