PhD life: food courts, friends and football.

?“In Manchester you’re going to find everybody!”?

We talk to Lois, a PhD student in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, about food courts, new friends, and football…?

You’ve been here for a while now, right? How would you describe Manchester??

Well honestly when I first came here, I called it rainchester! It’s sunny today actually, but the weather is really funny, so you have to be ready for it. But it’s a very beautiful city, and diverse, you see people from different parts of the world. In my group we have two people from China, I’m from Nigeria, someone else is from Tanzania – you meet people from all over the place, so you never feel like you’re the only one coming from a particular area – you never feel alone. In Manchester you’re going to find everybody!?

And where are the places you like to spend time??

There are a lot of places to visit, and as a student you have a discount for almost everything! My favourite place in Manchester is the Trafford Centre – it’s a big shopping mall. When I went there for the first time, I headed straight for the food court. It felt like I was in another world. The food was so cool, I was screaming ‘what’! It also has a really nice view you know. Any time you come to Manchester, go straight to the food court!?

Then, if you go to Manchester City Centre, you’ll have everything you need. If you’re from Africa, we have African shops here in Manchester, we have Caribbean shops, Indian restaurants, well any restaurants really. You don’t have to feel alone, because there are different societies, for example I’m in the Nigerian Society here. It’s a really nice city to be in.?

Anywhere else stand out??

Old Trafford! You know I’m not a fan of football, but when I went there to see a match, I fell in love with it! You see people standing, clapping, singing – everyone knows the songs – you start to sing along with them! I still don’t really like football, but if you’re asking if I want to go to the stadium to watch a match, I’d say, ‘why not?!’?

Do you have any advice on meeting people and making friends, to visit these places with??

Well I started by talking to the people in my accommodation, and we began to do things like making pizzas together on Sunday night. We had an Italian friend, the queen of pizza, so she taught us how to make it. But what really helped was taking part in university activities. I started to volunteer, so I got to meet new people, for example at one of the PhD open days, where I talked to lots of other researchers about life in Manchester and our work at the university. Then I heard about the international society, a place where people from outside the UK could meet and talk to each other, and they organised travel trips to places around the country. But honestly the key is to keep smiling, and to be open to meeting people – not to feel alone. That’s how I was able to make friends around here.?

How about within the university itself – where do you spend most of your time??

My favourite place is the new engineering building - it’s massive! Our office space is open, so I work in the same area as my other colleagues, which is really nice. Everyone working there is new, so we get to talk about our research work, share opportunities, and to support and help each other. We have a common space on our floor that has a balcony, which is really cool, so you can just head there to get some fresh air. And the view is amazing. You can sit and eat and talk with friends, it’s lovely. We have small meetings rooms if you want to chat with your supervisor, and rooms for conference or committee-style meetings. We have a shower room if you need it, and a space to rest. It's really cool. But honestly the best thing we say about our floor, is that you never get hungry here! There’s always food in the common space! Pizza, sandwiches, anything really!?