Tair Esenbaev

Tair, an MSc Thermal Power and Fluid Engineering student from Russia, attended the Academic Support Programme at the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE).

Tair Esenbaev

Why did you choose the Academic Support Programme at the UCAE?

I chose the Academic Support Programme because studying in the UK was a new experience for me and I thought it might be useful for my studies to devote some extra time to improving my academic English.

What did you find most helpful about the service?

The most helpful feature was a lot of practice during the Insessional lessons - we were working in groups on every single topic we covered. The classes were therefore really interactive and the material was easy to digest.

Another useful aspect was the Academic Writing Tutorials. These one-to-one sessions with a tutor were perfect for understanding the issues I was having with my writing, and I found ways to improve any further work I did later in my course.

Is there anything that surprised you about the Academic Support Programme?

What really surprised me was that after a while I began to totally change the way I think. I became more critical of the information I dealt with and now I feel that I can more clearly and logically express my thoughts.

The main unexpected outcome, therefore, was that I’ve changed my mind, not just my English, and I really appreciate this.

Another surprising thing is that the service is absolutely free for students, which is why I joined without hesitation.

How has the service helped you and your future career plans?

The service has definitely helped me on my course, since I used the knowledge and skills I have obtained to perform well in my coursework and lab reports. These assignments should be written in a scientific manner, and I was much more confident in how to deal with them thanks to the academic writing class.

As for my future career plans, I am going to apply for a research position at a university back in Russia and I am sure my academic writing skills will help me to be successful with my future research activity.

Why would you recommend the Academic Support Programme?

I would recommend the Academic Support Programme to every student because it is really helpful if you want to succeed in your course. The teachers are really professional and they know exactly what the University wants to get from you in terms of your academic performance.