My name is Hanieh Taghadosi, I'm from Iran and I'm studying the MBA postgraduate course at Newcastle College University Centre.  I’ve been in the education sector at the Iran Language Institute for about 20 years and I decided to start up my own virtual online language academy with a team of 10 educators - and we’ve had great success with it! 

We had an online language institute which offered services to national and international students, and we got very good results.  After that, I realised that if I want to keep up to date, I have to get more information and knowledge about the world of business and business administration. That was the reason I started thinking about continuing my education on an international scale, so that I would just be more up to date and more in line with international standards. That was when I started to find out more about higher education institutions and universities abroad. 

One of my students used to live in England and in Newcastle we talked to each other, and she introduced me to the city and I applied here and the rest is history!   

I was really interested in marketing as that is global as well as management, global leadership and corporate finance. I think these were the things that I really needed to know about. When I just got information from the website and the International Team , I knew it was the place for me.  

First and foremost, you get to know your lecturers very well. I have had three lecturers so far for three different courses and enjoyed each minute of my studies.  It's a kind of new life for me because they have just introduced a new world to me and expanded my horizons. I really love the atmosphere here, the lecturers and the lessons here.  

I like the facilities. For example, when you go to the HE Hub and Parsons 10 there are a lot of good facilities, like a printer and computers. There are private rooms and also a place to rest. I have spent a lot of time there studying and it’s very nice and peaceful. You can just spend hours there studying without noticing that time has passed. It also has a lovely view!  

New horizons have been opened to me because I have now found a deep passion in business, especially business administration. I have even asked my lecturers for advice on how to continue my education in this field.  They have encouraged me and supported me to continue my studies to PhD or DBA level. I am very, very inspired by them to continue my studies here and perhaps I will become a lecturer here one day. 

I have always had a deep passion for studying and learning new things. The academic atmosphere really inspires me. Whenever I come to the library, or to the higher education student Hubs, I really feel inspired to learn more, to discover more and to contribute more.  

Two of my lecturers used to be in business and I know that the experiences and the ideas that he expresses in the classroom are his direct experiences in business.  Whatever he discusses in class, I realise it comes from his exact experience.

The staff in the International Team were really supportive. From the time that I just expressed my interest to studying here and until now, I can trust them whenever I have any issues I need support with. 

During the first three months that I came here, I didn't have a job and it was really hard. I lived here alone. I had no people from my own country to help or support me, but I talked with the International Team, and with the Career Employability Team. The team helped me emotionally as well as supporting me during my job hunting. They helped me find a job. You know, I think I owe them a lot. 

As students, we are here to participate in the process of learning. It is very important here because we are not passive in the class. We are active in the class, and I’m the kind of person who just sits in front of the lecturer and wants to grasp everything. I love participating in all class discussions and the lecturers give us this chance to play an active part too.  

Also, Newcastle is an affordable city. There is a lot of student accommodation here that you can find at different prices and you have lots of choice. It is a very student friendly city. 

I’d love to continue my studies to a PhD or DBA level, or I may seek some job experience here. I'd love to be in an international atmosphere in which I can have interactions and give and take ideas. 

That college is not just for 16- to 18-year-olds. 

Someone who is really passionate about what they are doing can be really successful here. 

Passionate. Dedicated. Enthusiastic.