Students

SURFING

Mª Jesús Aros

A 4 T H Y E A R J O U R N A L I S M U N D E R G R A D U A T E , S H E C A M E F R O M C H I L E T O S T U D Y A T T H E UNIVERSITY THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO. SHE BROUGHT HER DREAMS TO SPAIN. ALL WE DO HERE IS SHOW HER HOW TO FULFIL THEM.

T H E C H O I C E OF DEGREE

“I’ve always been one of those people who really liked writing and when I was child I would fill pages and pages with different things. I started out studying Architecture for a few years, but then I realized that what I was doing wasn’t making me happy. I listened to my father’s good advice, as he’d always thought that I had good communication skills, and then I decided to make a change in what I was studying. We saw the news in Chile about the 15-M movement in Spain and that’s when I realized that the world was changing and that news reporting is so important – and that it can have an impact on world politics. A world was being born, a new way of reporting, and I wanted to be part of that.”

THE DAYTO-DAY

“My day always starts the way everyone’s does: I read the news about the latest events. The difference is that journalists always hone in on the key questions. Then I have a good breakfast of different types of fruit, I stick a notepad and pencil in my bag, and I’m off to lectures. I always sit right at the front, because it’s easier to learn without any distractions. If you’re not sure, always ask. And go by the library before you go home too. And then there are lots of activities and hands-on things you can do here. CEU is full of opportunities and you have to take them.”

W H A T STANDS OUT

“The international atmosphere is the big thing. It’s so enriching to be able to find out about other cultures and talk to people from other backgrounds. And that network of contacts is what really makes the difference between someone who’s always stayed in the same place and another who’s gone abroad to study alongside people who are from all over the world. And then you’ve got the lecturers. They really look out for you and you can see that really motivated to ensure we learn and become well-rounded professionals. The university has helped me to mature, to be more consistent in what I do and to have real hunger for success. Now I have that drive to be better, to make the most of my talents in every area, especially professionally.”

Antonio Tarín

A 5 T H Y E A R P H A R M A C Y U N D E R G R A D U A T E . N O W A N O L D H A N D , H E ’ S P O S I T I V E A N D PASSIONATE AT EVERYTHING HE DOES. YOU CAN SEE IT IN HIS SMILE.

T H E C H O I C E OF DEGREE

“It’d been a long time coming! When I was at secondary school, I loved doing Biology and that’s when I knew I had to study one of the sciences. When I got my final grades, I took a good look at my options and I saw that, by choosing Pharmacy, I’d be able to help people and make a positive contribution to their health. That’s what made me choose this degree and five years later I can say that I’ve never regretted choosing Pharmacy.”

THE DAYTO-DAY

“The day-to-day routine is hard, but still enjoyable. We have some courses with a lot of material to go through and that is time-consuming. We also have workshop sessions in smaller groups where we go into some of the things we’ve seen in lectures in more depth or where we can learn how to handle some of the computer programs used in the lab. And then you’ve got the practicals. So, you end up spending all day at university. You might have lectures in the morning and practicals later in the afternoon, or the other way around. I also try and take part in as many activities as I can because I really enjoy doing that. So, I was a student volunteer on the Small World Initiative (SWI) research project. Doing that has made it possible for me to work with my lecturer Teresa Pérez Gracia, a Professor of Microbiology – who’s a real role model for me – and also with a great group of other students who are now my friends.”

W H A T STANDS OUT

“I didn’t know anything about CEU other than what I read on website. When I got here and I did the admission interview, I was made to feel very welcome. And then later, as a CEU student, I’ve been really lucky with most of my lecturers. My personal tutor in first year was fantastic and then when I met Teresa Pérez and started to learn more about microbiology, then I thought “this is definitely the place for me.” The lecturers are really demanding of us, but the relationship between them and the students is really good and they’re very helpful. If you need anything, they’re there for you.”