Utilizing resources wisely when studying abroad! Olga the travelnista in Nottingham.

來自白俄羅斯的Olga（歐樂佳）在他的人生中已經面對過從離鄉背井、面對不同的文化與四處旅行等等各式各樣不同的挑戰；起初，她為了工作來到台灣，但在得知中山大學GHRM MBA的機會後，為了職涯與個人成長，加入了中山大學的行列。Olga在班上是同學們公認的努力狂，從來不怕問錯的問題，而是怕不問問題，她也都全心全意的投入課堂中的討論與作業。身為外籍生的她在工作與求學期間即使生活辛苦，也需要在金錢上完全自給自足，這樣的經驗也幫助她未來在英國參加雙學位的生活活得節儉，但也活得聰明。

在去到英國諾丁漢以前，多數的學生都會經歷困難的找房期，更難的是，由於雙學位學生在每年的一月下旬抵達英國，很多搶手的學生住宿點早就已經被搶先一空。「你真的必須早點開始找。」她表示便宜又方便的地點除了很難有空房以外，由於多數住宿點希望能優先服務需要長期住宿的學生（一年或以上），使得雙學位學生的處境略顯尷尬。後來，她依著在台灣的同學建議，找到了在市中心的小單人雅房，然而，問題在於她二月中旬才能入宿，前面的空床期又該如何？此時，Olga豐富的旅行經驗幫了她一把—- 她選擇沙發衝浪，既省錢又有彈性。除了時間困難以外，學生們在意的另一點無非就是價錢了。整體來說，要找到可以負擔的住宿是可能的，但英國諾丁漢的房價與租屋價相較起台灣還是高出許多。另外，由於多數住宿點都需要學生在入住前就結清房租，早早抓好並擠出預算是非常重要的。

在Nottingham Trent University（諾丁漢特倫特大學）的學生生活跟在台灣有許多不同，除了課程緊湊以外，許多過去的雙學位學生都分享過的「Module system」也讓學生們需要發展出良好的時間管理能力，才能習慣一個月之中都上一樣的科目，也正因如此，學生們可能會在校園中待上很長的時間，Olga認為，此時便是靈活運用學校提供資源的好機會，這樣的能力也是NTU學生必備的生存妙招，「學校的Boots Library圖書館提供學生包含學術期刊、教科書、電腦與軟體等等非常多的資源，學生們甚至可以借用多樣化的討論空間，也就不用去外面的咖啡廳花這麼多錢。」一開始剛進到NTU時，或許學生們都會對於學校圖書館提供的五花八門資源感到有點困惑，但進一步了解以後，圖書館就會變成NTU學生們重要的幫助。

Olga在諾丁漢求學的期間不幸地遇上新型冠狀病毒在英國爆發，但學校運用其本身豐富的網路資源，繼續提供教育給學生們，搭配上在學校期間體驗的頂級硬體設備，Olga對於加入GHRM MBA-NTU雙學位的決定感到無比開心，「或許學校不會特別提醒你他們能給你什麼，但身為研究生，學習運用手邊的資源是必要的第一課。」她說。

Coming from Belarus, Olga Sakhatskaya has taken on challenges of living in multiple countries, various cultures and traveling to different destinations. She first moved to Taiwan for work but later discovered GHRM MBA an opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally. She was the hard-worker among her class, always raising questions fearlessly and putting full commitment into her class works. As a person who has to support herself when living abroad, she learned to finance herself and be budget-wise, which helped her tremendously after being admitted to the dual-degree program in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University.

Before arriving in Nottingham, students will have to face the harsh accommodation-hunting process, and oftentimes, it is even harder for dual-degree students who arrive in late January, during a study year. “You really have to start early” said Olga. Fair-priced and better-located housing options get booked almost right away. Furthermore, most student accommodations seek long-term leases, which makes it more difficult for dual-degree students like Olga. She eventually went for what her classmates in Taiwan recommended and reserved herself a room starting mid-February. But then she faced the dilemma of where to stay before moving into the accommodation and that was when her traveling experiences came in handy, she decided to couch surf to save money. Other than time, one also has to pay attention to price. In general, it is possible to find affordable accommodations nearby the campus. However, the rent is still significantly higher than what people are paying in Taiwan. Additionally, most student housing sites require student to pay upfront, which makes it important to stretch that budget in the beginning. 

Life as a student in NTU can be very different than in Taiwan. Due to the intense studying schedule, time management is pivotal. You may have already heard the “module system” in NTU, with which courses are taught in blocks instead throughout the semester. One might have the same course topic during the day and stay on the campus for a significant amount of time. Olga considers utilizing the resources provided by NTU an essential skill whilst studying there. “You have access to a large collection of academic journals, text books, computer pools, software and more via the library, which can really save you the cost what you don’t necessarily want to spend so much. Students can also borrow the fully-equipped, versatile discussion space, so they won’t have to fo to cafes and spend money” said Olga. When first navigating through NTU’s Boots Library and its system, things can be a little confusing due to the varieties of services the library has to offer, but once understanding it, the library serveices are great helps to NTU students.

During her stay in Nottingham, it was unfortunate that the United Kingdom suffers from the COVID-19 (Wuhan virus) outbreak. Reacting to the ongoing pandemic, Nottingham Trent University allocated its online resources in order to continue providing its students the education. Along with the top-tier environment and equipments the school provides, Olga couldn’t be happier for her decision of joining the NSYSU GHRM MBA - NTU dual-degree program. “Maybe the university won’t tell you what they offer, but being graduate students, to understand what resources you can get and to utilize them are the quintessential lesson you have to learn”.