Sung Hoon Yoo
Besides studying, I was given many opportunities to expand my social network as the University of Derby. Buxton has many international students studying here every year and I have learned about different cultures, traditions and food that I would not have known about if I had remained in South Korea.
”I am currently doing my masters degree in International Hospitality Management at the University of Derby, Buxton campus. This is my fourth year in Buxton and the university holds a special place in my heart.
I came to the University of Derby through the Incheon Technical College (ITI) in South Korea when I was 18. I selected the University of Derby as my preferred university to study in the UK because I felt that the Buxton campus was specialised in the courses they offered.
Before I started my bachelors programme in Buxton, I did my English language foundation (ESOL) at the main campus in Derby for 7 months.
What is life in Buxton like for me?
Monday
I get up at around 7.30am in the morning and when the weather is good, I jog to Solomon Temple. This usually takes about one hour and 20 minutes. After I return home, I take a shower to get ready for the day and have breakfast.
At around 10.30am, I walk to the University to work on my assignments. As I am working part time, I stay in the campus to study until 4pm and then go to work. I normally finish work at 10.30pm, after which I will return home. I am usually in bed by 11.30pm.
Tuesday - Thursday
My lectures on Tuesday end late. I usually stay at the campus until dinner time. On some days I will have dinner with friends and on other days I will spend some time watching a movie on my laptop. I will also check my emails and do some reading for my assignments. To keep in touch with my family and friends, I call them using Skype.
Friday - Saturday
I usually have a break from studying over the weekends. During the day time, I catch up with my friends at the nearby coffee shop or pub. I start my part time job at 4.30pm and usually get home by midnight. Working helps me gain experience that is useful to me as a hospitality student, as I get to meet different kinds of people. I also have certain responsibilities such as training new staff and handling cash.
Sunday
On Sunday I try to visit many different cities with my friends. However most of the time I end up going to Manchester to shop. Whilst here, I have lunch or dinner and a few drinks. At night, I return back to Buxton. Before I go to bed, I listen to music, and organise and prepare for the coming week.
