What inspired you to work for York St John University and the student support team?
I studied at YSJ University as an undergraduate student and was supported so well by the Student Services team that I wanted to join it and make the same kind of difference to new students coming to study here.
How do you support students through the International Student support office?
We take two approaches to providing support: Firstly, we want to make sure that if students have any questions or problems, they can easily access help from us, so students can get in touch via email, phone, social media, or come see us in person. No problem is too small, and we really encourage students to keep in touch with us, so that if something serious happens, they’ll feel comfortable asking for help from us.
Secondly, we run several programs of events, workshops, celebrations and trips to help international students settle into life at York St John, meet other students, share their cultures, and see some more of the UK.
Can you provide some examples of support programs that you offer to international students and topics that you cover in the orientation for new students?
During a student’s first week at York St John University, we run lots of extra orientation sessions for international students, covering topics like how academic expectations may be different here, British culture, tips for settling into life in York, and how to open a bank account.
Our ongoing Global Campus social program includes:
- A weekly free cafe for students to meet and explore cultural topics together
- Celebrations of international cultural events like Halloween, Lunar New Year, Holi, and St Patrick’s Day
- Trips to popular cities and destinations nearby, including Whitby, the Yorkshire Dales, and Manchester
- A weekly bulletin with lots of tips and information about how to get the most out of your time in York
Alice Rowan is an International Student Support Officer for York St John University
Describe a typical day of work for you.
I’m not quite sure I have a typical work day! That’s one of the things I love about this job, as there are always new things coming up. However, most days will involve helping students with questions about living or studying in the UK and planning an event, workshop, or trip for our students.
How do you use your own experience as an international student in York in assisting international students?
It’s usually easier to bring a problem to someone who has been in a similar situation and who is going to understand how you’re feeling. I’m very open about the issues that I experienced when studying and travelling abroad, so I hope this makes me more approachable to our students.
Why is York an ideal destination for international students?
York is full of culture and history, a beautiful city to live in, and a very friendly, easy-to-navigate place. It’s big enough to have all the facilities you need, but also small enough to quickly build a sense of familiarity—you’ll soon feel at home here. It’s also a great place to explore the rest of the UK from, with quick train links to London and Scotland.
Why do you think it is important for people to travel and experience new cultures?
Being immersed in a culture different from my own changed how I saw both my own and other cultures. I stopped taking for granted the social norms and morals of my own culture, and I became more questioning and more tolerant of differences. It can be a less comfortable frame of mind to be less certain, but it’s made me a more open-minded and empathetic person.
What improvements would you like to see in mental health support in the international education world?
One of the biggest challenges we face isn’t a lack of provision, but a lack of uptake of mental health support from international students, particularly from students who are from cultures where seeking this kind of support from professionals is not socially acceptable. I wonder if a good way to help these students improve their mental health is to facilitate them building the other kind of support systems that help us when mentally fragile. For example, having peers to talk to who understand how they are feeling, or having a good enough relationship with academic staff, so they feel able to ask for the support they need.