Nice to meet you, my name is Van Bao An. Currently, I am taking my master’s in biomedical engineering at University of Surrey. As a Vietnamese student, I am happy to join the International Student Ambassador.

A few years ago, I had chances to live and study in the USA. I lived in West Virginia and Virginia State for five years. Therefore, I am used to the cold and the snow in the Winter, and the sunny and windy of other seasons. The unique environment with multi-cultures connected. With this unique experience, I realised how large the world is, and how small I am. However, it did not stop me from wanting to be greater. Perhaps, I am encouraged and motivated even more. As much as I always want to try new things. This also leaded me to decided to study at the University of Surrey.

I completed my bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2017 and jumped into working. For two years, I have tried many different places from teaching English to environment analyser. However, as I worked, I realised that I did not want to stop here. The world is still moving, and I also want to move forward. An opportunity came to me and I earned my scholarship for my master’s in biomedical engineering at the University of Surrey. I believed that this change could be the level for me to jump higher.

I had studied abroad in the USA before, so I was prepared. However, no matter how well I was prepared, It would always never be enough. Since coming to another country is always a unique experience for me, I was so nervous and excited at the same time. On one side, I had to quit my job, said goodbye to my friends and families, no more traveling (I usually traveled with my friends on my motorbike across Vietnam and South-East Asian). I also had to go back to school and said hi to new exams and tests. On the other side, I will have chances to make new friends, live in new places with new experiences, set up new goals, and pursing my new careers. I pack up myself and ready to accept new challenges from a challenging program in a challenging environment.

My first week at Surrey was a new experience for me even though I have studied abroad in the USA. Surrey welcomed me with cool but sunny weather. During my first week at Surrey, I had chances to walk around the huge campus and I was lost. I got helps from several student ambassadors across the university, and I was impressed with their friendliness and joyful. They helped me completing register procedures and other necessary documents. During the first week, there were so many welcome events from Society Joining day to BBQ night at Hazel Farm. Many events run on and off campus every week which will create unforgettable memories, bonds, and relationships with other people. I also fell in love with the charming and beautiful of Guildford town when I visit the town. The experience I have in Surrey is totally different from what I have in Vietnam and in the USA. I am glad that I choose Surrey to start my master’s degree in biomedical engineering.