Jit Min Tan

Malaysia, LLB (Hons) Law

“International students are kind of shy at first. So I’d just tell them it’s better for them to speak up more. And then you get to know more about the culture, you get to learn about the history of this place and everything.”

Why did you decide to study in the UK?

I’m studying Law, so Malaysian law and UK law is the same. I can get some experience overseas, studying abroad. Stay away from my comfort zone and meet new people.

Why did you choose to come to Oxford Brookes?

Some universities in UK, they have connections with the previous university that I studied at. It’s called Brickfields Asia College. I checked online and then I liked the environment and it just looked so nice.

What’s the best thing about your course?

The best thing about my course is you have to study all the cases and then you get to write your own opinion, which is a very good thing for me. To write your own thinking, the views and then you compare with other people and get the better solution after that.

How different did you find the university’s teaching style compared to that of your previous experience?

Well, previous experience is that they tell you, ‘OK, only just this part is coming out for exams’, and basically, then they give you the format of how you answer the question. And then we just memorise and we’ll meet only in the exam hall.

But it’s totally different here, you have to learn everything by yourself. Some of my friends and I, we actually struggled a bit when we first came here. We spoke to our academic advisor, and then things just got better. And then we had this mentoring system as well like a mentor and mentee and you get to meet local people.

What learning facilities do you like to use the most at Oxford Brookes?

The Library. It’s 24 hours which is very useful since I work part-time as well as study.

Would you recommend this course to another student?

Yes, totally. You get your own ideas, you don’t have to just follow everything strictly.

What do you like most about living in Oxford?

Living in Oxford, first of all, it’s very near London, But it’s peaceful here, compared to London.

What are your top tips for international students coming to Brookes?

International students are kind of shy at first. So I’d just tell them it’s better for them to speak up more. And then you get to know more about the culture, you get to learn about the history of this place and everything.