Tell us a little bit about your background...
I am from China and my undergraduate major was in Translation.
What inspired you to study your subject?
I have always wanted to be a translator or interpreter and in my opinion, I can improve my oral English and translation skills in the UK.
Why did you choose to continue studying for your Masters at the University of Strathclyde?
In my senior year, the University of Strathclyde runs a program on my current major in my university. After learning about the course, I found that I was very interested in the content.
What has been the highlight of your time at Strathclyde so far?
I think the biggest has been gaining the ability to self-learn. There is still a big gap between graduate and undergraduate courses. Before class, the teacher will send us the papers that need to be read before class. Then in class, the teacher will select some of the core ideas in the paper for explanation. But the other content requires us to learn and think independently.
How have you found studying online, in the current situation?
In the current situation, I think the biggest benefit of online learning is to ensure our safety. Secondly, it's convenient. I don't have to leave my room to go to school in the winter. However, online teaching also makes it not so convenient for me to communicate with my classmates and teachers. In most cases, I can only communicate with them by email.
What specialist knowledge and professional skills have you developed whilst studying the course?
My favourite and most dreaded course was Professional Interpretation Practice. In this class, we need to practice interpreting with each other. In this class, we need to practice interpreting with each other. The professor also teaches us the skills and methods of simultaneous interpretation. Compared to the traditional way of reading papers, this form of course is very interesting and more difficult.
What would be your advice for people considering taking this course?
If you want to take this course, my advice is to lay a good foundation and learn English and mother tongue well before you start taking this course. Because you have to switch between the two languages a lot in class.
What have been the main challenges studying at postgraduate level?
I think the main challenges studying at postgraduate level is to think about how to write a good paper. Graduate courses require us to read more papers and write more papers than undergraduate studies. Therefore, it is a great difficulty for me to accumulate a lot of knowledge in daily life and apply it to my graduate thesis, which is also where I need to continue to study and make progress.
How has your scholarship supported your studies?
The scholarship took some of the pressure off my tuition.
What do you think of the support available?
I think the student work in our school is very responsible. For example, when I was about to register for a local GP, I emailed the school for information. The next day the school health department emailed me back with the instructions and the link.
What are your ambitions for the future?
I want to be an interpreter in the future. Or doing translation related work.
