Umikulthum Chome

Day in my life

My typical day involved attending my lectures, spending quality time with my friends, and working on assignments to reduce my daily workload. I liked to relax with light reading in the evening, sometimes academic, other times simply recreational. I tried to balance academic focus, career development, and personal growth.

Why Birmingham Dubai?

The reason I chose the University of Birmingham Dubai (UoBD) was that it offers a high-quality British education in Dubai. It is a top 100 global university, and it is triple-accredited. The university has been in operation and successful for over 100 years, and so I knew I could trust what they say would be delivered.

Choosing to study in Dubai

I chose to live and study in Dubai because of the multicultural nature of the city. I wanted to meet different people from around the world and learn about their culture and experiences. I also wanted to be in an environment that would bring forth growth while allowing me to enjoy myself every once in a while, by relaxing and taking part in the different fun and student-friendly activities in the city.

Virtual Open Days

I attended a Virtual Open Day while I was still back home because I wanted a proper walk through of the admissions process and to ask questions I had in mind. I wanted to hear directly from the Admissions team so that I knew what to expect and how to move forward.

Why I chose to study Financial Management

I chose to study the MSc Financial Management course because I wanted to expand on the preliminary finance knowledge from my undergraduate degree. The modules of the programme aligned well with what I was aiming to achieve, and I also appreciated the different methods of teaching involved as they had practical aspects to them that I knew would go a long way in the corporate world.

It felt like the right choice to pursue this course at Birmingham Dubai because of the strong reputation and accreditation of the Birmingham Business School.

My Birmingham Dubai experience

My student life was 10/10. I couldn’t pick my favourite part of the experience. I enjoyed the time spent with my friends both in and out of campus, interacting with my lecturers because I always learnt something new, and there were always so many events and activities to do.

The University had both fun and educational events throughout the semesters, which made life interesting because there was always something to look forward to. The general university culture created a sense of belonging and a home-like environment for students.

Birmingham Dubai’s impact

The University helped me gain knowledge in the field of finance and feel ready to apply my classroom skills in the real world. I was able to meet a number of industry professionals in the city, courtesy of my professors that brought in a number of guest lecturers.

I was also able to branch out into marketing and gain hands on experience in the field by taking part in student worker roles.

Scholarships and visa

During my time at Birmingham Dubai, I received a great deal of support, including the Chancellor's Academic Merit Scholarship. I was also able to pay my fees in three instalments, which was helpful for planning purposes.

The visa process was made easy because all steps were well shared, and the University was there each step of the way.

Advice for students

The advice I would give to both prospective and current students would be to pay attention in classes, follow up when you have any doubts or questions and avoid procrastinating on your assignments or studying for your exams. It's fairly easy to succeed and get good grades during your course if you study with this approach.

Aim to socialise as much as you can and make friends because they make the days lighter and more interesting, easily shaping your experience at the university.

Play tourist in Dubai because it's a beautiful city and there's a lot of places to visit and activities to do. Take advantage of getting high quality education in such a dynamic city.

My Journey from Birmingham Dubai

Since graduating, my journey has been about building on the experiences and skills I developed as a student and applying them in a professional setting. I currently work at the University, as an Enquiry Management Assistant, where I manage enquiries across multiple channels while also working on projects aimed at improving efficiency and enhancing the student experience and journey.

The Careers Network played a very important role in my journey. Through one-to-one support, I was able to review and strengthen my CV, tailor my LinkedIn profile for the UAE market, and better understand how to position myself professionally. This support helped me secure my first internship with a leading recruitment agency in the country, which became an important stepping stone early in my career.

The same careers support also helped me prepare for interviews later on, including for the role I ultimately secured at the University. The guidance was thorough, patient, and very knowledgeable, and it gave me the confidence to approach opportunities with clarity and preparation.

Staying within the Birmingham Dubai community after graduating has been especially meaningful, as it allows me to give back to the same environment that shaped my development.

My achievements

My greatest academic achievement was graduating with Distinction. This also gave me the opportunity to attain a UAE Golden Visa, allowing me to remain in Dubai sponsor-free for the next ten years and continue building my career here.

Working as a Marketing Student Worker and Content Creator was one of the highlights of my time at university. I loved being able to learn and practise something creative that I genuinely enjoy, while also developing skills that I now use in my full-time role. It gave me practical experience in communication, content creation, and teamwork; skills that I know will continue to support me as I grow in my career.

Living alone in a big, dynamic and multicultural city like Dubai was a huge part of my personal growth. I had the chance to meet people from all over the world, learn from different perspectives, and become comfortable with my own independence. The University of Birmingham Dubai played a big role in this by helping me build friendships and a community in a place that was initially far from home.