“I left my family for a new life in Sheffield.”

International student Jensen Xiao chose to study in Sheffield to increase his prospects in life, but with a choice to go anywhere in the world, why here?

“The most important reason why I chose the University of Sheffield is due to ranking. A top 100 Uni can improve my CV significantly. I also considered the scale, safety and general location. Overall I think Sheffield was a great choice.”

Originally from Chongqing, China, the 22-year-old is now in his final year studying Architectural Engineering Design at the University of Sheffield.

Given the choice of 5 Universities including Loughborough and Bath, Jensen discussed what it was that swayed him to make a home in Sheffield.

“Before coming to Sheffield I hadn’t spent much time with my family. Leaving them was easy, but a new life was not.”

When asked about the difficulties he experienced, Jensen stated he initially felt quite lonely. As time went on though, he soon got used to life here.

“It’s completely different to my hometown, back home it’s too crowded and public transportation is always busy, but not here. I hang out with my friends to keep busy. The only bad thing is deadlines now. “

With over 9000 international students in the city, Jensen isn’t alone. A 2013 report by the BBC suggested overseas students were worth £120 million to Sheffield, a figure that was expected to rise.

Both Sheffield Hallam and University of Sheffield have recently gone up in the rankings in the ‘Good University Guide,’ with Hallam rising a significant nine places.

Stats provided by both Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield.

With these stats it’s no wonder so many want to come and study here. Now what’s that saying about Sheffield? Once you arrive you’ll never leave?

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