Meet the student team

Hey, I’m Lauryn, one of the writers here at AFS. I started my student journey in the UK when I moved to Manchester to do my Bachelor’s in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester. After three fun, educational, and at times hard years, I graduated and decided to pursue a Master’s in Magazine Journalism at City, University of London.

What I am studying

I decided to study Magazine Journalism so that I can finally focus on what I would love to do: become a Lifestyle journalist and someday maybe even start my own publication. I love the freedom and fulfilment that comes with creating content that others will find interesting, helpful, and entertaining. I’ve grown up around books and magazines so I can’t wait to see my own name in print sometime soon.

Working for AFS

I joined AFS just seven months ago, because I love writing and wanted to develop my professional writing skills. I figured if I could help fellow students find their way at university while gaining some work experience at the same time, then it was an unmissable opportunity. I’ve already learned so much about writing professionally, helping students, and about UK student life in general.

The best thing about working at AFS is that I get to do what I love in a flexible and fun environment. Writing professionally can be hard, but when I’m working on my skills while at the same time writing about topics that truly interest me, I feel accomplished.

My favourite blogs

I’ve written many different blogs for AFS, but some of my favourites are the ones that capture unique moments in time that deeply affected students. Some that come to mind are: ‘What are students doing about university fee refunds following the Covid-19 pandemic? ’ and ‘ How to return home safely as an international student’ . I found it quite hard to juggle my personal life and studies throughout the pandemic, and at times it felt like there wasn’t much support for students. So, writing articles like these make me feel useful, as, even if I’ve only managed to help one student out there, I made a small difference.

My accommodation

During my undergraduate degree I had a mix of accommodation experiences, starting off with the very worst: bad, overpriced, and unwelcoming student halls. Despite not loving the place where I lived, I still managed to make it my own and fill it with people and memories that made it worthwhile. In my second and third years I moved to private student halls which were a big step up - and only five minutes away from my lecture halls, which is always a plus.

For my Master’s I’m living with friends in rented accommodation - it’s a big change from the halls I lived in at university, and I’m glad to have a space I can happily call my own.

While I’ve always loved learning, being a student at university really is a world of its own. It’s not easy at times, it can feel lonely and overwhelming, but there’s something wonderful about knowing that you’re just at the beginning of your potential, that there are still many opportunities out there.

My tip

Finally, the one tip I would leave to new students, is that no matter how much people seem to have everything figured out, they don’t. There was not a single person I met at university that didn’t have the same concerns and difficulties that others had. Dive in the deep end, get involved with your students union, find out what you’re really passionate about, but don’t be afraid to ask for help - we all need some at some point!