Arwa Alaya is a current postgraduate student studying Translation MA. We caught up with Alaya after winning the London Met IT competition to find out about her experience with us so far.
Why did you choose to study at London Met?
I searched through so many universities to look for the right Translation MA. I was looking for a university that offers languages in pairs and there were only a few – London Met was one of them, so I decided to come to London Met.
What are the facilities like here?
The library is wonderful, there is an enormous amount of all kinds of books to read, I wish I had the time – I would never leave. All classrooms are well equipped and great to have lectures in. The computer labs are amazing, I love studying at London Met.
Do you get to do much practical work or an industry placement on the course?
The work-placement module is actually what really stood out and attracted me to choose London Met. I love the practical part of my degree because I get to participate in real-life work which will help me prepare for the future.
What do you like best about your course so far?
The amount of knowledge I have gained and keep gaining every day and the friendly atmosphere really makes me happy.
Did anything surprise you about your course or London Met?
I was surprised by how much support we get as students from staff and well-experienced tutors. The amount of open, online resources that are available for us is amazing. Every time I go to the London Met student website I find something new.
What do you like about living in London?
There are so many things to see in London such as royal palaces, parks, museums, and the London Eye. Everything is available for such a diverse community.
What are your career plans?
I want to work as an in-house translator to gain more experience at the beginning. Then I want to do more freelancing. Also, I want to work with Google to improve the quality of the translation of Google Translate. Maybe one day I will start my own translation company to qualify translators and give translation services.
Describe your experience in one word?
Extraordinary.
You entered the London Met IT competition and won. How did you feel when you found out you won the competition?
It was a lovely surprise. At the beginning I kept on reading the email for a couple of times to make sure I understood it correctly. Then I started jumping out of happiness. It is really great to know that London Met appreciates and supports their students. It definitely gave me a push to keep on going.
