Dear Atlantic International University, AIU;
I am from Batoicopo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and
currently a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems student, school of
Science and Engineering at Atlantic International University. My first contact
with AIU dates back to 2016 when I was seeking to complete my undergraduate
program. I applied through the institution’s academic advisors as a
student-worker based abroad seeking to complete the program via online because
I knew it was the right way for me to achieve my goals. Due to my keen interest
in the field of information in which I currently work and also the distance and
work constraints, Atlantic International University as an online institution
ranked at the top of my choices, considering their commitment to honoring the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; per article 26 – AIU
believes that Higher Education is a Human Right. Completely satisfied with this
mid-term exchange experience, I am now ready for the acquisition of my B.Sc. in
Information Systems.
The international experience
My experience as an international student has, overall, been
positive; any challenges I met were outside the academic program, namely
managing both work and school. First, my working schedule sometimes required me
to be at work as early as 7 AM in the morning and closing business day as late
as 11 PM. Second, offshore working schedule requires me to be up by 5 AM to
catch the bus shuttle, and be back from my trip at least four to five days
later. Finding the right balance between work commitments and academic
endeavors. On the other hand, I must mention the broad academic curriculum
offered within a high-quality education system, the efficiently operating
administration and infrastructure, and, above all, the international
environment.
The social
environment
AIU offers an ideal multicultural environment. Socializing
with my international classmates was quite easy via “My AIU”, and I soon
expanded my social network by joining several student groups on the platform. I
still communicate in groups of people from different countries that I joined
during my research phase of my program. However, socializing with the
locally-based students seemed to be more complicated, perhaps because of their
“school/work” status. With regards to my compatriots, Equatoguineans, I have
met only a few, so there have not been many chances to frequently communicate
in Spanish. In fact, this turned out to be a plus, because this way I managed
to substantially improve my skills in English.
University support
As mentioned before, AIU has a very efficient administration
structure that goes beyond the enrolment procedure. The competent staff were
also very helpful with issues to do with official documents, transcripts course
by course evaluation and other procedural issues. Well in advance of my program
start I was provided with practical information and guidance, but above all
financial assistance scholarship to help me complete my program.
The academic
experience
As I progressed with my studies to undergraduate, I mostly
appreciated courses and classes being open curriculum and not purely “copy” and
“paste”, with opportunities in open courses and essay assignments.
