The English Student

Zia Ahmed loves the freedom here to study what he wants

My father came to England to work in 1998. The plan was for the family to join him
soon afterwards, but then he got sick and couldn't work, so we had to stay at home
in Sylhet, Bangladesh. We didn't join him until 2003. I was 18. The first year was
really hard. I spoke no English, so I was afraid to go out. I sat at home and did
nothing. Then my cousin told me about the ESOL course he was doing at college. I
enrolled. College was a culture shock. In Bangladesh, I was studying at an Arabic
boarding school. The hours were long: 5am to 10pm every day with one day off at
the weekend. The Arabic school was very strict. We had to wear a uniform, follow the
rules and study really hard.

Here in England, I go to college from 9am to 12.15pm. Some days I get homework,
but it is never too much. I get long holidays and weekends off from study. I like the
freedom in this country. At the Arabic school you had to do everything their way.
Here, young people can choose what and when they study. As well as my studies, I
work 40 hours a week in a hotel. I started off as night porter and now I am night
manager. My shifts are usually 5pm-1am or 2pm to 11pm. Sometimes I feel a bit
tired at college, but I am usually fine.

I have travelled around the UK, visiting the big cities like London, Birmingham,
Manchester and Leicester. Through my ESOL course, I have made many friends from
all over the world - the Czech Republic, Iran and Russia. At the moment we are
studying the topic of shopping, and comparing how people shop in different
countries. It's very interesting.

When I have finished my course, I would like to do a degree in software engineering

and work in that area. While I love the freedom of the UK, I would like to return to
Bangladesh someday. Many of the friends and family I grew up with are still there. It
is still my home.

I miss the food. At home, you can go to the market and pick the fish in water you
want to eat that day. The food tastes nicer in Bangladesh because it is much fresher. I
notice sometimes that people are wasteful here. They leave food uneaten or buy
things they don't need. I try not to be wasteful as I know there are people who have
nothing. Young people in England don't always realise how lucky they are. I see them
around the streets doing nothing. If they were living in Bangladesh, they might not
get the opportunity of an education. They might have to go out to earn money for
their family.

Zia Ahmed studies English for speakers of other languages at Loughborough College.
You can read the whole article here: http://education.guardian.co.uk/further/story/0,,2261731,00.html