Tourism student broadens her horizons in historical city of Chester.

Having fallen in love with the city on a school trip, Chester was the natural choice for international student Fatou Kebe to pursue her tourism studies and hone her language skills.

“I remember after high school I was pretty confused about what I was going to do with my life, but I was sure I wanted to come to England to improve my English,” says the 22-year-old.

“Thanks to my cousin's advice to go to university to continue my studies in Tourism, I started looking for universities in England on the UCAS website when I came across the University of Chester, and without thinking twice I decided to call to apply.

“The first reason I chose this University immediately is that I had already been to Chester for a school trip a couple of years before, and I fell in love with this magnificent city.

“Secondly, it offered a degree in International Tourism Management with a Language and the possibility to do a year abroad to improve your language skills.

Fatou, from Treviso in Italy, has thrived during her studies and describes her time as a student in Chester as a ‘wonderful experience’.

“Chester is a beautiful city that is full of historic sites,” she says.

“It’s very safe and all facilities and services are easily accessible. Chester is also a popular tourist destination and has been an important resource for my study.

“Students, whether they come from the UK or abroad like me, are all welcome to join the social community, clubs and societies. The University also helps students to participate in voluntary work and assists them in finding internships and jobs.”

Fatou applied to the University through the Clearing process, which she says was simple and straightforward.

She added: “The admissions team gave me all the information I needed at the time and have always been available and helpful when replying to my enquires.

“I so pleased I came to the University of Chester and Chester Business School, as I am very satisfied with the course, the help and support from the lecturers and my achievements so far. I think that the best part of the International Tourism course is that we can apply what we learn in class by visiting or researching destinations and seeing how what we are studying can be put in to practice.

“Academic resources and guidance are always available, and the staff are very friendly and available to give further explanation and advice on our assignments.

“At the beginning of my first year I was afraid of not passing the assignments because of my language barriers, but thanks to the help of the Study Skills team I received the necessary help to improve my weaknesses.

“I had also had the chance to extend my knowledge, improve my English and French, develop my academic and professional skills, and make new friends.”

Martin Metcalfe, Programme Leader for the International Tourism Management courses, said: “Fatou has come on leaps and bounds since she joined us.

“We provide a very supportive environment for our students and Fatou has taken advantage of this to great effect. She is a credit to herself and to Chester Business School”.

Pictured - Fatou Kebe