When She Yen Yew first came to Queen’s, she had never travelled far from her native Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and had always lived with her family. Travelling solo 10,000 km away to a completely different culture – not to mention undertaking a degree in a language not her native tongue – was the bravest thing she had ever done. Not surprisingly, it was a steep learning curve.  

She remembers: 

“I was so excited when I first arrived in Belfast. Everything felt new to me — even seeing the pound symbol in Tesco made me feel like: ‘Wow, I’m really in the UK!’ 

“But my confidence took a bit of a hit too, because I struggled with the unfamiliar Northern Irish accent. It all became a bit overwhelming.” 

She desperately missed her family and friends even though her parents and sister were incredibly supportive, phoning her regularly – which was difficult because of the time difference. Despite initially enjoying her degree course in Psychology, She Yen started to experience insomnia and, as a result, exhaustion. She was often awake most of the night and caught up on sleep during the day, which meant missing classes and struggling to keep up with assignments.  

It was a vicious circle – the more exhausted she became, the less able she was to get on top of her studies or to socialise with her fellow students. She was also struggling with the Northern Ireland weather and particularly the restricted daylight hours of winter – sometimes when she would wake up in the afternoon, it was almost dark again. 

Pivotal Moment

She was feeling terribly homesick, lonely and sad. But she credits Queen’s with providing the support she needed and will always remember a pivotal moment when one of her tutors addressed the topic of mental health during a class, asking his students how they were all doing.

She explains:

“That moment really struck me. I hadn’t expected university staff to care so deeply about our mental wellbeing. This gave me the courage to seek help and to stop bottling everything up. 

“Back then, I was a very private person, but the support I received at Queen’s taught me that it’s perfectly okay to have both good and difficult emotions, and that healing begins not by pushing those feelings away, but by allowing them to be felt.”  

She Yen accessed free counselling provided by the University and applied for exceptional circumstances to delay some of her assignment deadlines. She joined the dodgeball club to meet new people and made a big effort to get to know other students. Things got back on track. 

Another thing that really helped her confidence, she says, was embarking on a placement year after her second year of study – this was optional but She Yen embraced the challenge and found it a hugely rewarding experience.   

She was placed as a Classroom Assistant in Methodist College, Belfast, supporting children with special educational needs.

She says:

“It really helped me to come out of my shell. It taught me that growth often comes from the unplanned. So, my advice is, wherever life takes you, just keep moving forward, one step at a time. Life goes on and so will you.

“My placement mentor was very encouraging and gave me some really positive feedback. My colleagues were also very supportive.  

“Even after returning to Queen’s afterwards for my final year, that sense of support stayed with me, making me feel stronger and less alone. That year was truly a gift.” 

She’s hoping to use some of the skills she developed during her course and placement when she tries out a career in human resources back in Malaysia. But she hasn’t ruled out further study down the line.  

When she graduates today with a degree in Psychology, it will not only be the culmination of four years of hard work but also a journey of self-discovery. 

She explains: 

“Graduating from Queen’s is one of the biggest milestones in my life, not just because I completed my course, but because I overcame the challenges of living abroad.  

“The person I am today is completely different from who I was before coming to Queen’s. This University gave me everything — opportunities, growth, and the space to truly find myself.” 

 

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