Yitong

Why did you choose to do a foundation year?

GSA has always been my dream school, and I was genuinely excited about starting my studies and life in the UK. But to be honest, this was my first time going abroad and stepping into a completely unfamiliar language environment. I knew I needed a foundation year to adjust to the pace of English here and to give myself time to settle into a new way of learning.

I’m also in a slightly different situation compared with most of my classmates. While they were preparing to apply for undergraduate degrees, I was aiming for a master’s programme. My background is in traditional Chinese musical instruments, so moving into this new field is a big change for me. In many ways, choosing this path meant pushing myself out of my comfort zone and taking a brave step forward.
 

What did you enjoy about it?

This programme is split into three terms, each with its own focus. After completing the year, I gained a much deeper understanding of how a drama school works and how training is structured. 

Because the course places a strong emphasis on the fundamentals, it gave me, as someone coming from a different background, a really smooth and supportive transition. It was this year that truly set me on the path to studying Musical Theatre.

What support have you received at Surrey?

My course leader has taken great care of me. As an international student whose first language isn’t English, I often struggled to fully understand everything at the beginning. Ameer was always incredibly patient — whenever we communicated, he made sure to explain things as clearly as possible, and he never gave up on me even when I didn’t grasp something straight away.

As time went on, I could genuinely feel my English improving. The longer I studied here, the more confident and fluent I became, and that progress means a lot to me.

How has your foundation year had an impact on you?

My classmates on the foundation course were all incredibly skilled, and studying alongside them pushed me to improve much faster. When we were preparing for our auditions, everyone was so generous with encouragement and support. We helped each other without hesitation, and because of that, I spent most of the year feeling genuinely happy and motivated.