My experience during the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Programme at Nottingham Trent University, UK

By Maksph

August 1, 2023 June 25, 2025

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My name is Nelson Achong, a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine student at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity at Makerere University, (CoVAB). Earlier this year 2023, I was selected to participate in an Erasmus plus exchange programme between Makerere University and Nottingham Trent University (NTU). In this blog, I share my 10 best experiences during my visit in the UK.

Brackenhurst campus: Since I was a Veterinary medicine student, I was attached to Brackenhurst campus where students of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences study from. This is one of the four NTU campuses located 17 miles away from the busy Nottingham city centre. It is the origin of raw food and wild animals in Nottinghamshire. Brackenhurst campus is surrounded by gardens, farms, and is strategically located for teaching environmental and animal health professionals. It is an environment with opportunity to connect with nature, and to feel the calmness that comes with it.

Constructive learning: We had a chance to engage in constructive learning activities through games and active participation with my other colleagues from Makerere University. Such activities included antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), drug formulation stages, pipetting competitions as well as climate and eco-friendly projects.

NTU student services: NTU has friendly and supportive staff starting from the non-teaching staff to the top officials in the university. The university always organize students’ sessions on financial literacy, employability, counselling, among others. While there, I got a chance to attend some of these sessions and it was a good experience learning new things.

Volunteering at Brackenhurst Campus Animal Unit: I got a chance to volunteer at this animal unit. This is a place with several species of animals such as tortoises, snakes, lizards, cats, rats, rabbits, mice, goats, chickens. I participated actively in feeding, taking temperature, weighing, clinical examination, handling, and restraint of these animals.

Connecting Globally Conference: I had an opportunity to share about my undergraduate research work at this conference organiZed at NTU on the 10th of July 2023. It was a great experience presenting to a multidisciplinary group of scientists around the world

Global Lounge: This is a meeting place for international students at NTU, with free snacks, food, drinks, and indoor games. While here, I got to meet people of multiple cultural, and national backgrounds from around the world. I also got a chance to connect and build networks. The staff at the lounge were always ready to help. There is no place better than the NTU Global Lounge for an international student.

Summer long days: Since it was summertime, it used to get dark late at around 10:00pm. I used to take evening and late-night walks after my day’s activities. Weekends in Nottingham are full of street performances, outdoor bars and restaurants with the aroma that steals your nose and arrests your stomach. The very colourful city unbelievably covered with a large crowd enjoying the night chills.

Transport in Nottingham City
Travelling in Nottingham is best by City transport buses. You could buy a whole day ticket and move in every corner of the city. The buses are always on time, have free WIFI and interestingly, they can bend for the disabled and elderly to enter. Other transport means I explored included electric trams, public electric scooters and bicycles as well as trains.

Shopping in Nottingham:
Car Boot: This was a public market organized by Nottingham City Council at Colwick and Calverton every Sunday. There was a lot of second hand and new items ranging from phones, laptops, clothes, home appliances, all sold at very low prices. Never miss car boot shopping while in Nottingham. Never miss car boot shopping while in Nottingham.
Facebook Marketplace: This was one of my most amazing shopping experiences ever in history. It involves searching for an item on Facebook. After finding what you want on the marketplace, message the seller, then go pick it. It was as easy as that. But google map was my friend as it was a hunt for the seller in the residential areas, sometimes in very hidden places. Other shopping centers I visited while in Nottingham were Primark, Victoria Centre, Lidl, Sainsbury, Tesco and Argos supermarkets.

London Visit: I have a lot of memories from London, ranging from chasing a bus, to boarding wrong subway train lines. I could not leave London without visiting football stadia such as Emirates, Stamford bridge, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Other places I visited were the Buckingham palace, London Bridge, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, the legendary warship, and the Wellington. I recommend colleagues to visit these places when they get a chance to travel to London.

Prepared by Nelson Achong, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine