Philip Imarhiagbe: A level student is studying Medicine at university in Bulgaria 

Philip studied his A Levels at Christ the King Sixth Form College. He is now studying Medicine at the University of Sofia in Bulgaria. He has had the opportunity to study in another country, learn new languages and meet people from all over the world.

“My time at college has helped get me where I am today,” Philip told our Alumni Team. “It helped me to understand differing types of people. Here at university and being in another country, you get an array of people, some you might agree with, and some you might disagree with. The skill of patience and understanding is something that I would say CTK has helped me achieve.

“Making new friends and experiencing another country has been my highlight of university so far,” he said. “The opportunities that I have come into contact with have been many. Although it was a massive culture-shock to be in another country, I have been able to fit in very easily. There are 200+ English students with many more English speaking students from all around the world. I now have friends from Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Sweden and, of course, Bulgaria and the UK.

“Learning a new language is always tricky but over time I have been able to grasp it,” Philip said. “We have frequent lessons in Bulgarian so it is getting easier to pick up. The people here speak ‘very little English’ – as they would say – but once you spend time to talk to them, they can speak English so well that it almost seems wrong for them to say they cannot.

“My time at CTK also helped me to communicate more effectively and take responsibility for my own learning rather than expect a lecturer to do it for me. I plan to graduate from the University of Sofia before returning to the UK to finish my final years and then to specialise. I want to go on to become a General Practitioner (GP).”

Philip also had some final words of advice for others hoping to go on to university, in the UK or abroad: “Keep working hard and strive to achieve no matter what any student or teacher says. And also, don’t be completely bound by the prospect of staying within the UK because your passport allows you travel wherever as long as you have a goal in sight. Aim high!”