Oluwatosin Onalolapo

What does it feel like knowing you’ve come to the end of your time here?

It’s really exciting and I’m really happy. I’ve looked back and realized that it’s been a lot of fun.

What is the most valuable thing that you’ve learned at EF Academy?

I think that it’s important to step out of your comfort zone. I’m naturally a person who enjoys stepping out of my comfort zone, but I saw myself taking advantage of opportunities.

Do you feel prepared for university?

Yes. I think that while studying the IB program, I learned a lot about independent study.

Can you describe the support you’ve received since you’ve been at school here?

The teachers I have are very nice. It’s very different from the way teachers interact with students in Nigeria. There are some teachers I can just sit down and talk to. They’ve been very valuable to me.

What activities have you engaged in?

My first year I applied to be an ambassador so that I could help students get to know more about EF Academy because some people due to language might not know about what program they want to study and things like that. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a top ambassador last year and went to the Netherlands for the Global Leadership Summit. Being an ambassador has taught me how to interact and how to be a helping hand or friend to people I don’t know and help them learn more and take this step to study abroad.

What has been your favorite class?

I like chemistry because it’s abstract in a way that you can’t see what’s happening, it’s the same with economics. Economics is a very theoretical subject and I’m good at dealing with theories. The teachers are quite good as well.
How have you changed since coming to EF Academy?

I don’t think I have necessarily changed but I’ve developed a lot. I’ve always been someone who likes to go out and try new things and the more I try new things I get to know more about myself and the kind of people I like to hang out with or the things I like to do.

What have you enjoyed about living in an international environment?

At first, coming to an international school, it’s easy to think that everyone can hang out with people from their same country. But because I stepped out of my comfort zone, I think it’s so funny how many parallels there are between cultures.

What do you wish you had known before coming here to study?

I wish I would have known how much I would enjoy it. I knew that I would have a good time here, I just didn’t know the kind of person I would end up discovering myself to me. I don’t think that’s something I wish I’d known, but it’s something I didn’t know before I came here.

What advice would you give to the students who are going to enroll?

Try – just try! It’s so easy to get caught up in a bubble and stay with students from your country and stay in EF Academy. But there are so many opportunities that EF Academy can bring you and even in the community of Torquay you can step out of your comfort zone and talk to people who aren’t even at EF Academy. At the end of the day, you’re only here for two years or four years and there is so much that you can do.