Study in the UK Blog

After a suggestion in the comments, I’ve decided to do a series of Top 5’s tips on the different aspects of studying overseas. Thanks for the comments – they’re all pretty helpful. This is a list of my top 5 pre-departure tips. By following these tips, one can easily stay on top of the often nerve-racking organisational things to do before leacing.

1. Plan Ahead:  One of the most important ways of staying organised is careful forward planning. Parts of the application process can take months, and there are often restrictions on how far through your degree you can be to be accepted into an exchange program. The best way to go would to get involved in researching universities and completing applications as soon as possible, leaving as much time for everything else as you can.
2. Talk to people:  Talking to as many people as possible about your exchange can remove much of the uncertainty about traveling to and living at a new place. Every that you can think of, including friends, family, lecturers and student support at university, has the possibility of contributing valuable information.
3. Finance:  Insuring a reliable source of money is essential when traveling overseas, especially for the first few days. Most people split their money across various types, including travelers cheques, cash, travel specific debit-cards and credit cards. Don’t rely on being able to send bank drafts initially, because it can take weeks for an account to be set up (especially at the beginning of semester).
4. Dedication:  While it may seem like a lot of effort, and troubles may sometime make you feel like giving up, persistence and dedication will lead to an experience of a life time. From what I’ve experienced, the effort involved initially is completely worth it.
5. Find others:  There will most likely be other students from your area heading for the same university. By keeping in touch with them, you can share tips and advice.Having friends on arrival makes the first few days in your new city a lot easier!

Just got back from Hyde Park in Leeds, where Guy Fawkes Night was being celebrated. Traditionally a huge night all over Britain (along with other countries), it was my first chance to get involved in a traditional event here. It seemed like the whole city had turned out, surrounding a huge bonfire in anticipation of the forthcoming fireworks display. They weren’t to be disappointed though, as before we knew it the fireworks were well underway. It was a pretty big display, and felt extremely personal as they were being launched from the center of the crowd, exploding just above our heads. Overall it was a great night, and it felt awesome to be involved in such a tradition.

Exams have been and gone for me now. Looking back, they seemed harder then what I was used to for mid semester exams. Less preparation material was provided coming up to the exams, once again putting the responsibility almost entirely on the student. Something that seems a lot more prevalent here than back in Australia, and it seems I’m going to have to get used to it. It was definitely good to experience the differences before study for the final exams takes place.

Time for an update Thing’s are certainly hectic over here now that the mid semester assessment is coming up. I can hardly believe it, but I’ve almost been here for half a semester now. With 4 exams next week, and two other bits of coursework due very soon, I’ve been trying to focus a bit on more on the studies. Everyone seems to have quietened down a bit since the beginning of semester, but there’s still some fun nights to have.

One thing that I noticed is that, despite them being in the same faculty, the two schools that I take classes in here aren’t as synchronised together as I’m used to. This resulted in things like exam/lecture clashes and days off being scheduled after the exam week had taken place, rather than before/during. It seems here that most people pick a single major, and solely do the modules from that school, which is quite different to the amount of free electives we get back home.

Despite classes heating up, I’ve still made time to get a bit of travel in amongst it all. I find the location here amazing, theres things to see everywhere. There’s plenty of groups here that organise fun, cheap trips for international students. This makes it even easier for students to see the country. I’m in the midst of planning my winter break, which should involve some fabulous travel around Europe. Something exciting to look forward to throughout the rest of this semester

Freshers’ week for me kept going right into semester, with the time between parties and classes being incredibly fine. It seemed like it was never going to end, but now things have started to quieten down. By the end of the second week, I’m now proud to say I’ve now been to all my classes.

Since starting, I’ve encountered a few differences between classes here and in Australia. The assessment is structured much differently, with the overall grade usually being made up of 80% from the final exam and 20% from coursework and assignments. Most of my classes back home have been a 60/40 ratio. I’ve seen this difference reflected in the module material, as they seem more theoretical than my past classes, which included a lot of practical work which was needed to complete assignments.

As for the actual facilities that the lectures take place in, everything is much the same. Whilst most rooms have computers for the use of PowerPoint, some of my lectures still make primary use Overhead Transparencies. The buildings you need to be in are much the same distance apart and you’re given the same, impossible 10 minutes of time to get from one side of campus to the other.

Study load is something I can’t really touch on until later in the semester, once everything gets more underway. In Australia, I took 4 subjects per semester -in Leeds, I’m taking 7. Both is the full-time load, and have much the same amount of contact time. So I think it will end up being similar, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Hello All.Today was the first day of classes. The semester is finally upon us, it’s been a long time coming. The past two weeks have been amazing fun, with plenty happening since my last post. The last two days of International Orientation week were very full on, with activities on all day to attend. There were some funny ones, like an introduction to the many sides of British culture, but more serious and useful information regarding safety and wellbeing. The University certainly takes care of their International Students!

During the first of these days of activities, I finally ran into some other Australian students. Though it had been great meeting people from around the globe, I think homesickness would have set in pretty soon if it wasn’t for hearing some familiar voices. We met for a drink and a chat later that night.

The next day was the first of Freshers week, so the Student Residence was packed with parents dropping their kids off to their new home. It’d been quite around here for the days prior, with only a few international students and early arriver’s around. Everyone I have met has been incredibly friendly, so it’s been pretty easy to settle in. Being an international student certainly helps the initial conversation with domestic students, there’s always plenty to talk about.

Freshers week was great fun. I was a bit skeptical at first, as I’d been through it all before, but they make a much bigger deal about it over here. Needless to say, my new flat mates were keen to party right throughout the week, and I happily obliged. Unlike them, I had hardly any Induction to do as I was doing 2nd year modules, so I got it pretty easy. The week concluded and you could tell everyone had a bit of “Fresher’s Flu” from all the late nights, but it was worth it.

I’ve only had two classes so far, so I’ll reflect on all the differences at the end of this week. Cheerio!

Greetings from the UK!

After 40 hours, 3 flights and a bus, I’ve finally made it. The trip over was much better than I expected, in flight entertainment sure helps the time to fly by.  The past few days have been quite busy, filled with all sorts of administration type things such as sorting out accomodation, registering as a student, meeting with the Study Abroad staff and finalizing subject selections. As it’s International Orientation week, yet a couple of weeks before semester actually begins, there are plenty of international students around. It’s been an interesting experience getting to know some of them and how they came to arrive there.

With the University here being so close to the centre of the city, knowing the way around is essential. Tours of the city are offered by the Uni as part of the orientation activities, and it was really helpful to learn more about the area. The next two days are packed with lots of Orientation Activities. I’m not quite sure what they involve yet, but I’ll be sure to report back. Overall it’s been a great start to the year here, with everyone being invloved being very helpful. If it keeps up like this it’ll be an awesome year!

I’m glad I held off on this post, as I’ve had news regarding this in the past week. One of the major concerns of students considering study abroad is how they can possibly pay for everything involved. While it’s a big investment, I’m certain the experience is worth every penny. You’re not alone though, as there is plenty of financial help available.

In Australia, the majority of students defer university fees through a government scheme – HECS-HELP. This takes the burden off students, as they do not need to begin paying for their degree until they have secured full time work. An extension of this program is OS-HELP, a loan (with 20% fee) of AUD$5000 is available each semester of a students overseas travel. I applied for this, and have since received the first payment.

Most universities offer scholarships and bursaries to students. Applications for these are generally simple, and have criteria such as international study, academic merit and financial hardship. I received a AUD$2500 travel award from my Faculty, as well as second valued at AUD$2120 which all Australian students can apply for. I have also applied for a couple more, which I am waiting to hear the result of.

There are many loans available to students through banks and online. I’d suggest this option after applying for as many scholarships and bursaries as possible, since they attract no interest or repayments. Local banks and those in your destination country will offer loans, but it’s very important that you fully understand the repayments and interest involved. I was very close to getting a student loan, until discovering that the deferred repayments meant that it would attract an additional 80% of the loan value as interest. Take a look at the links on this site, and perform web searches to track down the most secure and affordable option for you.

Since there is a great deal of time between the initial application and the date of departure, there is plenty of time to organise your finances beforehand. I was conscious of my spending up until the trip, and managed to squeeze over two months of full-time work between the end of my last semester at my home Uni, and the start of semester in Leeds. By investigated as many sources of funding as possible, I hope to be able to experience the full potential of the time abroad, and worry less about financial requirements.

Some students yearn for years about travelling abroad, others decide within an instant of hearing about the various opportunities. One thing is for certain – the process leading up to departure is a long and anxious time. There often seems like an impossible amount of things to organise over this period, but this also allows for the excitement to build even more.

Early in 2006, I learnt about the study abroad program offered at my home University. I received some initial paperwork detailing the various university that we had exchange relationships with. It was good to understand the different opportunities regarding financing the trip, meaning more time could be spent focusing on other aspects of the trip.

I found out more about the program in meetings and expos held at Uni throughout the year. With the help of this information, I began researching the different universities, looking for ones which offered the best compatibility with my degree. I found this to be most important aspect of choosing a University, as compulsory courses at my home university had to be met, while there were many alternatives regarding funding.

I do not speak any languages other than English, so I researched Canadian and UK universities.  I think it would be great opportunity for a language student, or someone who has a specific cultural background, to travel to that country to study. By comparing subject compatibility, I narrowed my selection down to about 3 Universities in the UK, and ended up selecting Leeds based on it’s location, atmosphere and reputation.

At the end of 2006, UQ required that I submit a Study Abroad application, complete with a nominated university and detailed plan of which subjects I would be studying there and gaining credit for at home.
It was also required that I completed an online application for the University of Leeds, and this took place in January of 2007.

April 2007 was a busy month, as I received notification of my unconditional acceptance to the University of Leeds. Also, the Head of Study Abroad visited Brisbane to meet with incoming students. This offered a chance to ask questions regarding the city, university and program.

In May we had the opportunity of meeting with students from my home Uni which had previously been involved in the study abroad program. They shared their experiences gained through this program. We were also presented with information on health insurance, culture shock, course selection and accommodation.

I applied for University Accommodation, and received and offer where I hoped to stay in July. The signing and returning the accommodation contract in august marked the end of the application process,  with counting down the days to departure the only thing left to do.

It seems like a lot to organise, and it was – stretching out for over a year before departure. Always having something to do helped keep the excitment and anticipation up. In the next post I’ll detail the differenct sources that I secured finance from for the year abroad.

Hello Readers!

As an Australian student travelling to the UK to study, I’ll be documenting the process, challenges and experiences gained through out my journey. Each of my future posts will be centred around a specific theme, but I’d like to take the opportunity now to introduce myself.

I’ve been living in Brisbane, Australia for all of my life. I’m keen on music, with alternate rock and indie being my favourite genres, and am interested in all things technology related, computers, internet and gadgets. I started my undergraduate study in Australia last year at the University of Queensland, with a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Systems). I became interested in the University’s Study Abroad program halfway through my first year, and started organising things as soon as I could. International study is a huge thing for me, this September will be my first time overseas and away from my childhood home. I’m looking forward to the exciting adventures and challenges ahead.

I’ve chosen to study in the University of Leeds in the UK, and will be there from September 2007 to July 2008. In this time I will gain credit for compulsory subjects that I miss at my home Uni, and a chance to do electives that I would otherwise not be able to do. English is my only language, so this somewhat limited my choice of exchange partners. I selected Leeds as it had great compatibility with my current degree, has a large student population living in the area and is conveniently located in the middle of the UK. I am looking forward to being able to travel around Europe on weekends and in holidays throughout the year abroad.

With a month to go until I depart, I’ve already completed the majority of the application process. I understand how overwhelming this can be for new students, so I’m happy to share any knowledge I’ve picked up throughout this time. I hope that you find these posts both interesting and informative. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions!

Welcome to the brand new Study in the UK Blog from UK.InternationalStudent.com!  

This blog is going to feature Stephen Montgomery as he plans to study in the UK as an international student from Australia. His posts will cover all areas about the UK, how he financed his education, what hurdles he had to overcome to get to the UK and generally follow him through his study year abroad in the UK.

I will leave it to Stephen to introduce himself more fully and we hope you enjoy the blog!