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If you are an international student and thinking about going to university in the UK, here are the best 5 reasons why you should UK.
1) Excellence in Academic Quality and Reputation
UK universities are well-known and recognised around the world for providing high-quality education and research outputs that contribute towards contemporary world issues. This is best reflected in the academic world rankings, whereby many of the UK Universities are placed in the top 100. Furthermore, some of the UK Universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrew’s, are some of the oldest education establishments in the world, which have continuously evolved throughout the times in providing education and skills to its students that are the most relevant in the contemporary industry practices. By studying in the UK, international students will be sure to have the opportunities to learn and benefit from UK Universities innovative teaching and expertise, which they can take back with them long after they’ve completed their degrees.
2) Study Duration
Compared to other countries, the UK’s Bachelor's Degrees is inclusive of the Honours Year. This means that international students can obtain an Honours Degree in just 3 years, compared to, for example, in Australia, where the Honours Year is one additional year on top of the Bachelor’s Degree (hence, 4 years long).
As for the Master’s Degrees, most UK Master’s Degrees are only one year long. Hence, this is ideal for students who wish to obtain their Master’s Degrees in the shortest possible time.
3) Diversity and Welcoming Culture
UK universities, in general, have a large population of students coming from around the UK and around the world. Hence, international students would have the opportunity to meet and interact with students from diverse cultures and backgrounds. In addition, the cities where the Universities are located are filled with students, and hence, are called student cities. For example, Liverpool and Manchester are just two great examples of student cities. This means that many of the places in the UK are student-friendly, and even the locals are used to seeing many international students in their cities. As such, they are more than welcoming towards international students keen on learning the local culture.
4) Work Experience Opportunities
Being an international student, students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during the academic year. Though the part-time work entitlement is the same in other countries, such as Australia, what sets the UK apart is that many of the UK course now includes a ‘Sandwich Year’, whereby between the 2nd and 3rd Year, students can opt for a Work-Experience placement or Internships in the UK. This is ideal, as not only international students are exposed to industry practice as part of their learning, but they would also gain 1-year worth of work experience after the completion of their Bachelor’s Degree, which puts one foot in their desired industry. In addition, UK Universities also provide career support and services to help international students in their internship or workplace job hunt. This ranges from CV writing advice, interview preparations, and industry networking sessions.
5) Opportunity to travel to and around Europe
Why not? With the availability of budget airlines and cross-channel trains, travelling into mainland Europe from the UK has never been easier than before. International students are not expected to be engaged in ‘All work and no play’ during their studies. On the contrary, international students are expected to make the most of their experience while studying in the UK, and this is a good time for International students to travel and explore Europe at the same time since it is in close vicinity. During the Academic Year, there will be short breaks given, such as the Easter Holiday or Bank Holiday weekend. This presents a perfect opportunity for International students to book a short trip to visit to their dream destinations, such as Venice, Paris, or Seville, all of which are only a good couple of hours away from the UK. Singaporean students do not need to apply for visas to enter any of these European countries. Non-Singaporean students on the other hand would need to apply for Schengen Short-Stay Visa, and these can be applied at the embassies of the respective countries based in the UK
