How the UK Helped Me Reinvent Myself
Why I chose to study a master's in the UK
Twelve months ago I had no idea whether this would ever happen. I kept opening emails about scholarship rejections, incomplete applications and new requirements, one after another. For months, studying in the UK looked like a plan on some days and like a daydream on others.
Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't go through that process alone. My advisor at Across the Pond was there for every single one of those emails, guiding me with instructions that were always crystal clear at a point when there was still nothing to celebrate. Her name is in the acknowledgements of my dissertation today because, without her thoughtful guidance, that dissertation would simply never have existed.
So, why the UK? One practical reason and one deeply personal one.
The practical one: a British master's takes just one year. By the time I applied, I'd already spent more than a decade working in educational innovation in Mexico, and being able to specialise without putting my career on hold for two years was one of the deciding factors. Plus, a British degree travels: it's recognised well beyond the UK, and it opens doors in Mexico and in Europe alike.
The personal one: I've always been drawn to the way British universities understand learning. I came looking for a place where asking good questions mattered as much as finding answers. That's exactly what I found.
Why Essex turned out to be an excellent decision
Before I arrived, I assumed studying outside London would be a disadvantage. It became one of the best decisions I made.
Colchester has the right pace for studying. The campus is green, you can walk almost everywhere, and you quickly stop feeling like "an international student" and start feeling like part of a community.
The best part is that London never really goes away. It's less than an hour by train. More than once I went in just to walk through a museum, catch a concert, have dinner with friends or wander around the city, and came back to campus the same night. The journey became part of the plan.
I also loved being able to spend a day in Cambridge, visit Norwich or explore the Essex coastline without having to organise a complicated trip. Essex gave me something I hadn't expected: the calm of a campus university without giving up anything a city like London has to offer.
The campus advice
I lived in The Meadows for the whole master's, and I'd choose university accommodation again for a first year.
Yes, there are probably cheaper options off campus. But living there made meeting people effortless. Nothing had to be arranged; you simply ran into the same faces every day.
And there's another piece of advice people rarely give.
Find your place.
Not your room.
Your place.
Mine was the foyer of the Computer Science and Electronic Engineering building (CSEE). That's where I put presentations together, wrote a good part of my dissertation, despaired over Python, celebrated when something finally worked, and shared countless coffees with classmates.
It sounds like a small thing, but having somewhere you genuinely feel you belong changes your whole university experience.
Find a community
If I could give you a single piece of advice, this would be it: when I arrived at Essex, the Latin American community and the Catholic community on campus became an enormous source of support. One gave me the language, the food and the jokes that don't need explaining. The other gave me a fixed point in the week where somebody genuinely asked how I was doing.
Don't wait until you feel lonely to go looking for your community. Academic life will absorb you from the very first week; everything else has to be built on purpose.
Can you study artificial intelligence without an engineering background?
This was by far my biggest worry before applying.
My background wasn't Computer Science.
I'm a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist.
The first few weeks were intimidating. I had classmates nearly ten years younger who programmed with an ease I simply didn't have. While they seemed to have been speaking the language of code for years, I was learning Python in a matter of weeks and returning to calculus after a very long time.
But eventually I understood something that completely changed how I saw the programme.
The university didn't expect us all to think alike.
It expected each of us to bring something different.
My background in psychology allowed me to ask questions about behaviour, emotion and decision-making that connected naturally with artificial intelligence.
By the end of the year, I was researching emotion and personality prediction from EEG signals and collaborating on a wearable emotion recognition project.
That's when the biggest lesson of the master's finally clicked.
This programme never asked me to abandon my previous training.
It asked me to translate it into a new language.
If you come from another discipline and you're wondering whether you belong in an AI programme, my answer is simple: you do. Your previous experience may turn out to be exactly what lets you see problems other people miss.
Much more than learning to code
By the end of the master's I could build models in Python, work in R, use statistical software, apply machine learning and information retrieval techniques, and contribute to AI research projects.
Honestly, though, that wasn't the most important part.
A model isn't valuable simply because it works; it's valuable because you can explain why it works.
Good methodology matters just as much as good results.
And, more often than not, good research starts with a better question.
I also learned to live in English, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected. If that's your worry, let me split it in two: conversational English stops being a problem within weeks. What's genuinely hard is the technical vocabulary of a field that's new to you as well, and writing academically against the clock. That can be learned, and the university offers dedicated support for it.
And while I was at it, I ended up studying artificial intelligence and picking up some German out of pure curiosity, thanks to the language courses the university offers. Never underestimate everything a university gives you outside your own programme.
Life outside the classroom teaches you too
There are lessons that never appear on a syllabus.
Like discovering that when a British person asks, "You alright?", they're usually not worried about your mental health; they're simply saying hello.
Or realising you'll develop completely irrational preferences. In my case, no student needed to shop at Waitrose... but every so often I did because, for reasons I still can't fully explain, it made me feel just a little bit more British.
I also found something I hadn't expected: how accessible culture is here. Concerts in churches, free museums, ballet, orchestras and exhibitions all became part of perfectly ordinary weekends.
One of the things I loved most was that these experiences didn't feel like special occasions. They gradually became part of everyday student life.
What I wish I'd known before arriving
You don't need to arrive knowing everything.
There will always be someone with a stronger background. And trust me on this one… you belong!
I'd also have appreciated a few very practical things:
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Register with a GP in your first few weeks, even if you feel perfectly fine.
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Hard water really is hard.
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Coming from Mexico, I underestimated how much the changing daylight would shape my routine. I loved having sunlight until almost 10 p.m. in the summer, but I was much less prepared for winter, when the short days affected my energy levels far more than I expected. It's completely manageable, but it's something I wish I'd known before arriving.
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Say yes to day trips, museums, concerts and last-minute invitations. Many of my best memories were never in my calendar.
Would I do it again?
Without a second thought.
A year ago I was dreaming about studying in the UK.
Today I'm leaving with research experience, friends from all over the world and, above all, the certainty that changing disciplines halfway through your career doesn't mean starting from scratch.
I came to the UK hoping to understand artificial intelligence.
I'm leaving knowing how to ask better questions.
If studying in the UK still feels like a dream today...
Turn it into a plan.
-Maria Jose
New Perspectives in the UK
What motivated me to study in the United Kingdom?
First, this academic break in my professional career came as part of God’s plan, who led my wife and me to seek different ways to strengthen our professional profile so that we could meet the new challenges posed by the dynamics and demands of socioeconomic development around the world.
After exploring several funding options, we came across Chevening, one of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programmes and one of the few that provides full funding for tuition, accommodation, and living expenses throughout the period of study in the UK. We also found that the references and feedback from Chevening scholars and people familiar with the programme were so positive that they encouraged us to apply, despite how competitive the selection process is.
At the same time, we found that the UK is home to some of the world’s most recognised and prestigious universities across different academic fields. In particular, we discovered that the University of Sussex and IDS were ranked first in the world for Development Studies. In addition, Sussex is located near Brighton, a coastal and tourist city that attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year, exactly the kind of place my wife and I had always hoped to live in.
Finally, a former Chevening Scholar recommended that we complete the entire application process through Across the Pond, whose team was exceptionally diligent and incredibly helpful in securing a place in the cohort. All these reasons led us to embark on the most exciting adventure we have experienced in recent years.
What was my academic, personal, and cultural experience like?
Living in the United Kingdom was an incredibly enriching experience, both personally and professionally. On a personal level, it was a year full of learning, challenges, new experiences, and quality time with my wife and my little dog. Today, I can say that I have had very few experiences that have truly changed my life, and without a doubt, living in the UK has been one of them.
I can now see what is happening in the world from a different perspective, better understand many realities taking place on the other side of the globe, question things that I once took for granted, and analyse the context of my own country with a much more respectful, critical, and objective perspective. Ultimately, I believe this experience helped strengthen my character, making me more humble, understanding, and tolerant.
Academically, it was challenging because the research approach adopted by British universities represented a radical shift in my way of thinking, as I had spent many years working as a designer and implementer of public policies. However, the university provides extensive academic support and resources to strengthen the areas where we may have certain disadvantages, constantly encouraging you to reach your full potential and produce truly outstanding academic work.
In addition, the course content, seminars, workshops, and the exchange of experiences were genuinely enriching, offering completely new and innovative perspectives from Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States, and Latin America. The amount of information we received was remarkable, always leaving the feeling that there was never enough time to absorb everything that the university, the country, and the network of students, professors, and academics placed before us.
From a cultural perspective, studying in the UK allowed me to discover many unique aspects of British culture, including its good manners, delicious food, enjoying a beer at any time of the day, running outdoors during winter, swimming in the sea, enjoying outstanding Asian cuisine, drinking hot chocolate in winter, spending time in nature and outdoors, sharing quality time with others, and appreciating the warmth and simplicity of the people, among many other things.
Beyond that, however, the United Kingdom brings together cultures from every corner of the world, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in an extraordinary diversity of perspectives, beliefs, and values that, together, greatly enrich your cultural background.
What are the main lessons I am taking away?
Far too many to describe in this space. I would highlight the development of a more critical and academic perspective for understanding the issues affecting our region with greater objectivity; the importance of building a global network with people from around the world; gaining a deeper understanding of global population mobility and its effects and benefits on regional politics and economies; learning to appreciate and make the most of every moment; and recognising the importance of supporting programmes such as Chevening, which give people the opportunity to experience all of this when they would otherwise be unable to do so through their own financial means.
What do I wish you had known before arriving?
I believe that no one arrives in the UK fully prepared for everything they are about to experience. However, I would have loved to have had more specific information about the country’s climate, which is neither as cold as some people say nor as gloomy as others claim.
It would also have been helpful to know a little more about the British character: their love for animals, their respectfulness, honesty, enthusiasm for sports, outdoor activities, good food, and beer.
Finally, I would have liked to better understand the academic approach of each university, as well as the dynamics of seminars, lectures, essays, examinations, and other academic activities. I believe this would help people prepare themselves, even psychologically, before beginning this remarkable university adventure.
- Javier
More than a Master’s Degree
Choosing to pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom was an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, continue developing academically and experience life in another country. I was particularly attracted by the quality of British universities, the possibility of completing a master’s degree in one year and the independent approach of their programmes. I also wanted to encounter new perspectives, improve my English and meet people from different parts of the world.
My MSc in Mathematics was academically demanding, but also extremely rewarding. One of the main differences I noticed was the emphasis on independent learning. Lectures provided the foundations, but students were expected to spend a considerable amount of time studying independently, consulting different sources and organising their own work. I had the opportunity to study subjects from several areas, including number theory, cryptography, group theory, stochastic processes, graph theory and numerical methods. At the end of the programme, I also completed a dissertation on mathematical models of epidemic spreading on networks, which allowed me to combine mathematical theory, programming and simulations.
On a personal level, studying abroad helped me become much more independent and adaptable. At first, adjusting to a different academic system, communicating in English every day and managing the practical aspects of life in another country was challenging. Over time, however, I became much more confident. Meeting students from many different countries was also one of the most valuable parts of the experience. I learned not only about British culture, but also about many other cultures, perspectives and approaches to education.
Some of the most important skills I gained were the ability to work independently, manage long-term projects and ask for support when needed. I also learned that adapting to a new country does not happen overnight. It is completely normal to feel uncertain or overwhelmed at the beginning, but gradually you develop a routine and start to enjoy the experience much more.
Before arriving, I wish I had known just how quickly the academic year would pass. For that reason, I would recommend beginning the accommodation search, document preparation and financial planning as early as possible. It is also important to take advantage of university support services, student activities and opportunities to meet new people from the beginning. You do not need to have everything figured out on your first day.
The support I received from Across the Pond was very helpful throughout the application process. It allowed me to understand each step more clearly and made me feel that I was not going through the process alone. Studying in the United Kingdom involved both academic and personal challenges, but it also helped me grow, meet incredible people and discover new possibilities for my future. It is an experience I would definitely recommend to anyone considering taking the same step.
- Fabián
Studying in the UK? How about Studying and Traveling?
When you are about to embark on your trip to the UK, you think that you are only going to bury yourself in your studies, because it is normal to want to focus 100% on studying since you aren't spending a small amount of money or time. You want to dedicate 100% of your energy to it, and I understand that at the beginning you are nervous, so maybe the first month you say "Ok, I will use the first month to adapt, get to know the surroundings a little bit, and get used to my routine," but you will have another 11 months to do other things. This is where the idea of "I want to travel, I want to explore, I'm already here, I want to go to Scotland" comes in, because that was exactly what I thought. I said, "if I already know York", in my case I went to the University of York, which is a wonderful school, it is one of the best and you can feel it in every class you attend, and the professors are very good, but even they tell you, "You know what? Relax, stop thinking about school stuff and travel, explore, you are already here."
And the truth is, you wouldn't be wasting it, nor do you have to sacrifice a lot of school time to be able to explore. I think it is one of the things you absolutely have to do, aside from studying, because the system gives you the time to disconnect from school. There is even a week they call rest week, intended for your brain to rest from the things you are doing for school, and you can use it to travel.
Recommendations? Scotland... London!
Honestly, I recommend going to Scotland. I think that if you go to the UK, specifically England, you have to go visit Scotland. It is very close; it takes about three hours by train, more or less, and you can easily pick a city, tour its most important spots in one day, and return that same night. Will you end up exhausted? Yes. Is it an experience I would recommend? Also, yes. Another recommendation: if you are in York, which is sort of a midpoint on the island of Great Britain, going to London isn't very far either. It is a very large city, though, so keep in mind that you won't be able to cover it in a single day, but it is also a must-visit. In fact, visiting other cities will also help you reconnect a little bit with your home country, because often when you are there, the food doesn't taste the same, and that is the first thing you miss from your country. In bigger cities like London or Edinburgh, finding restaurants that make good food from your country is easier.
There are many other places I visited, for example, Manchester, Liverpool, and the coastal town of Scarborough. While they aren't huge cities, if you are used to living at the speed of a big city like Mexico City, which is where I come from, visiting those cities will give you a little bit of vigour in life. There are very good restaurants in those cities too. I would recommend one in Manchester; I honestly don't remember what it's called, but look for it as a restaurant that gives you "machetitos", it's excellent with steaks.
Do not miss the opportunity to try other food, I mean, food from other countries, because since the UK is such a cosmopolitan country, it is very easy to find food from other places that you perhaps wouldn't find in your own country.
Zero fears of tourism
The truth is that the people there are very warm. You might think otherwise, but traveling, talking, and getting to know other places is something you just have to do. You are already there, take advantage of it; don't just bury yourself in studying. Yes, that is what you are going for, but it's not that difficult either, and you will realize that. It seems that when someone tells you about it, they are just paying lip service, and you think "it's very easy to say but doing it is complicated," but take it from me, I already went and lived that experience, and it is not as difficult as it seems. Make time to explore, and whether you go with a scholarship or your own funds, make room for it, it is truly worth it. If you had to choose just one destination out of all the ones over there, I would recommend, and I repeat, Scotland.
There are many good seasons to go to Scotland, specifically Edinburgh. I went during the December season, which is when the Christmas markets are there, and honestly, it is totally recommended. Don't miss it, the Christmas markets are very beautiful, there is a lot of food, try everything. Something else I can recommend to you is a map. There are many places that sell little maps, buy one. I think it is something that when you look at it, you will say "I toured that city," and you will remember the spots you went to. For example, I vividly remember going to the castle; by the way, if you go to the castle at 1:00 PM, there is an impressive cannon shot, you must go. Getting back to the map, it makes a great souvenir.
I hope this is useful to you because I want to emphasize that not everything is studying. The professors say it, and I think it is also healthy to disconnect a little bit. At least in Latin American countries, we have a culture where we always have to be doing something, we always have to be productive, we always have to do things; you can't disconnect, maybe you can't even take a 5-minute breather. But you will realize that the culture is very different over there. All that's left is for me to wish you good luck on the next trip you take to clear your mind from your studies, because I know you will go and you will make it happen.
-Diego
What I wish I had known before going to the University of York
The UoY, or University of York, is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom, and although you might think, "that is just a ranking," or "maybe they aren't that good," I can tell you right now that they are indeed very good, and you notice it in every single class.
They have curricula at the vanguard of the world's needs, and mind you, I don't just mean the UK's; they are preparing people to be ready to face the challenges that haven't even reached our countries yet, but when they do, we will be a few steps ahead. Now, you already know the university is very good, but what about the accommodation, the life, and the country?
Your home in York
The university is huge, and the truth is I didn't explore all of it, but I can tell you that the options for staying on campus are very diverse; whichever college you are assigned to, you are very lucky, as they all have their charm. I don't want to take away the merit of living on campus, because it is very convenient, both because you don't have to worry about paying for utilities, and because you can get to the classroom in 5 minutes. However, I think a better option would have been to live off-campus, because generally speaking it is cheaper, and you are closer to urban life. You can ask the government to exempt you from council tax payments because you are a foreign student, and that is a big help regardless. But what happens? At least in my experience, the time difference between when I got my visa and when I travelled to York was 10 days, 10 days! I wouldn't have had time to find accommodation in time; what I did was secure housing at the school well in advance, which takes a lot of pressure off you.
Making money
This is one of the things that I really wish I had known, especially because you think, "I won't have time," or "I want to focus 100% on my studies," and I can tell you that you will have more than enough time for everything: traveling, working, and studying. Now, in York there are many options for working, restaurants, bars, cafes, bakeries. It's just a matter of finding a place you like, since being a student city/town, there are many places that give you the flexibility to work, and that helps you a lot, because when you are a student that is vital, and even more so because you also want to travel. So, my advice is: work from month 1.
I know it sounds difficult, but that's just it, it sounds more difficult than it actually is. If you have already dared to go to a country you might not know well, working will help you not only to make money, but to gain experience so that later you can look for something more specialized in what you want, because let me tell you that it's something the English value a lot, that you already have experience working in their country, but It will also help you socialize, improve your use of idioms in the language, and distract you from school.
Grocery shopping is expensive?
Here I must say yes and no, because it will depend a lot on where you shop. I recommend certain stores like Lidl or Aldi, which are very good, cheap, and have sales very often, and as a student, you appreciate that. I think it depends on tastes and budgets here, but in general, I could tell you that it is not expensive; there are many products that are expensive in our countries, but there they are absurdly cheap, like bread, for example. It's not that it's expensive in Mexico, but I don't know why, they almost give it away to you over there.
There are also many student discounts in restaurants or cafeterias; take advantage of them, you can stock up on bread for several days there. Also, use apps like Too Good To Go; that app gives discounts to people who want to buy the leftover food at the end of the day at a restaurant. It's not bad, it's just that the restaurant offers fresh food daily and they won't offer that food the next day, and as they would say in my hometown, "better in my belly than in the trash."
There are many other things that, although I would have liked to know before going, I think it was also good that I discovered them along the way. I hope you can also discover them like I did because going to the UK was one of the things I will always recommend.
-Diego
