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Finding this enriching for my professional and personal development
Hello everyone! My Name is Jorge, I am from Mexico and also a student not once, but twice in the UK. The first time I came to the UK was when I started my MSc in Microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. I had the privilege of studying in the University that was considered that very same year as the “ Scottish University of the Year”.
The reason I chose Aberdeen to study my postgrad was due to the history itself of the University as well as the program I was aiming to study and the quality of research that is performed there. Moreover, As time passed and I learned so many things that I was interested in and some others that really opened my eyes into new subjects, I was making friends from every single nationality, language, parts of the world, and I mean this, every continent was represented by various students of diverse countries, finding this enriching for my professional and personal development as well as communication skills! The Scottish accent is something I find fascinating regardless of what many people including the very same British may say about it; nevertheless, at the beginning it was somehow hard to understand when in lectures. It is something no one prepares you for, but definitely enjoy living and learning. Furthermore, finding out that the lecturers that were included in our program or the facilities where we were able to perform our project were in many cases renowned professionals for their skills or state of the art facilities was inspiring, and somehow scary but fun!
Studying at University of Aberdeen was also for me living there, since I stayed at the University´s student accommodation, at Trinity Court, place where I shared many laughs, gatherings and study sessions with my lads but also with my housemates, another excellent place where to meet people from all around the globe and from where I personally made what I consider my best friend so far. Both, Uni and student accommodation are located in a very central part of the Granite city, thus access to supermarkets, leisure places, pubs and sports facilities are very handy.
About my Masters program, it was a course that just as it was full of new experiences also was it full of big challenges, some of them making me develop in record time certain skills needed in order to pass to the next step; that was the research project, a step that once results were obtained and understood what they meant, the sensation of satisfaction was completely worth it with that kind of previous pressure. As a matter of fact, I fell in love with research in such a way that I am currently now doing my second postgrad, here in the UK, my PhD in Microbiology as well, but now at the University of Nottingham.
Finally, some tips that can be truly helpful, small details but they do create a big difference is not to bring so much clothing over here, UK weather is so unpredictable but fortunately UK people have shops for any kind of day, thus, come lightweight and enjoy shopping here. Also change your standard credit/debit for a contactless, and finally avoid much currency exchange, save money, and go contactless for (almost) everything.
- Jorge
Surrounded by a truly global community
If you are a student considering the opportunity to study abroad, I HIGHLY recommend Across the Pond! Their assistance throughout the entire process - from deciding which universities to apply to, how to contact professors and request supervision for a PhD, to filling out the application, gathering the necessary documents, and writing a personal essay and research proposal, Across the Pond was there for me every step of the way.
The guidance and support I received translated into success, and I was accepted into the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. I do not think this would have been possible if I had tried to do this without the expertise freely shared with me by the staff of Across the Pond.
As a nontraditional adult student, I am finding the University of Aberdeen to be a welcome place for graduate study. My professors have highly successful academic careers, and I am surrounded by a truly global community of students. The facilities (Library, classrooms, campus) are both high-tech and user-friendly. The people are the same way, very media-savvy and super friendly!
- Lynne
The opportunities here are immense
I'm from California, and I am studying for a taught Master's of Letters in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Aberdeen. The opportunities here are immense.
There is archival access in the city center and a special collections in the new library that's just right next door. I live on campus with four other girls: one American from the east coast, one from Indonesia, one from Cambridge, and one from Ireland; we have a blast comparing slang and alternative definitions, as well as trying to appropriate each other's accents. The postgraduate community here is extremely tight-knit, and there is a larger percentage of them who are also international students from all over the globe, so there is access to a wide range of cultures.
I've found that the academic style is very different from the States, as it doesn't rely as heavily on the prerequisites and the professors; instead, studying here is much more independent and individually motivated. You pick and choose which courses you want, which is the same, but there isn't a generic History 101. Instead, you can choose topics that are more geared towards your personal research interests. Consequently, examination is generally written work rather than tests. But the professors are very interested in your work and will often bend over backward to make sure that their course fits into your timetable.
My experience applying through the Across the Pond program was one of gradually decreasing anxiety. If I hadn't had this program to help guide me through the process of applying and the logistics of the visa and moving in, I really don't think this would have worked out the way it did. Instead, I received offers from every UK university to which I applied. The step-by-step processes helped give me a format for my worries, by just taking it one step at a time. This gave me the confidence to apply for a PhD program after completing my Mlitt, and I got it!
- Lauren
Digital meeting with a Student Advisor
Book an online session with an advisor with Across the Pond to learn more about studying in the UK!
- Make sure you book the meeting at least 2 days ahead of time
- If you want to talk over Skype, make sure your Skype is working as it should and that you have connected with your advisor before the meeting starts to avoid losing valuable meeting time
- If you do not use Skype and prefer to talk over for instance Teams, just type that into the "Skype-ID" field and we´ll arrange to send you a meeting link via Teams (you do not need a Microsoft Teams user)
