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Five Reasons to Study at the University of Essex
Hello! My name is Eduardo Flores Olayo, originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico, and I am an English teacher at the secondary school level. The purpose of this text is to invite you to study at the University of Essex, located in Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom. Here are five reasons why I encourage you to study at this incredible university:
1. Support from Day One
From the moment I began the application process, the University of Essex’s Latin America recruitment officer invited me to a meeting to explain the benefits of studying at the university, as well as the available scholarships. They also connected me with the University of Essex Mexican Society, which invited me to a talk to learn about the facilities, societies, programs, and other aspects related to studying at the university.
This process stood out to me because it makes you feel part of the university from the very first meeting, something I had rarely seen before. The opportunity to connect with former students who support you during the process is truly invaluable.
2. Societies
The university offers a wide variety of societies and cultural groups that you can join based on your interests. In my case, I participated in the chess, film, Catholic, travel, Spanish, Latin, and astronomy societies. However, there are many other groups you can join, which is incredibly helpful, especially if you’re introverted. These societies allow you to meet people with similar interests, helping you build friendships and connections with individuals of different ages, religions, and nationalities.
3. Colchester Campus
The Colchester campus is unique, not only for its modern facilities but also because it is surrounded by Wivenhoe Park, a beautiful park filled with trees and greenery that creates a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. The campus provides ideal landscapes for studying or taking photos for social media.
The libraries and other areas are equipped with computers, making it easy to work on assignments, essays, or research, ensuring you can complete your tasks successfully.
4. Genuine Friendships
Most international students share the experience of being far from home and their culture, but what makes this university special is the opportunity to form unique friendships and connections with students from around the world. Personally, I made friends from countries such as Indonesia, Portugal, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Poland, England, Pakistan, Syria, and more. This diversity helps you learn to be tolerant and respectful of different cultures and beliefs.
After completing your studies, you have the chance to visit your friends in their home countries, and they can visit you, allowing you to share Mexican culture with others.
5. Highly Qualified Professors
In the master’s program, I am studying (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the professors are exceptional, not only for their teaching methods but also because they have published numerous articles, books, and research papers. This inspires you to learn more and dive deeper into the subject matter of the program.
Additionally, you are assigned an academic tutor who will support you throughout your time at the university, ensuring you have guidance whenever you need it.
- Eduardo
I loved the variety of cultures
1. What motivated you to study in the UK?
There were several reasons that motivated me to study in the UK. One of them was the chance to expand and deepen my knowledge in science, as well as to get to know a new culture, improve my English, and live new experiences.
2. How was your academic, personal, and cultural life?
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Academic: It was challenging at the beginning because I had graduated two years earlier, so it was a bit of an adjustment to go back to classes, study, follow a schedule, and take exams. However, the professors were excellent and very well-prepared. I learned so much, and the academic level was demanding. The university also had many facilities; it was huge and felt like a small city, with restaurants, a bar, a nightclub, places to socialize, study… a bit of everything.
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Personal: At first, I struggled to adapt, especially because I didn’t live in student residences and I had never lived away from home before. But I loved learning to do everything on my own: getting around by bus and metro, cooking, solving things by myself… It really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I did things I never thought I would. It was also easy to make friends because we were all in the same situation. I met a lot of people, although it was much easier for me to connect with other Latinos.
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Cultural: I loved the variety of cultures and being able to learn a little from each one. I was always curious about the different traditions and all the cultural exchange we experienced. My classmates were from all over the world.
3. What lessons are you taking with you?
I learned to appreciate things that I used to take for granted, like the sun. I’m from northern Mexico, where it’s almost always sunny and very hot, but here I realized that the sun is something that truly lifts people’s spirits and brings them outside. I was also surprised to discover that I could build a home and even a kind of family on the other side of the world.
4. What do you wish you had known before arriving?
I underestimated it when people told me to take vitamin D, but in winter it sometimes gets dark as early as 4 p.m., and you really do need vitamins because having so few hours of daylight takes a toll. Another thing is how unpredictable the weather is: one minute it’s sunny and the next it’s raining.
- Claudia
The professors are experts
For years, I have felt fascinated about British culture, this was the reason why I decided to study for a bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching at university. Later on, I had the opportunity to work as a Spanish language assistant in the United Kingdom. This experience motivated me to pursue a postgraduate degree in the UK because, by being closer to British culture, I became fascinated by the environment, customs, and after learning more about the country’s education system, I decided to start saving money and preparing myself to study a master’s degree in the UK.
After five years of working, saving, and preparing, I decided to apply for a master’s degree in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). However, since I was unfamiliar with the application process, I reached out to the agency “Across the Pond”, as it is well known among students who wish to study abroad (especially in the UK). I sent a message and throughout the entire process, they were very clear and provided timely support, both in terms of university options and funding opportunities. They were truly helpful—they never left me on my own and showed me financing options that I hadn’t known about until then, such as FIDERH and FUNED.
To help with funding, they held a webinar on how to apply and the steps to follow. All the information was very clear, and despite the fear I had about applying, the support from my family, the clear explanations, and the detailed payment plan were key in helping me apply for the FIDERH and FUNED loans. These loans are an investment in the future, as holding a postgraduate degree from abroad provides the opportunity to access better job positions, stay up to date in specialized areas of my professional field, and build a strong professional network that will lead to valuable cooperation in the future—not just between individuals but between countries as well.
My experience at the University of Essex has been very positive. I have learned a lot about English language teaching; the professors are experts in this field. In addition, my classmates come from different parts of the world, such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, England, Iran, and Bangladesh. This university offers many extracurricular activities for students to make friends, and thanks to that, I’ve been able to connect with people from various countries. I also ran for President of Education at the university. Although I didn’t win because I didn’t get most votes, finishing in second place was a significant achievement. This experience greatly helped me strengthen friendships and expand my social circle.
- Eduardo
Put into practice what I had learned in the classroom
While I know that studying abroad is a privilege, I decided to study in the UK because it was my personal and professional challenge to take a year off to improve my skills and professional knowledge but also to finally have the experience of living abroad and improving my English.
How did I decide which University to go to and what was my experience like?
At the beginning I was not sure which university or LLM was right for me, so receiving support from Across the Pond was invaluable in helping me to filter and identify the LLM that I wanted and that would suit my needs. So, thanks to their advice and talking to other friends who had also studied in the UK, I decided to study the LLM International Human Rights Law at the University of Essex.
My LLM is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful experiences I have had and one that has marked my life. I was able to study in an international and multicultural environment that allowed me to analyse human rights issues across the world from different perspectives. I was also able to participate in research projects led by academics with knowledge, experience and passion for the subject that allowed me to put into practice what I had learned in the classroom.
Beyond the professional issue and how much I learned in the master's degree, the friendships and support networks that I made along the way (in my experience) are going to last a lifetime and enrich me enormously as a person because they taught me to see and understand other social and cultural realities.
The place where I live is in a town about an hour from London called Colchester and although it is a small town it is very pretty and quiet (although I must confess that the nightlife is not ideal). On the other hand, its location is quite convenient for getting to airports such as Stansted and travelling cheaply to other parts of Europe or taking the train, although somewhat expensive, is sometimes a good option for travelling within the UK.
The adaptation process
My process of adapting to living here was fast because I was lucky enough to live in the university residence with people from different parts of the world such as Canada, Japan and India and we formed a nice community. Everyone always respected each other's space. Also, the friendships I made in the LLM program made the adaptation process very easy. The first month I think was the hardest because since English is not my first language, after a while of speaking and focusing my brain on trying to understand all the accents I got tired but after the 2nd month, the brain and the ear adapt, and you don't feel the difference anymore. I achieved the goal of improving my English!
On the other hand, something I found extremely difficult was living through the winter. The light is very short-lived and the rainy and windy weather makes it very difficult, so in winter people are not very active, and you have to watch out for signs of winter depression in order to prevent them by taking vitamin C and D and trying to be as active as possible.
Something I wish I had known earlier
There are many issues that I had to see and understand at the same time to live abroad and unfortunately, something that I had to live and learn in this process was that people will try to scam you. While I was looking for a place to live, I came across a person on a Facebook page of the city where I was going to live and she offered me a flat at a very good price and because I was so excited I didn't take enough precaution, so I paid the deposit without signing the contract and then the person disappeared. Fortunately, I didn't lose that much money, but when you're about to study abroad every penny counts. Once I was settled at the University I was able to find out that through the University or the student association, you can always find reliable websites to find a cheap place to live but I didn't have access to them until I was physically in England. Although, as I said before the residence accommodation I ended up living in was very nice and with cool flatmates!
Across the Pond services
Honestly, without the support of Across the Pond, I would never have been able to study abroad. My advisor, was always in contact with me and patiently explained to me the process of applying to the university, applying for funding, getting a scholarship, a visa, etc. There is a lot of information and paperwork to do. Without a doubt, it is an investment of time, money and energy that is worthwhile but quite difficult to overcome, especially on one's own. I am certainly infinitely grateful for their support.
- Itzia
The best experience of my life
Hi, my name is Ana and I’m from Mexico. I studied the MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Essex and, honestly it was the best experience of my life.
Not only I was able to learn from great lecturers, but also I was able to discover what research topics I liked the most that, eventually, led me to pursue a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Essex. Throughout the year I was able to engage with different people and cultures, as well as getting to know another country and their take on life. It broadened my horizons to what I already knew on Psychology and helped me to understand that there is so much more than what I originally had envisioned for myself.
One of the key parts to being able to study in the UK was the assistance I received from an advisor at Across the Pond. With his help, I was able to formally apply to several Universities, choose the one that was the best fit and, most importantly, navigate the funding process for my studies. Through communications, as well as a great number of webinars, Across the Pond gave me all the help that I needed and it helped me to gain a lot more clarity on the process and what to expect when I arrived to the UK, as well as what I could do once I received my degree.
If you are thinking about taking a step forward in your education, do not hesitate to contact Across the Pond, they are definitely the best.
- Ana Lucia
