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Thinking of Studying in the UK/Abroad? Try These Post-Graduation Practical Tips First!
When I decided to move from Canada to the UK to study international law in London, I knew that I would be incurring a large financial burden to make this incredible experience happen. This decision can come with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. Will I get a good job afterwards? Will I be able to pay back my debt? And above all else: Will it be worth it?
In my case, my program is one-year long and (sadly) nearly over as I write this. This has easily been the best year of my life, but it has also easily been the most expensive year of my life. Now that my studies are coming to an end, I am thankfully already seeing the professional and financial pay-off of my decision. Try the following below tips to make your decision more confidently and with a clearer sense of what studying abroad can do for you and your career.
Tip 1 – Compare Job Postings Between your Home Country and your Study Country
As a licensed lawyer in Canada, I have been lucky to work incredible jobs back home with a focus on domestic, Canadian common law. However, even major cities such as Toronto simply do not offer many opportunities to work in international law.
In contrast, London is home to countless professional opportunities to work in international law firms, NGOs, and other international legal bodies. A quick search on ‘UN Jobs’ in Toronto and in London will quickly demonstrate how living and studying in the UK offers bountiful career opportunities after graduation.
Whether you are interested in international law or not, take a look at the job postings in your field of interest in your home country and compare those with the job postings in the country you are thinking of studying abroad in. This will help give you a clear picture of what jobs will be available to you after your studies – and whether it is worth your while to study abroad.
Tip 2 – Compare Salaries Between your Home Country and your Study Country
Once you have had a look at the job postings in your home country and in the country that you hope to study abroad in, compare the salaries and other benefits in each location. You may find, for example, that the salaries in the country you hope to study abroad in are significantly higher than those offered for similar jobs in your home country.
In my case, most jobs in the UK (and Europe generally) offer benefits that are significantly better than those offered for similar jobs in Canada, such as greater paid vacation time. I would also recommend comparing the benefits offered for healthcare, dental care, and mental health and wellness supports.
Tip 3 – Pay Attention to Expected Qualifications for the Jobs you Want
Lastly, take a look at the necessary (or preferred) skills and qualifications listed under the job postings that you would be interested in pursuing after graduation. For example, do those jobs require or expect a candidate who has experience working across multiple geographic contexts? Do those jobs ask candidates to have international experience, such as working with diverse communities and cultures? Then consider whether you would have/acquire these experiences without studying abroad.
Studying abroad is not only something fun – it is also a skills-building experience! In your time studying abroad, you will gain important and valuable skills, such as international networking, learning to compare various political, geographic, economic, and social contexts, facing your fears, and possibly even learning a new language. All of these skills are highly valuable to employers who are seeking job candidates with open-minded, expansive worldviews and life experience.
- Jeremy
A Leap of Faith You’ll Never Regret
Why Studying Abroad is Worth Your While
Since moving from Canada to London, UK for my LLM (Masters of Law), I often describe my decision to study abroad as the action that cracked open my comfortable Canadian life and made room for my education, career, relationships, travels, and overall worldview to expand and bloom in ways that I could never have predicted – and that I would never take back.
The Benefit of Developing an International Network
In addition to immersing myself in the UK, living in an international metropolitan hub, such as London, has connected me with people from around the globe who I would have otherwise never met. From opportunities for professional development, friendships, and even romantic connections – I have quickly grown an international network of relationships that I will have for the rest of my life.
In the past 6-months, I have had the opportunities to visit Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, and the South of Sweden, staying with friends and experiencing those places through their eyes while making lifelong core memories. I have also formed deep, meaningful romantic connections over the past year living in London with people from all over the world, from Beirut to London to Stockholm. Lastly, I have been exposed to paid and volunteer career opportunities working in the international community, such as assisting migrants held in British immigration detention.
Through these relationships – from friends to employers to romantic partners – I have formed international connections that I would likely never have otherwise made had I stayed in Canada.
In this way, studying abroad in London has opened a vast expanse of international doors that I will spend the rest of my life discovering and happily walking through.
- Jeremy
SOAS has been an absolutely fantastic university
My name is Maria, I’m 25 years old and currently writing my master’s thesis in London. I started at SOAS in September, and received great help from Across the Pond throughout the entire process, both with the master’s application itself and other practical matters like the visa application and housing tips.
SOAS has been an absolutely fantastic university. I’m pursuing an international legal degree called an LLM in Human Rights, Conflict and Justice, after completing four years of law school at the University of Oslo. SOAS places a strong focus on colonialism and how it shapes power structures in the world, which has significantly broadened my understanding of international law. The professors are amazing - engaging, supportive, and excellent educators, and I genuinely feel like new connections are forming in my brain after every lecture.
London itself is an incredible city. I’ve never been anywhere as international, and my classmates truly come from all over the world. I’ve had the chance to try endless types of food from every continent, attend countless music events and stand-up nights, and I have the impression that you never run out of things to do here. The only downside I’ve encountered is that the city is quite expensive. Rent is high and the Norwegian krone has been weak this past year. I’ve managed this by getting a part-time job, as a student visa in the UK allows you to work 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours outside of term time. I work as a nanny for two of the sweetest and kindest children in London, which has been a wonderful break from studying a few afternoons a week (and it doesn’t hurt to be paid in pounds).
I’m actually enjoying London so much that I’ve decided to stay indefinitely. I’m applying for jobs while finishing my thesis and hope to get an offer before submitting. Without Across the Pond’s help before I moved, everything related to work visas would likely have felt incomprehensible and difficult, but since I’ve already gone through the visa process once and navigated the UK’s public bureaucracy, it all feels much less overwhelming.
I would warmly recommend studying here in London to anyone, and especially SOAS to those interested in social justice, politics, and international law. I’d also recommend reaching out to Across the Pond if you’re considering it—they’ll hold your hand through the whole process!
- Maria
Student Accommodation in the UK
Where do you live when studying abroad? Do universities in the UK offer student housing? How much does student accommodation cost? Did you know that as an international student, you are guaranteed on-campus accommodation for the first or all your years studying at most of our UK universities? You will need to apply by the housing application deadline, and of course the best student accommodation in the UK goes first - so that is a good reason to apply early! There are several different student accommodations, price levels and facilities to choose from!
Most students choose to live on campus in their first year. This is social and a fantastic way to get to know students from all over the world! After that, most students choose to move into privately rented accommodation with their new friends. We recommend everyone to live in university accommodation in their first year, as it is a great way to get to know other students (and not just those on your degree).
Learn more about the different options, on-campus accommodation, how to arrange private accommodation and everything you need before applying for student accommodation in the UK via this webinar!
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Visa for European Students who want to study in the UK
Do you want to study in the UK and are wondering if you need a visa? Maybe you have applied to British universities already, or are considering applying to university in London or elsewhere in the UK, but would like to know more about the UK student visa for European students? This webinar recording is about the UK Student Visa for students who will be starting their studies at a British university and are from European countries. We cover everything regarding the CAS, the application process, cost and other practicalities worth thinking about when applying for a student visa.
Did you know that all non-UK students need a visa to study in the UK? How much does a student visa cost? Is it difficult to get a student visa if you want to study in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? For most European students in the UK, a student visa is now a fact.
After the UK left the EU, student visas have now become a reality for the vast majority of international students. It is therefore important to familiarise yourself with this process as early as possible, so that you are well prepared when the time comes to submit an application for a student visa. In this webinar recording, we will go through useful information about student visas, when to apply, what you need for the application, costs, and other tips and tricks that can make the process easier. This webinar is suitable for those who have already applied, those who have accepted an offer, but also those who are considering studies in the UK and want to know more about the visa process.
We have the information and tools most people need to be able to go through the visa process without the need for individual follow-up/advice beyond the general information and guide from us. Remember that Across the Pond cannot provide individual advice on your visa application, only certified immigration staff can. In this webinar recording, you will learn about a number of important points that are good to be aware of when you familiarise yourself with the visa process.
