Image
Completely surpassed my expectations
After graduating from university, I spent a few years working in the industry, but I still wanted to pursue a master's degree, mainly focused on research. After investigating various options and evaluating my possibilities, with the help of my Across the Pond advisor, I enrolled at Queen Mary University of London.
At the time of writing this essay, a year has passed since I started studying in London, to the point where I'm about to finish the program. I can summarise that my experience has exceeded my expectations in several ways, which I will try to outline in the following paragraphs.
In the academic area, the experience completely surpassed my expectations and led me to push myself to the maximum. I feel as if there's a before and after in terms of the knowledge I've acquired, and I know it will help me get a job in my master's field or, if I decide to, continue with a Ph.D. Contrary to other experiences I've heard about, I can't say it's been easy, but it's quite rewarding to see that consistent work over extended periods has its rewards.
I must make a parenthesis about something that was initially a shock for me. The grading system in the UK is not the same as in Mexico. Here, a 70 could be considered a 90 in Mexico. Any value above 70 is a great grade and is called a "distinction." In one class, on my very first grade, I got a 67, which is in the range between 60 and 69 and is considered a "merit." However, not being used to this grading system, I got quite scared, thinking I would have to work much harder than I was accustomed to.
Regarding my stay, I met people from practically all continents with equally enriching and very diverse worldviews. I believe that the most important thing when meeting such different people is to always be willing to listen, not judge, and want to learn from others.
Lastly, London is an impressive city; there's always something to do or someplace to visit. You can get lost for days in any area of the city and always find something you haven't seen before that will amaze you. Its museums, theatres, parks, monuments, and bars speak of how it is a living city that reinvents itself and is in constant evolution. You can be having coffee in a building that was built more than 500 years ago while looking at a skyscraper through the window.
This is just a summary of the experience I've had during my stay in London, with some recommendations. Like everything in life, my experience as a student in London is coming to an end and, without a doubt, it has been something I will always remember and would repeat without hesitation. I would like to conclude with a quote from Gimli from The Lord of the Rings: "Torment in the dark was the danger that I feared, and it did not hold me back. But I would not have come, had I known the danger of light and joy. Now I have taken my worst wound in this parting, even if I were to go this night straight to the Dark Lord."
Recommendations when studying in London
● Monitor your budget: it's very easy to survive on a limited budget, but be careful where you go out or eat because it's equally easy to spend your weekly budget in just one outing.
● Always carry a raincoat and waterproof footwear; you never know when it might rain.
● The city has an impressive transport infrastructure: there will always be a metro line or bus that will take you to your destination. Using a taxi is much more expensive.
● There are plenty of museums and outdoor activities that are free of charge; you just need to book in advance for some of them.
● Take vitamin D in winter if you're not used to a few hours of sunlight. 😊
- Jorge Eduardo
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!
Image
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.
I wish more people could have the opportunity to study out of their countries
Hi! My name is Esteban, I am a physician surgeon trained in Mexico and currently working as Medical Director in a private clinic in London applying all the knowledge I’ve learned along my experience during my Master and Doctorate.
As an overseas student, my journey began in when I decided to explore other roads and together with Across the Pond I could achieve my goals to be accepted and complete my enrolment process to a UK University. I decided to select Queen Mary University due to the program offered in Regenerative Medicine.
At that time my vision was focused on bioprinting and tissue engineering. The classes taught during the program helped me further expand my horizons in the field of biotechnology, biomaterials, and new therapies, including gene therapies, cell reprogramming, and cell-free therapies. However, it is important to mention that classes in English can be challenging at first and I had to get used to the British accent, but also to other international accents of non- British teachers or just other international colleagues.
About the learning process, the lecturers promote the autonomous work. I valued this dynamic not only because it is different compared with my previous academic experiences, but also because it allowed me to manage my time according to my needs.
The social life was unforgettable, I meet people from different countries something that still happening in this unique city such as London. I need to highlight that the accommodation offered by the University was very helpful to do this and meet my first British friends. This helped me more to understand slowly their culture including their unique humour sense. Also, I had the opportunity to travel to other European countries and witness the great diversity of traditions, food, and weathers in the world.
All these experiences helped to convince myself to continue my journey in the UK. So, I decided to pursuit a PhD in the field of cardiac repair and regeneration using extracellular vesicles derived from stem cells. The PhD lasted 4 years and half and all those years consolidated my experience as researcher with a great variety of skills developed during my journey. Is hard to synthetise my PhD experience in few sentences however I can say that after completing it my general vision of the medicine has been refreshed and I can find myself standing in the front of the field with a clearer vision of the upcoming advances in medicine.
Finally, I wish more people could have the opportunity to study out of their countries and immerse in a city where people all over the world come to interact. I fascinating to see the differences between humans and even better to learn from each other drinking a coffee or a beer in a pub, enjoying a festival, having a picnic in the multiple parks during summer or just a walk through the winter markets, that makes me feel alive.
Overall, study in London has been a great experience in my life for some reason I continue in this city. I would encourage to anyone reading this post to pursuit your goals and work hard but at the same time been patient and disciplined.
- Esteban
My experience has been amazing
My experience with Across the Pond has been an amazing one! I came across the website during my initial search of the different universities around the UK. After I had completed my undergraduate studies in the US, I knew that I wanted to study abroad in the UK.
I got in touch with Across the Pond and my advisor was very helpful! She answered all of my questions about the different partner universities to help me choose my program of study. For any questions that she did not have immediate answers to, my advisor made sure she spoke to her university contacts to get all the information I needed. Not only was she timely in her email responses, but the advisor was also very enthusiastic and helped to make the application process much more relaxed and less stressful for me. Before the start of term, my advisor organized a meet-up for students to ask her any last-minute questions about student visas, pre-departure, and school arrival procedures. This was very beneficial and I even made some new friends that were going to attend graduate programs at nearby universities in London.
My overall experience with Across the Pond has been very positive and I would highly recommend it to anyone that would like to study in the UK!
- Roshni
