Adapting to UK higher education
Giang, PASS coach, studied as an international Master’s Degree student for a year. She gives us her top tips for adapting to UK higher education.
- Learning self-care
It can feel overwhelming when living independently while maintaining academic performance in a foreign country. To conquer such a challenge, it is important that you look after your physical and mental health.
Self-care might look different for everyone, so it’s really up to you to know what you need the most. It is important that you maintain a healthy and balanced diet and stay active by doing 30 minutes of light exercise each day. It is also helpful to come up with a routine and stick to it, so you can do daily tasks such as eating, cooking, cleaning, alongside your study schedule. Don’t stress out too much if you have one or two days in which everything seems to be out of control; remember that it will take a while for you to adjust to your new life in this new place!
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for support
Just because you are living alone doesn’t mean you have to keep all struggles to yourself. Keeping in touch with your family members and friends as they can make you feel better. Making friends with other international students is important, as you might find people with whom you can share about navigating culture shocks or any challenges adapting to your new life.
Leeds ISC also has a wide range of support for students, you can speak to your PASS Coach, the Welfare and Learning Support team or your academic tutors if you experience any difficulties with studying and living, we can provide anything from advice to signposting you to the professional support services.
3. Set your study goals and stick with them!
Challenging as it is, being in a new country is also extremely exciting and fun! Therefore, it is easy to forget about the main reason why you are here, that is to obtain the knowledge and skills you need for your future career. Take a moment to write down your goals for the academic year, what would it be like? It might be helpful to use SMART goal setting and break it down into smaller monthly/weekly goals. Look at this example:
Notice how when you break down a goal to smaller ones, it sounds less intimidating and more obtainable? You can also add some incentives to your goal, like: “Read one article and comply a 200 words summary, then buy yourself an ice cream”.
4. Embracing and conquering academic shocks.
It depends on where you are from, but generally some differences regarding learning and teaching styles are to be expected when you are an international student. For example, in some countries the teacher is the authoritive figure who would tell you what is wrong and what is right, while in the UK the teacher plays the role of a facilitator who provides guidance and gives constructive feedback only. You are expected to actively engage in the lesson by participating in class discussion. No one will remind you to study for the assessments, you will have to manage your own time for studying and revising.
A helpful strategy is to have a chat with your tutor and your PASS Coach about what is expected from you in a classroom and act accordingly. Also, when a fellow student or staff member acts differently than you would expect, consider how their background and culture influence their behaviours and practice empathy.
5. Using different self-study techniques to cope with exam anxiety
Do you know that there is more than one way to self-study? A great technique is using the Pomodoro, where you divide your study time into smaller sessions with short breaks in between. If you are a visual learner, Miro is good for notetaking, visualisation and mind-mapping. There are various studying techniques, each is suitable for a different type of learner, so be sure to explore and figure out what works best for you when preparing for an exam.
If the anxiety becomes too much, remember that you can always seek support from your tutor or the Student Support team.
