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| Surviving the first week |
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| Starting life at a college or university
in a new country could be compared to finding yourself on a
desert island! Ed Colley discovered that help is on hand to
get you through the first week |
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| For any student, the first week of
their studies at a new college or university can be a nerve-racking
experience. For international students, this first week away,
in a country whose language, culture and people are unfamiliar,
can be particularly daunting. Fortunately, the UK has been welcoming
international students for generations and has many years experience
of looking after your needs. From the moment you arrive in the
UK, special support will be available to help you settle into
life and study. |
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| International Offices at educational
institutions throughout the UK understand the anxieties of international
students and are on hand to ensure you are made to feel as welcome
and comfortable as possible during the first week. Two such
International Offices are those at The University of Liverpool
and Bournemouth University. Like many institutions across the
UK, they offer a range of services in that all-important first
week. |
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| Meet and greet |
| UK institutions do their best to
ensure that international students have a positive experience
of the UK from the moment they step off the plane. Many arrange
a 'meet and greet' service to collect students from the airport.
A representative from the college or university will meet students
at the airport and accompany them back to the institution. Many
students find it reassuring to have a friendly face waiting
for them. |
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| Both Liverpool and Bournemouth universities
run a meet and greet service, from Manchester and Heathrow airports
respectively. Liverpool's service operates on the three days
before the start of the University's orientation conference
for new international students. There are three scheduled bus
runs a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and one run on Monday.
This year, during the arrival week before orientation, Bournemouth
are organising a 53-seater coach to collect students from Heathrow.
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| Accommodation |
| Many institutions offer guaranteed
accommodation for your first year. Student accommodation can
range from homestay (where you live in the home of a host family)to
halls of residence. Homestay families will have experience in
housing international students and halls of residence will often
have people on hand to help students settle in. |
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| At The University of Liverpool, all
the university halls of residence have a hall manager and a
residential senior tutor, who is usually a member of the University's
academic staff. Each hall also has around seven or eight senior
students who work with the hall manager and senior tutor to
welcome new students into the hall. At Bournemouth University,
the Accommodation Service organises social and induction evenings
for students and there is someone in the Service who is dedicated
to helping international students with accommodation enquiries.
Broxtowe College in Nottingham has a 'buddies' system where
current students help new students settle in and are on hand
to give advice. |
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| Welcome events |
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| Perhaps the biggest problem in the
first week of your studies is the amount of time on your hands,
and because it would be difficult for you to occupy all of this
time on your own, educational institutions organise social activities
and introductory events to help international students settle
in. |
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| Broxtowe College provide a detailed
induction programme. This is designed to help students get to
know the College and the area, and also includes input from
the local medical services and police liaison officer to address
safety and security issues. |
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| The University of Liverpool, runs
an Introductory Conference for International Students. This
three-day programme of events covers a wide range of topics
and aims to help new international students adjust to life in
a UK university. There is a full social programme that provides
an opportunity to make new friends, view the University campus,
the city and the greater Merseyside region. Existing international
students are on hand to offer practical advice from their own
experience. |
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| Monique Tey, a student from Malaysia,
remembers the social programme during her first week at The
University of Liverpool, 'There were many events for me to participate
in during my first week, all organised by the University. A
shopping trip and bus tour around the city, a ferry trip across
the river Mersey, an Irish dancing night, a formal dinner, all
of which were great fun. I was also able to familiarise myself
with the city as the International Office provided maps and
a guided tour during orientation week.' |
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| The University of Newcastle upon
Tyne incorporate social events with their welcome service to
smooth the transition to life and study in the UK. This includes
open top bus trips around the city, quiz nights and international
social evenings. |
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| At Bournemouth University, an International
Students Orientation Programme runs for nine days in September.
As well as information sessions during the day, social events
including a welcome buffet, bowling, pizza on the beach, nightclub
visit and pub crawl during the evening. |
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| Settling in |
| Unfortunately, the first week of
your studies cannot just be social events - it will also be
necessary for you to organise more serious practicalities. These
could be anything from passport issues to council tax issues,
to securing a driving license. At Bournemouth, the International
Students Orientation Programme provides an information fair,
study skills workshops, immigration advice, and advice on how
to register with a doctor. |
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| Obviously this is where good contact
with your International Office is very important and it is a
contact that International Offices will themselves encourage.
As Jason Thomas in the International Office at The University
of Liverpool comments, 'We have a Welfare and Advisory Service
specifically for international students, and we encourage students
to use this service, as it is excellent. Because students have
been dealing with us before arriving in Liverpool, they often
feel more comfortable coming to us, and that's fine too. 'Or
as Monique puts it, 'Go and speak to University staff. They
will help you.' |
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| Academic studies |
| With all the settling in and social
events, you'd be forgiven for forgetting about the main purpose
of you being a student in the first place - getting a first-class
UK education. Your academic studies are the most important aspect
of your time in the UK, and as such, lead to their own particular
worries: will you find the right lecture theatre in time, do
you have the necessary resources, and what happens if you don't
understand what your tutor is saying?! International Offices
are |
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| aware of your worries. Bournemouth University put prospective
students in touch with current students so that they can ask
questions about their courses and prepare themselves. The nine-day
orientation programme contains workshops on academic writing
and presentation skills and a session is run which explains
how the University's academic systems may be different to those
students are used to. |
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| At most institutions, personal tutors
will normally arrange to meet their tutees within the first
few weeks of term to check that they are settling in okay and
to help with any problems. |
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| Surviving as a student |
| The UK has one of the lowest 'drop-out'
rates (the number of students who leave before the end of their
course) in the world, and there is no doubt that you will survive
your first week at a college or university in the UK. It may
have its downs as well as its ups, but as long as you remember
that there is a team of people whose job it is to ensure your
safety and happiness throughout your studies, and who you can
approach for assistance at any time, you will not just survive,
but will experience some of the best times of your life (and
get a great education in the bargain). |
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| Handy hints |
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Tips from an International Officer:
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Don't be shy! Most people will be
in the same position as you, and will be grateful if you take
the initiative and talk to them first. |
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Be positive when dealing with International
Offices. They are there to help you but are not mind readers.
If you need advice, you must ask for it. |
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Do your research before you arrive
- find out what services your college or university offers.
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A student's tips for surviving the
first week: |
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Speak to University staff when you
arrive. |
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Don't overload yourself with luggage.
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Bring a good supply of your favourite
treats from home. |
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| Web links |
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