United Kingdom

Before starting my new university life, I have been worrying a lot about how different will it be compared to our high school life. But after my new university life started, I feel like it is pointless for me to be worrying that much before! It is very easy for me to adapt to this new style of life. I am living on my own now, and I have been making a lot of new friends from different nations too. For now, I can proudly say that I am happy and excited about university life, although there are a lot more work compared to high school, I feel so motivated that even when I am working on essays or presentations, I am enjoying them! In the coming years, I hope that I will feel the same about my university and will be able to meet my old friends that are studying in different universities in UK too.

In high school, others told me that freedom comes to you when you are in university, learning to be independent and pursuing your dreams step by step. New friends, new environment, it’s basically a fresh start. However, university is not what I thought it would be. I am not going to sugar coat my experience and create a delusion that university life is perfect. Meeting new friends is hard for me, as most of the time I am stuck in lectures. I could hardly meet the same people in lectures which makes it really hard for me to build up new friendships. But, I do love my course a lot. Not only does my school teach me on managing businesses or hotels, it also provides me operational trainings (eg. working in restaurants). I am also working part time in a hotel. I love my job, my colleagues are supportive and I have such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. There may be challenges we have to cope with for a long time, but it’s a part of learning. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone is very stressful to me, but as I look back, I realize that I’ve grown so much through these months and I might just be steps away from my dream! :)

What is university life?

University for me, is not very different from IB, packed with essays and assignments. I can ensure that you won’t be shocked by the academic side of things, if you are already used to IB way. The only difference is, by no doubt, the contact hours. In fact, it is the thing that makes all the differences. With so little “teaching” time, we get a lot of time for self learning, in areas beyond the course itself. It nurtures our social, organisational and essential life skills in preparing us to become independent, versatile adults. It is also a great opportunity to meet people of various backgrounds, cultures and races.

Studying at Surrey

Surrey is a rather unique university, one of its kind. It is a relatively new university when comparing to the ones in London, but it has been working its way up in many of the league tables in the recent years. This could been understood by the enthusiastic and motivated students here at Surrey. Only 30 minutes away from London by train, the campus is at the heart of a small, but vibrant city of Guildford. It is known as one of the safest city in England. With plenty of greenery and a quiet town, it has inherently one of best environments for studying.

Like many other UK universities, societies and clubs take up a major part of the university life. Being the Secretary of the Japanese Society and Publicity Officer of the Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Services Society, I highly recommend you all to take on a committee role, or at least, be an active member of some societies of your interest. It is a great way to meet people with common interest, but more importantly as committee, it is a rewarding experience to work as a team with people of different cultures.

What is Digital Media Arts? Is it a subject for me?

Digital media arts is a subject for creative minds who are not only interested in one specific type of media. The course offers the opportunity to take a glimpse at different media types, ranging from filming to animation, 3D modelling to graphic design. The first two years helps students to explore and gain professional knowledge of different industry standard creative tools, whereas the third has more emphasis on student’s creative and professional interest, dedicated with a final year project of any kinds.

Just like every other programme in Surrey, placement year plays a major role. Between second and third year, students will be able to do an exchange or placement in the professional industry, with the assistance of the university’s career office. In my opinion, this is rather essential as many employers nowadays favour graduate with fair amount of work experience, especially the media industry.

What is Imperial like?

Imperial is a welcoming community. The moment you enter the Institution, you are surrounded by enthusiastic students and staff. One thing to note, most students are Asian, and nearly 2/3 of students are males (maybe Asian males are more into science and engineering). Imperial also offers student counselling and mental health advice, so if you are feeling stressed about anything, do not be afraid to talk to them.

Studying at Imperial

You will never get bored at Imperial. Imperial has over 340 Clubs, Societies & Projects that are student-led and student-run, making it one of the universities that offers the largest varieties of student-led activities in the UK. I encourage all freshers to take part in activities they are interested in. In your second year, you may want to step up and be one of the committee members!

I found it a rewarding experience to coordinate non-profit events and volunteering opportunities as the Vice-Chair of the Public Awareness and Social Service (PASS) Society. I decided to take up this role as I wanted to use my experience and skills I gained at VSA to optimise the student experience here at Imperial. Around 30 universities in the UK have a PASS society. There are a lot of inter-school activities like charity dinner and conferences for members to attend and socialise, so I encourage any potential students to stay tuned.

What is Biomedical Science? Is it a subject for me?

For students who are interested in learning how the body systems work at molecular, cellular and systemic levels, a degree in biomedical science is an option for you. Imperial has restructured the BSc Biomedical Science programme, and is now renamed as BSc Medical Bioscience. The new programme has more emphasis on laboratory work, and students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills in a research project, placement, or dissertation due to complete in their final year.

What makes biomedical science different from other courses is that most topics we study are disease-based, from emerging non-communicable diseases to neglected topical diseases. It is different from medicine as we do not focus on the clinical presentations, but we still need to understand the causes, prevention and treatment of a range of complications.

Many other universities do offer biomedical science course - some of them cover generic topics, while some allow you to specialise in your area of interest. I am currently specialising in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, which includes areas like regenerative medicine, pregnancy and birth, as well as paediatric infections and allergy. This option is suitable for students who are interested in hormone-dependent systems and cancer, embryonic development and child health.

The education tripos at Homerton College is absolutely brilliant because it offers a multidisciplinary approach to the very real field of education. When being a sociologist, philosopher, psychologist and historian of education is not enough, I can devote whatever attention I have left to the English half of my tripos. Either way, it's hard to catch me on a day without essay writing, all of which I'll receive a one-to-few or even one-to-one feedback in supervisions.

Beyond my studies, I've joined conferences, debates and drama productions of all sorts and enjoyed hanging out with my new friends at university!

To all of those who still have not decided what they want to study in university or what career to pursue, I think it is crucial to bear in mind what your interest really is. By focusing on the course that you have chose to study in university, this means you will be able to grasp a much more in depth knowledge in the subject area you have chosen, provided you work hard enough.

Unlike high school, university is a place where you really have to do your own work outside of class. Take Law as an example, I would probably say 80% of my learning derives from my own readings from the textbooks/articles. Indeed, lectures in universities will often act as a mere guide, highlighting the relevant chapters in a textbook and any relevant case law that you should go on and read in detail outside of class. Tutors will often not devolve their effort to ensure all students are on track with their progress, hence it is vital to be discipline with learning as a university student.

In order to be motivated to do so, frankly you need to make sure you choose the course that you really want to study, where you will be more eager to learn. While parents do often strongly recommend their children to choose certain subjects to study, ultimately it is your own choice.

Another source of motivation is perhaps the career that you would like to pursue after your studies. Take myself as an example, I really want to be a lawyer. So albeit my university life has been really tough with lots of readings and essays, I am motivated to work hard as this is the only way where I can pursue my ideal career.

Last but not least, good luck with your studies and please do treasure your time in VSA, as VSA is the place that I miss the most after being a student for so many years.

Unlike my previous education system, formal timed examinations and rigid memorization of textbook contents are no longer required. Instead, the inspirations for my design ideas are gained through daily observations and readings, which are critical approaches I have learnt and valued. Architecture in Brighton University has no exam besides a few open book tests. However, it is definitely a very time consuming course. In my case, I would be thinking about it while eating, while sleeping and even when I was doing my prayers to God. Studying architecture has been a lot of fun although it may seems a bit intense and stressful. My current studio tutor said to us that "we are all pleasantly suffering" in architecture.

Studying Architecture, you will need to think a lot. I feel that university is more about finding yourself (that is what I have noticed in most Arts related subject). It helped me to know myself better. Through studying you will be able to find out you interest and your style of working. But I think socializing with people is even more important. Besides the content I am studying, I enjoy the time with my course mates and tutors in the studio. When design project begins, if you choose to work in the studio, you could be staying with your course mates for more than 6 hours a day every Monday to Saturday. A small tip: You would also get a lot more implications from your tutors if you work in the studio. Each studio group is like a small family, talking and working with my course mates has always been the most enjoyable part in my study.

Brighton University's architecture is a more art-based course, that's why I chose this school when I had first read their course description. There is often a confusion between the degree title of Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc). Does the title of the course indentify which way the course leans? At first, I thought the same too. Because one of our course mates had found Brighton's BA architecture too difficult and went back to her home country to study BSc Architecture. She has to do so much more math calculations than we do. But in fact there is no difference. For instance, the Barlett is more art based, yet it's a BSc. Therefore, it is very important to read the course prospectuses and the architecture schools aims before you make your choice.

You don't have to become an architect if you study architecture. Three years ago there was a graduate in our school who was very interested in cooking and baking cakes. He even made his final year project out of edible food. I could still remember the fabulous odor coming from a corner of the final year degree show three years ago. A few weeks before Christmas holiday, our tutor told us that the student had actually went to a cooking school after graduation and he is now a qualified chef. Our tutor had once told us another story of a girl who always wanting to own a tea leaf shop in her small home town. She has even based most of her design on this topic. And now she has fulfilled her dream. Alternatively, one might fall in love with the charm and beauty of architecture. As a practicing architect once told me, "architecture is like a drug" that you can get addicted to.

Physics, Arts and Maths will definitely benefit your study in Architecture. Don't worry if you are not good at them. Because I am not good at Physics either. Also, there are students who cannot draw by hand but can draw fabulously on computer. Studying IB might seems hard but I miss high school a lot. I miss studying physics although it's my weakest subject. The thing I missed the most is the time I spent with my friends and staffs in school. Therefore, to all VSA students, remember to treasure every minute of your school life because you will always look back to it when you grow up.

What is UEA like?

UEA (University of East Anglia) is in Norwich, a city in Norfolk, east of England. It is a very tight-knit community, I guess it’s due to the fact that we’re in Norfolk (which no one ever knows where) and that Norwich is the only city in Norfolk to have voted remain.

Studying at UEA

There are loads of societies in UEA, I’m not sure how many exactly, but they’re all student-led and run. There are societies based on nationalities, there are some based on interests such as drama society (which I am in) and there are also a lot of sports societies. From my experiences of societies at UEA, they are all very welcoming and you will be able to meet lots of new people from different places in the world. I for one have met some very good friends, and my friend group mainly consists of people from my course and drama society. So I do encourage people to join societies based on their own interests, so that they can meet new people and instantly have something in common before even speaking to each other.

Other than societies, UEA also offers a lot of student staff roles, ranging from cashier work to venue staff to being part of the SU teams. I’m currently working in the marketing team at the SU, and it’s been a fun experience so far, the work environment is very chill and the SU are always very concerned about the wellbeing of all the student staff members.

The night life in Norwich is rather safe. We have one club venue on campus and two bars (which are connected so technically we have one), there are regular gigs both in the club and in the blue bar, where Live Music society would occasionally host open mic nights. The Never Ok campaign is very prevalent on campus, and all the venue staff are trained to deal with issues that arise regarding all types of assault, so you can ensure your night out would be extremely safe. Outside of campus, we also have an entire street of clubs including Waterfront (which is also managed by the UEA SU) which plays alternative music. But if you don’t want to go so far for a good night out, the campus club is not the best, but it’s still has a special place in every UEA student’s heart, while we dance along to Mr. Brightside for the 100th time.

What is Drama? Is it a subject for me?

If you’re only interested in acting, then I suggest going to a drama school instead. However, if you want a balanced course that teaches the theories behind drama, scriptwriting, backstage along with plenty of opportunities to have your own work put on, then this just might be the course for you. The thing I love the most about UEA’s drama course is that no matter if you an English and Drama degree, or straight Drama degree, or Scriptwriting and Performance degree, you’re automatically apart of the community that is ‘Minotaur Theatre Company’, which is the student-led and student-run theatre company on campus. In this company, you have opportunities to submit your script for festivals or ‘slots’ throughout the year, you would also be able to put on pieces of work that has already been written by someone else. You would also be able to audition and act in plays, and of course you can also direct, or stage manage, or costume design etc for shows. First years are also allowed to run for committee and lead the company into their second years before handing it back to the new first years. In my first year, I ran for publicity artist and got it, and it was a very interesting experience because you would be part of the group that makes sure everything runs smoothly within the company.

There are two main performance spaces in the Drama Studio, one is the ‘main space’ which is a medium sized auditorium with balcony doors and adjustable seating arrangements, there is also a tech box with all the necessary lighting and sound equipment. The second space is the ‘rehearsal room’, where they are also lighting and sound systems, albeit more simplistic than the main space, but it is enough to put on a show that requires an intimate space with the audience.

In first year, you’ll be one of the first people to arrive at uni, and the first weekend you get back, you’ll be able to work with your new coruscates and create pieces of theatre inspired by Greek myths. (One of them being the Minotaur, hence the name of our theatre company) This would be a great opportunity for you to meet new people who might become your best friends throughout uni life. You’ll also have a module where you have the opportunity to learn certain technical areas from the options of stage management, set design, lighting, sound and costume design. You can also choose to do meisner which is a very useful acting technique developed by (who would’ve guessed) sanford meisner, which aims to get the actor out of their comfort zone.

In second year, I took a placement module, where I got to work in a professional environment, in one of Norwich’s theatre venues. It gave me an insight on how theatres work, which will be very useful for your future. We also had a module called Outreach, where we were assigned a ‘client’ - in my group’s case, our client was a museum - and we had to create a performance piece or lead a workshop at the museum with children, teaching them about the workhouses in the Victorian era. This is also a very useful module for your future, as doing these kinds of performance work, is a possible career prospect.

In third and final year, you’ll come together as an entire course, and everyone will take part in creating a festival of 2-3 big productions. You’ll have one acting role and one backstage role, where you can have a first-hand experience in working as a professional theatre company. At the end of the last semester, you will also have a chance to write, direct and act your own 15 minute ‘project’.

Studying in university is not just about gaining the knowledge and skills in your field of study, but also learning to be independent and managing your life. Especially if you are studying abroad like me, you have a lot more control and responsibilities on the way you live. You can choose to be completely focused on studies and be anti-social, or to party all day long and skip as many lectures as you want (not to say that you can graduate if you do that). You also have to take care of your own health and hygiene. Cleaning your room, doing your laundry and preparing your meals are all part of university life.​

Overall, my first three months of university life have been pleasing and rewarding. I’ve met friends from different countries and have certainly learnt a lot in my studies. There are times when I feel nostalgic, but having friends around to talk, play, cook and laugh with really helps dampen negative feelings.

Lastly, I hope you will find your university life a fruitful experience in the future too!

University Life

It has been nearly 3 years since I left VSA, and I have been studying in Imperial since then. I am here to share some of my university experience and advises to you.

Studying aboard is a completely new experience, where you need to be more independent. Initially, I found it hard to adept, as it was the first time I lived in London away from my family and friends. However, the feeling of homesick soon passed away as I got to know new friends from living in student hall, engaging in societies and completing group assignments. I will recommend staying in student hall for at least a year to know people from around the world. The rent is usually cheaper as well.

University lectures are very different from lessons in VSA. You will often find yourself sitting in a lecture hall with over 100 people and far away from the lecturers. Professors don’t usually have the time to ensure all the students understood their materials, so more self-study is needed. In addition, no one will be chasing for late assignments, so you will need to be self-disciplined as well.

During your university, you should definitely join societies that interest you. This allows you to know people who share your passions and participates in events you never experienced in VSA, for example, design competitions and organizing a summit.

What is material science all about?

Material science and engineering is a study of the properties of different materials, the science behind them and their applications. It Is an interdisciplinary field which incorporates knowledge from many subjects, such as mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. The first and second year of my undergraduate course covers a wide range of material. Whereas on the third year onwards you have the choice of specializing in certain materials. I am interested in new photovoltaic materials, such as perovskite and quantum dot, so I chose nanomaterial and simulations this year. If you are considering to study material science in the future, I would recommend taking 2 science subjects for IB DP and following news of new materials.

The first few weeks were quite tough and emotionally tiring because I certainly miss home a lot, especially when I first reached a place that isn’t familiar to me. Although I have to overcome the emotional impact that leaving home has brought to me, this experience definitely shaped me into a more independent and risk-taking individual. It pushes me to be more outgoing and I am glad that I have now got friends in university with different cultural backgrounds.

I have also trained myself to be organized enough and self-disciplined in order to cope with the excessive workload. I live in a self-catered accommodation, which means that I also have to consider groceries shopping, cooking, laundries, other than studying and schooling.

Overall, I found it exciting and challenging to study aboard. But I am so glad to have friends from VSA and UCL that support me throughout the journey!