Settling down to study

Having a positive attitude is important - you know it's not going to be the same as at home; but you know that it's going to be better in a short time. - Lupita

Moving to a new country to study is a significant and exciting life change. You probably already know what you are expecting and hoping for, but you may also have some questions and uncertainty. Advice from friends who have already experienced living and studying abroad can help you settle down to your new life in the UK.

In this activity you will listen to some international students already living in the UK, give advice and share what they think you need to know in order to settle down to study.

Listening to advice from other students

It is always useful to listen to advice from people who have already done what you are planning to do. In this activity you are going to listen to four international students offering you some advice based on their own experiences of living and studying in the UK.

Instruction

Watch the video extract and look at these five summaries of the students' advice and comments. Move each one next to the image of the student who says it. When you have finished, read the feedback to check your answers.

To watch the video, click the play button once. You can move between parts of the video by dragging the slider left or right.

Choose a summary of some advice given by one of the speakers and click on it with your mouse. You can then move the item by dragging it to the correct place. If you change your mind, you can still move the item to another place.

There is a transcript for you to look at if you need help:
Video transcript (pdf, 10kb).

Prepare yourself in advance by reading in your subject area and practise writing. And be open to making new friends.
First speaker Second speaker Third speaker Fourth speaker

You'll discover more about yourself from the great experience of being in a new country.
First speaker Second speaker Third speaker Fourth speaker

Passing entry tests and getting a good exam result don't mean that the language will be easy for you, especially the written work on your course.
First speaker Second speaker Third speaker Fourth speaker

It may not be easy and you might not always find what you expect, but you'll grow a lot from the experience. You'll need to be able to handle the challenge.
First speaker Second speaker Third speaker Fourth speaker

It's important to make an effort, join activities, and speak with people. You should get involved and not be shy.
First speaker Second speaker Third speaker Fourth speaker

Here are the answers to the listening activity:

Prepare yourself in advance by reading in your subject area and practise writing. And be open to making new friends.
Fourth speaker

You'll discover more about yourself from the great experience of being in a new country.
Second speaker

Passing entry tests and getting a good exam result don't mean that the language will be easy for you, especially the written work on your course.
Fourth speaker

It may not be easy and you might not always find what you expect, but you'll grow a lot from the experience. You'll need to be able to handle the challenge.
Third speaker

It's important to make an effort, join activities, and speak with people. You should get involved and not be shy.
First speaker

The advice that these four international students offer suggests that there can be cultural and linguistic challenges for students coming to the UK to study but they also emphasise the 'amazing' experience of living and studying in a different country and how much personal growth you can expect from that.

Video transcript (pdf, 11kb).

Watch the video extract again with the transcript below if you need to check your understanding. The parts of the transcript containing the answers to the listening task are highlighted.

Would you like to review the main points?

Studying in the UK will be a very exciting time for you, but there may also be challenges that you didn't expect. It's important to prepare yourself beforehand and make the most of the time while you are in the UK. If you would like to know more about education in the UK, go to the British Council website:
The British Council