How to study well in the UK

How to study well in the United Kingdom

The UK is the third most popular destination among Vietnamese students who want to study abroad. As stated by the Ministry of Education and Training, the UK’s university education and higher education attracts Vietnamese students the most. 

There are currently about 12,000 Vietnamese people studying in the UK. At the Vietnam UK higher education collaboration forum, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Phuc said: the Chevening Scholarships launched by the UK’s government have helped many Vietnamese students successfully study abroad in the UK on a master’s degree course. Many of them have graduated from British universities and are contributing to the development of our country.

Benefits of studying abroad in the UK

• The opportunity to experience its world-renowned academic background with a rich history.
• Your degree will be approved anywhere around the world.
• Many scholarships are offered, especially those which are fully funded by several high schools.
• Adequate and free health insurance for students staying in the UK for more than 6 months.

How to study well in the UK

• Procedures:

- Pay attention to procedures: accurate information in your documents, evidence for financial ability, choosing the right type of visa, visa interview questions, “clean” travel history. Seek a professional consultant or organization for support in this process.

- Simultaneously, you should focus on enhancing your English skills and soft skills to prepare for living alone in a brand new environment.

• Health:

- Avoid long trips near the date of boarding. 

- Bring your own medicines to treat certain illnesses (flu, fever, diarrhea, etc.) or prescribed ones (if any).

- Prepare 2 or 3 pairs of glasses or contact lenses if you are short-sighted.

- Remember to attend dental check-ups and get treatments (if any).

• Required documents:

- Passport + visa: original and 04 photopies (no notarized version needed)

- Admission Letter

- Receipt proving the paid amount of tuition fee and notification of the remaining unpaid fee.

- CAS (Confirmation for Acceptance for Study)

- Original and notarized versions of any report cards, bachelor’s degrees. Parents should also keep some of those.

- Original and notarized versions of any IELTS/TOEFL Certificates.

- Birth Certificate

- Health Insurance papers

- Scholarship award letter (if any)

- Original and 2 notarized versions of International Driver’s License (if any).

Note: All documents above should be scanned and saved in a USB because you could lose them anywhere along your journey.

• Clothes:

- For students over 16 years old: bring some comfortable clothes such as jeans, T-shirts, shorts, and skirts that can be used for both going to school and strolling.

- Bring clothes such as waterproof clothes, scarves, jackets, sweaters, wool beanie hats, socks, and winter shoes in case the temperature decreases, sometimes even to the point of freezing.

- Bring a raincoat for rainy spring days.

• Money

- Do not bring more than 3.000 GBP to avoid losing along the way.

- Bring international debit cards such as VISA or MasterCard.

While you are in the UK, don’t forget to:

• Open a domestic bank account as soon as possible. It usually takes about 4 weeks to obtain a bank account so make sure you bring enough cash during this period.
• Register for UK healthcare service as soon as possible. International students are usually not charged for using this service.
• Travel around by bus or subway to save more money.
• Don’t miss the opportunity to travel and visit cities in the UK during your journey.

Requirements for international students in the UK

• You can only work part-time as long as you have obtained the Tier 4 Student visa, which is for international students who stay for more than 6 months in the UK.
• You may get a work permit depending on the school or major that you choose in the UK.
• Students can only work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours per week during vacation periods.