What is it like to move overseas to a British university?

02 January 2020

In this blog, Jan Sterba, describes why he chose to move from the Czech Republic to the UK to study BSc International Management at WBS.

Are you thinking about studying in the UK? If so, then you have come to the right place! My name is Jan, I am 23 years old and I moved to the UK from Czech Republic to study at Warwick Business School (WBS). I am now in my final year studying BSc International Management and I would like to share with you my experience of being a university student as well as give you an insight into how I decided to study in the UK.

So, what exactly made me decide to come to WBS?

As soon as I decided to study in the UK, I began my search reviewing the universities all around the country – and the University of Warwick was among my top choices because apart from being a campus university which I prefer, it was highly ranked and widely recognised. I then attended an Open Day which helped to confirm my choice. I was astonished by the WBS building, all the facilities for students and the warm welcome I received from the tour guide as well as from other WBS staff.

How did I prepare before moving countries?

My previous visits to the UK as a tourist and having the opportunity to visit the University of Warwick in advance helped me get rid of the fear of not knowing where I am about to move to for the next few years of my life. I would recommend coming to visit the UK if possible, maybe attend an Open Day and take the opportunity to spend a couple of days in the UK. WBS usually has an Open Day in their summer season so the weather is nice, which means it is the perfect time to explore. Giving you the opportunity to visit WBS and get a sense of life in the UK. Especially if you have lived in one country your whole life as I did, it might be difficult at first to move to a new country but trust me, once you get past the initial worry, you will really start to enjoy it.

How do I feel now about my decision to study at WBS?

I am now in my third year here at WBS and I must admit I am having a great time; this may even be the most enjoyable academic year in my entire student life. It took me a while at the very beginning as a first year student to get used to the university lifestyle. However, once you find friends, the activities you like and modules you like to study, there is hardly anything to dislike, and it only gets better with time. Sounds too good to be true? Well, there can be some frustrating moments in your student life now and then, it may be your first time living away from home and you are learning how to do things on your own. However, I can assure you that the enjoyable moments and benefits of studying here at Warwick outweigh those frustrating moments. You also have to remember that everyone is going through the same thing as you, so you can always ask another student for help as it is likely that they have faced something similar!

What would be my advice to you?

Being a student in a different country is not as difficult as you might think. It does take some courage, some getting used to, and you will most certainly feel out of your comfort zone for a while. But I encourage you to ask anyone with a similar experience of studying abroad and getting to know new cultures – you will not find one person who would say they regret such a decision. If there is one thing that I would like you to take away from reading this blog, if you are thinking of studying in the UK, it is to make sure you do your research. Moving to a new country for three or more years of your life is a big decision and you want to make sure you will be comfortable at the university you decide to study at. For me though, moving to the UK to study at WBS was one of the best decisions I have made so far and I do not regret it one bit.

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