Fulfil your dream of studying in the UK
YOU have worked hard to obtain sterling results for your pre-university programme. The only country you want to go to is the UK. You have heard from friends and family members how exciting life as an international student is – the freedom, friends from around the world and the trips to Europe, but your dream hits a slight roadblock you had never thought of.
You made the grades, of course, but there is one slight problem: You received your results too late to make it for the university’s intake. You don’t want to wait a whole nine months to start. Your family will nag you for sitting at home doing nothing, you might not be able to find a part-time job for those few months and your friends studying in local universities would have started their course. So, what can you do?
Although universities in the UK begin their academic year in September every year, you may be surprised to know that there are many universities in the UK offering an intake at the start of the calendar year.
A wide range of courses is offered, from accountancy to engineering. These courses are also offered at a variety of levels, from foundation (if you are planning to go to the UK after SPM or IGCSEs) to undergraduate degrees and postgraduate master’s.
Some of these universities even offer generous scholarships for which international students are eligible. Do take note, however that some critical courses such as medicine, dentistry or pharmacy might not be available.
Courses that start at a different time of the year follow the same curriculum, delivery methods and assessment rigour as those that start in September. You will enjoy and access the same facilities as any other student in the university you are enrolled into.
Even if your results are released in time for the September intake, starting your course in January will allow you more time to plan, apply for your visa, pack and say your farewells. After all, you are probably leaving home for the first time for a country you have never visited or stayed in beyond the duration of your tourist visa.
So, if you missed the September intake, it is not too late to realise your dreams to study in the UK. Here are some examples of courses available in selected UK universities:
University of Bath (www.bath.ac.uk)
> MSc Data Science
> MSc Data Science & Statistics
> MSc Machine Learning & Autonomous Systems
University of Southampton
(www.southampton.ac.uk)
> BSc Accounting and Finance,
> BEng Acoustical Engineering
> LLB Law with Psychology.
University of the West of Scotland
(www.uws.ac.uk)
> MSc Construction Management with Digital Engineering
> MSc Digital Marketing
> MSc Logistics & Supply Chain Management
This article is brought to you by the British Council Malaysia.