Usually,
the University’s conditions to get into your desired degree involve getting a
certain result in your A-levels. But what happens if you aren’t in the British
educational system because you live in another country? Conditions will
obviously be different. You still have them of course, but they will vary
depending on the studies you’ve done, or the degree you are willing to get
into. No A-levels for us internationals.
For
Spanish students, the British University’s conditions will probably involve
getting a certain overall or mark in our ‘Título de Bachiller’, which is the
traditional path towards Spanish University, along with other national exams.
In my case, they also asked for a specific result in a DELF (Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française) exam, as
I wanted to do a MLES degree- French and ab initio Italian. And IELTS (International
English Language Testing System) results are a must-have for internationals.
After all, you will be doing your degree in English, so you need to have the
skills and be fluent enough in this language in order to succeed.
Hence,
while all the British students waited anxiously for their A-level results in
mid-August, I had already met the University’s conditions a couple of months
earlier.
Even
before applying in January 2014 and having received my offers, I had known I would
need to sit the language exams. Thus, I was able to prepare for those
throughout the academic year. It was hard and sometimes stressful to combine
studying for Bachillerato and also preparing for the independent language exams,
but the effort was definitely worth it. In a fairly small period of time, I
managed to take – and pass- both exams by March 2014. That was one thing out of
the way.
Now
I could focus on my Bachiller results. Although I still hadn’t received my
offers from the Universities I had applied to, I knew the stakes would be high
so I ought to try and get the highest marks possible in my ‘Título de
Bachiller’. This meant working hard once more, but the tough work would certainly
prove valuable. In May 2014, after choosing my UCAS firm and insurance offers,
I got my results. I had met my conditions for my firm choice! University of
Bath, here I come!
Once
I had got in, it was time to get prepped. Living abroad has its downsides. For starters,
most times the distance is too large to go to Open Days or simply visit the
University before actually having to move in, so decisions have to be made
relying on the facts and reviews you have access to on the web, or from the
experience of people you might know. In my case, I couldn’t go, so everything
was to be done online, and I had the opinion of my family to back me up.
Research, research, research, it was. All the information you were going to
need was online, either in the University’s webpage, or just surfing the net
for other info such as phone companies, banks or insurance. Learning about what
weather to expect is definitely useful too. You must not forget anything and,
believe me, it is stressful. There are many papers to fill in and a lot to
prepare. When will I have to leave? How will I get there? What will I need to
take with me? Where will I live? There are many questions arising that need answers.
Marking dates on the calendar and having a checklist of things to do was
something that became part of daily life before arriving. And arriving a couple
of days before Arrivals’ Weekend is a good idea in order to run some errands in situ, like going shopping, getting a
new mobile phone, opening a bank account, or registering with a GP.
Social
networks also play an important role. Because you are so far from Bath, the
best way to feel part of the community before getting there is using Facebook
and Twitter as often as possible. Joining Facebook groups and interacting with
other members makes it easier to share information and meet people who are
doing the same course as you, have the same interests or will live in the same
residence as you. Plus, it is also comforting
to know you are not the only one dealing with this or that problem.
As
time went by, things got done: accommodation allocation, ROL, buying the
official SU wristband, finding out about societies or social life at Bath,
getting your somewhat undecipherable timetables… The biggest challenge was
probably fitting everything into the suitcase and not being over the weight
limit!
Excitement
mixed with anxiety as the moment to leave drew near. It sinks in that you’ll be
away, far from your family and friends, on your own in a different country with
other traditions, language, weather… Everything is going to be different and
hard at times. Homesickness and tears will be part of the acclimatizing
process. It is important to remember who you are and where you’ve come from,
and keeping in contact with your people. And, remember, you won’t be the only
one going through this so sharing your feeling will help. Don’t forget University
will be a great and exciting experience so make sure you make the most of it!
Now
it’s time to say good-bye to your loved ones. Tears running down cheeks and
kisses and farewells and good-lucks as you drag your massive suitcase to the
airport. A new adventure is about to begin, and it will last the next four
years of your life, starting with Arrivals’ Weekend and Freshers’ Week. What
are you waiting for?
