In the recent years, an increasing number of Chinese students have come to study in the UK, with courses ranging from English language, GCSE, A levels to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
While individual ambitions and circumstances are different, there are certain common problems which need serious addressing. For instance, it is important to know how to find appropriate courses, obtain offer letters, apply for entry clearance/visa to the UK, etc.
If you are a prospective student, you have to identify an appropriate British educational institute, be it a language school, a college, or a university, to issue you an offer letter.
You may search the information required through reading relevant books, contacting the British Embassy or consulates or the British Council, getting help from friends who have already been to or are still in the UK, or seeking assistance from agencies (who often charge you a certain service fee).
While all the above are useful sources for your initial searches, it is also possible to obtain free information from the internet, and many educational institutes do provide on-line application forms as well as comprehensive and well-presented prospectuses.
Having received the acceptance letter, you may need to apply for your passport in China if you do not already have one. You can then go to the British Embassy or consulate to apply for entry clearance, which would normally involve an interview with a visa official. Of course, you must prepare well for the interview with sufficient and clear evidence of financial support required, your capability of following the proposed course, your career plan back in China upon completing the course, etc.
Mind you, the better you prepare yourself, the better you will handle the pressure in that situation. It may be worthwhile reading books on visa interviews and talking to people who have had such experiences.
The official figure shows that over 90% of student visa applications to the UK have been successful recently, so you should be confident as long as you are a genuine student. Once you have obtained the entry clearance, you will need to arrange travel to your destination in the UK, and hopefully you have also arranged your accommodation before you arrive there.
Don't forget to buy some of your favourite home products, which will come rather handy in times of home-sickness once you have left behind your loving families and started living in a foreign land.
You may find the sites listed on the left useful. Happy surfing! |