Benefits
What are the benefits of studying in England?
- You can finally study what you’re really interested in. The range of subjects that is on offer is so broad that you might not even be able to choose just one course. That is why most universities offer so called joint honours degrees which enable combining two courses into one degree.
- It is fairly easy to find a part-time job alongside your studies to cover the majority of your expenses, the average hourly wage being 6 GBP. EU citizens have no limitations in regards to working hours.
- Your English will finally be close to perfect! You will no longer have to freak out about job interviews in English. In fact, you will be advantaged on the labour market because of your language skills.
- It is very common to undergo a paid internship or a work placement as part of your course as universities aim to cooperate with the best companies in a given field. It is for sure that you will not finish your studies having gained only theoretical knowledge and will thus be employable right after graduation.
- Although the British education system aims at providing its students with theoretical knowledge of the best quality, it also aspires to hand over its students the power of soft skills, which includes giving presentations, the ability of effective communication, teamwork, creativity, etc.
- British universities emphasise the need to develop critical thinking, a process that involves hours spent self-educating yourself, reading academic literature, and writing academic essays, all of which contributes to deepening your knowledge, forming your own opinion on a given problem, and being able to defend your arguments. Even though it might sound like it’s going to be hard, you will get used to this system soon enough to appreciate it. It will then be for the critical thinking that you will have developed your true potential upon finishing university.
- There is a career centre at each university that helps its students find not only part-time jobs, but also assists them with their CVs and motivation letters, and provides them with advice for interviews. This service is free of charge for all students and it is very common that it also assists university graduates to find full-time jobs some years after leaving university.
- The environment at British universities is truly international. You will be studying with students from all over the world. This will not only help you to meet new friends and make contacts, but also to learn how to work with people from different mentalities and cultures. You will learn how people from different backgrounds think which will lead to your open mindedness and respect for others.
- In England, it is not common to have oral exams or exams that are purely based on memorising theory. Your course grade is usually composed of coursework, which includes in-class presentations, group projects and essays, and a final exam. The whole grading process is very impartial – your graded work is very often sent to an external examiner who has never seen or met you in order to overlook the objectivity of grading.
- As part of your undergraduate or postgraduate studies, despite already studying in a foreign country, you get to participate in a student exchange for the period of one, two or three semesters as part of the Erasmus or other programmes anywhere in the world due to the unlimited possibilities each British university has to offer.
- Last but not least – you do not have to pay your tuition fees while studying as the British government will pay it for you, and you will only have to start repaying your tuition fee loan after you start earning over a certain limit. See more information about student finance here.
Life in England
Living costs Compared to the Czech Republic, it is worth noting that the United Kingdom is more expensive. Although in small towns, your monthly expenses can be around 500 GBP, your expenses in London can easily reach some 1 000 GBP per month.
Accommodation All British universities offer student halls or on campus accommodation to their students, where all first year undergraduate students and all master’s students have a room guaranteed, which is a privilege that is also applicable to international students. A standard room has one single bed which is either en-suite or has a bathroom that is shared with other 3-5 hall-mates. It is always possible to rent a private student house or an apartment that is usually cheaper than living in halls, which is though an option for second and third year students in the majority of cases. Universities provide their students with advisory services regarding house hunting and are always there to help with choosing the best location, house, landlord or a real estate agency..
Job opportunities EU citizens are in no way limited regarding part-time or full-time jobs, regardless whether or not it is term time. The minimum wage for all European Union students aged between 18-20 is 5.60 GBP/hour; for students aged between 21-24, it is 7.05 GBP/hour; and for students who are older than 25 years of age, it is 7.50 GBP/hour. Students usually work at restaurants, hotels, cafés or shops, however, it is also very common for universities to offer on campus jobs. It is not difficult to earn for a living for a student if he/she has a part-time job alongside studying in Great Britain.
