Studying in the UK will be a whole new experience for international students, from the new lifestyle, to making new friends, and trying exciting new things. It’ll be a great time for all of you, but don’t forget about the reason you have come to the UK – studying! UK universities are well-respected around the world, and there is a reason for that, as academic culture in the UK is quite unique and specialised. If you’re feeling a bit nervous about the studying side of things, here are some study tips and facts to help you on your way.

• Independent study is important: most students will have to study on their own at university, and will be expected to make decisions for themselves and to come up with their own ideas. This means no plagiarism!

• You will need to be critical: it’s not enough to just learn facts in the UK, it’s more important to be able to criticise facts and arguments, so that you can see if it is true, and if it is supported and makes sense.

• Learn how to argue: a key part of studying in the UK is learning how to argue, and how to construct your own arguments in your essays. This is almost more important than being able to learn the facts themselves – and it is something that you’ll have to practice.

• Take notes in lectures… but not too many notes: Lectures are place where you’ll get a lot of your learning done, and you’ll be introduced to a lot of new info. You will need to make notes, but you should write everything down – just the main points. You can learn different tricks and skills for note taking to make all that simpler, such as abbreviation, different coloured pens, and making sure everything is written concisely. Make sure that you write up your notes after each lecture, as that way you’ll make sure that you understand everything clearly, and can check those things you don’t.

• Get involved in seminars: it might be a nervy at first, but those seminars are a great place to talk about what you’ve been studying, and learn different interpretations from other students. Make sure you’re familiar with what you’re going to be looking at before each seminar, and do the reading in advance. This will really help, and you won’t look foolish when you get asked your opinion! It will also give you face-to-face time with your tutor, which is very valuable, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about things you don’t understand.

• Words, words, words: you’ll be given a list of books (texts) at the beginning of your course, and even though you don’t have to read every book, you will have to make the effort to buy the essential texts. All those books can be expensive, though, and sometimes you’ll find that you won’t have to read all a book – just a few selected chapters. This is where the library comes in handy, as you can get the books for free, or pay a little and photocopy the key chapters. Photocopying is really useful, as you will be able to make notes in the margins, highlight the key lines, and not have to worry about returning the book in good condition. Second hand books are also really useful, and there will probably be a second hand bookshop near your university that sells a lot of the books you need at a reduced price, or you can check Amazon Marketplace for used books.

• And finally… Reading is itself a skill, and skim reading is a great ability to have when your reading list is piling up. Focus on the key chapters, and read the first and last lines of each paragraph first – this will introduce the topic of the paragraph, as well as the conclusion – and then you can quickly look through the rest of the paragraph for key words. This will save you a lot of time, and obviously works best for reading text books and academic material, rather than novels!

That is a lot of things to think about, but don’t let it put you off! A foundation year or pre-master’s course not only teaches you about your chosen subject, but it also prepares you for study in the UK. You’ll learn how to think critically, how to problem solve, and get practice in the academic culture that we have here in the UK. Understanding what is expected of students at universities in the UK is incredibly important, so ask your agent for more advice about a foundation year or pre-master’s course.