Going abroad: time, effort & perseverance
Choosing where to study is almost as hard as choosing what to study. The destination you choose, whether it be at home or abroad, will impact the teaching style you will be exposed to, the lifestyle you will conduct, who you will interact with, how international your university experience will be and the extra-curricular activities you will have the chance to take part in.
The choice of where to study first and foremost entails choosing whether to study abroad or in your hometown. Going abroad can be daunting and scary. Adapting to a whole new culture and lifestyle, not to mention the fact that for most of us it will be the first time living without our families, requires time, effort and perseverance.
A desire for independence and personal growth
However, choosing to study Economics in Edinburgh, Scotland was one of the choices I am most proud of. What ultimately led me to choose studying abroad over staying in Italy was a desire for independence and personal growth. I wanted to learn to do things by myself, to cope with challenges and most importantly to balance studying with household duties and extracurriculars.
Finding a new routine
I think The University of Edinburgh offered me a great chance to do so. With only approximately 9 contact hours a week (3 hours per module), a lot of work and preparation for the course involved self-studying. I initially struggled with this because I was used to a high school system where almost all the material you were required to know was taught during class.
Now, instead, I was required to read and understand topics through self-study with lectures complementing not substituting it. At first I felt overwhelmed and I failed to balance academics with non-academic commitments. However, over time I learnt “how to study” and managed to find a routine that worked for me. This was an invaluable growth experience because during high school most of my day and extracurriculars were planned out for me so it was not until I started university that I understood how important yet challenging it was to create my own routine.
Join societies & support groups
Something that definitely helps to settle is the possibility to join societies and support groups offered by the university. What is also great about these student groups is that they allow you to foster your interests while meeting people with extremely diverse and fascinating backgrounds. They are a great way to get a break from university work while doing things you enjoy.
Academically speaking: understanding the economic intuition
From an academic perspective, an Economics degree at The University of Edinburgh, is challenging yet extremely rewarding. From the very first year, the material is mathematically rigorous but part of the first year is specifically devoted to mathematics lectures, with the aim of bringing everyone up to speed.
Another important feature of the Economics degree is the importance placed on understanding the economic intuition behind the mathematical models studied. Lastly, especially in honours years, students are required to read and study academic papers so as to familiarise themselves with these more technical readings.
Despite being academically challenging, the degree is also stimulating and very flexible in the first two year. As a matter of fact, during their first year, students only have one compulsory Economics model and can thus take four models from other departments. This enables students to explore other interests and understand whether to continue pursuing an Economics degree.
A similar flexibility in course choice is allowed during second year. It is only for the last two years of the degree that students can choose models exclusively from the School of Economics. However, even within this realm the choice is fairly ample allowing students to explore different fields of Economics.
The support network
Despite the academic challenges, students can rely on a comprehensive support network:
- For first year Economics students, EconPLAS, a peer support group, provides an incredible environment where one can simultaneously socialise and get support with first-year Economics material. The weekly sessions, covering lecture and tutorial material, allow students to clear doubts they have on the material taught while also getting useful academic and non-academic tips from the older students running the sessions.
- Student-run helpdesks taking place on a weekly basis are also accessible.
- Professors are very approachable both by email and in-person (pre COVID-19). Students are encouraged to ask questions during and after lectures and can also attend the weekly office hours held by lecturers. Also useful is the fact that lectures are recorded so that students can access the recordings at any time to clear doubts.
- Every student is assigned a personal tutor who can provide academic support and guidance. They can advice you on matters related to switching degrees, course choice, where to seek extra support, etc.,
- The Advice Place also provides academic support.
When deciding whether to study in the UK it is important to know that the application process for UK universities is different compared to the one for Italian universities. You can find our full guide on this matter here. More briefly:
- You have to go through UCAS, a platform where you select a maximum of 5 universities you wish to apply for. Given the limit it is important to thoroughly research your choices, ensuring you meet all the requirements set by the university.
- You will be required to submit a single personal statement in which you need to explain your interest in Economics by focusing on your academic and extracurricular achievements related to this field. Importantly, you can only submit one personal statement for all 5 universities so it is important that you write it in such a way that it suits and fulfils the requirements of all 5 universities.
- You will need to submit your predicted grades. That is a forecast, made by your teachers, of the grades you will graduate with per subject and cumulatively.
Undoubtedly, studying abroad is a challenging experience but as Ralph Waldo Emerson states:
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”