I am Tsana, an international student from Indonesia who is currently pursuing a MEd in Psychology of Education.

Taking a new step, like pursuing a master’s degree, can be really challenging. But the situation is even more demanding when it comes to starting a life afresh in a new country as a new student. The idea of living away and attending university at first feels overwhelming and maybe even a little bit scary to me. I am excited about joining the university, but I am also afraid that I will not be able to keep up with academic assignments and social activities.

As it turns out, I found that there are a lot of programmes that the university offers to help me overcome my worries. Here are the three things that I find really helpful for me as an international student:

Academic Success Programme

The academic success programme is held by the University Centre for Academic English. It aims to help us with our studies by arranging workshops to increase our skills in academic writing, grammar, and speaking. The programme offers a variety of learning materials as well as some scheduling options. From my experience, I have found the learning process to be very engaging and interactive. The tutors will encourage us to discuss and practise during the class, which I find really helpful for me to apply the knowledge that I have learned. As a bonus, you can attend the class for free and connect with some new friends!

You can find information about the programme here.

My Learning Essentials

My Learning Essentials is one of the programmes from the University of Manchester Library, which I find very interesting because it offers a variety of topics for the workshops. The workshop covered topics related to academics, such as structuring an effective essay, critical reading, and so on. There are other topics that will be beneficial for the students as well, such as managing procrastination, mindfulness practise, and many others. Based on my experience, the workshop is well organised and fully involves the participants in the process. It is also a free programme for students.

You can find information about the programme here.

International Societies

Last but not least, don’t forget to have some fun outside of academics! Joining international societies can help you build relationships with other international students as well as home students. International societies facilitate weekly socials, an event where you can enjoy talking or playing some games with new people every week. You can also join their weekly trips around the UK, which gives you the opportunity to explore new places and learn new cultures during the weekend.

You can find information about the programme here.

Finally, taking a master’s course abroad is truly an excellent way to broaden your knowledge, networks, and perspectives. Thus, make sure that you create your own story by making the most of your experience each day. Don’t forget to look after yourself!

Written by Tsana, current MEd Psychology of Education student at The University of Manchester

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