The holiday seasons are stressful for most people, but they can be especially emotional if you are away from home for the first time, in a new country. At Across the Pond, we’ve been through it, so we’ve put together our top tips and tricks for surviving (and thriving!) during the holidays if you are staying at uni for the break.  

Travelling home for the holidays can be expensive – flight prices go up, and if you’re only doing a one-year program, it may not be worth it for you to travel back to Canada for the break. Even if you can’t travel across the ocean, there are many ways to enjoy your break that won’t break your student budget.  
 

Christmas Markets

The UK is very well known for their Christmas markets – beautiful displays of lights, local venders, and rides, centred around the holiday. Most will start in November and stay active through January, so you have plenty of time to get out and get a cup of mulled wine, enjoy the lights, and get some unique presents to send to friends and family back home. If you have the time, you could visit multiple cities to see their displays – my personal favourite is Edinburgh’s Christmas! Good food, pretty lights, and beautiful sights, what more could you want?  
 

Travel

While the university is closed, why not take advantage of your break and visit a new country or two? Mainland Europe is so close, and when else will you be able to get a flight to France at that price (thank you, RyanAir!)? If you want a break from the darkness and cold of the UK in winter, Europe has tons of warm climates you can explore to get some sun. Check a few things off your bucket list at a fraction of the price it would cost you to visit from Canada. You don’t even need to go abroad – you can explore new parts of the UK!  
 

Host Visitors

Just because you can’t go home, doesn’t mean your family and friends can’t come to you! Maybe you’ll get some visitors for the holidays – most people have time off around the end of December, and having a newly local guide is a nice bonus for them. You can show friends and family around, share a holiday meal, and catch up. It’s a great opportunity for them to explore a new country, and also see one of their favourite people.  
 

Study

Hear me out – it may not be the most fun, but you’ll be able to focus on studying for your exams and assignments, without as many distractions while campus is quiet. Take frequent study breaks, but get ahead, so that when everyone is back to school and panicking about the new semester, you’re prepared! 
 

Celebrate with New Friends

With semester one done, you’ll likely have made a few new friends! Plan a holiday celebration with them, either before they leave campus, or on the day of your chosen holiday, if they’re also staying, and celebrate together. As well, if you have friends who live locally in the UK, you could get invited to their home to celebrate. Just because you aren’t at home, doesn’t mean you can’t have a lovely celebration! The International Office at most universities (or sometimes Student Societies) will often host holiday gatherings to share the traditions of different cultures on campus, you can check to see what activities they have scheduled for December and use it as an opportunity to learn about different cultures or maybe to share your own traditions with friends at the university.  

Being away from loved ones during holidays can be difficult, but it’s a perfect opportunity to create new traditions, which you can eventually share with those at home. This may be your only holiday season in the UK, so enjoy it while you’re there, and I’m sure it will become a fond memory for all future holidays! 
 

When you are looking into applying to UK universities you may hear that most university operate on a “rolling admissions” basis. While this is the case for many applications in the UK there are plenty of exceptions. This can also prompt students to feel like they have lots of time to put together their application and to prioritize other things. But this can end up being a costly decision! Here are some important factors to keep in mind when considering applying to UK universities.
 

ROLLING ADMISSIONS IN THE UK

The vast majority of studies in the UK have rolling admissions until the start of studies. The exceptions to this are professional programmes, such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy which may operate a hard deadline but accept applications on a rolling basis until that point. What many people don't think about is that the rolling admissions process also allows the universities to fill up the study places early.  

UK universities receive the majority of their applications during the winter, and in January places start to get tight on a number of places still available. In fact there is an equal consideration deadline in January that applies to undergraduate degrees (including law degrees). While the universities may continue to accept applications from international students after this, it does apply to all UK applications. 

For popular degrees and universities this may mean that they hit capacity and close to new applications because of a high number applications received before this deadline. You should therefore apply early to make sure you don't miss out on your dream degree. 
 

BETTER OPPORTUNITIES EARLY IN THE YEAR

We see that the universities accept a greater range of applicants when they still have a significant number of places remaining on each course. Therefore, if you apply early, and meet the minimum academic requirements, as well as any subject specific requirements, your chances are significantly higher as long as the rest of your application is of good quality.

In the spring, there will be fewer available study places at the universities. When this happens, the competition for a place becomes higher, an applicant who would have been accepted earlier in the year may unfortunately experience being rejected the closer we get to summer. 

In addition to the academic requirements, you must also attach a personal statement. This letter is an essential part of your application to the university and your Across the Pond Advisor can help you to write this. If you are applying for a programme with limited spaces remaining, a strong personal statement may make the difference between you getting the over versus another applicant with similar academic merits. 
 

GET FEEDBACK FROM THE UNIVERSITY EARLY

For those of you who are still in your final year of your studies, or upgrading subjects, there is an additional advantage to applying early. When the university has processed your application, you will either receive a refusal or a conditional offer. The conditions on this offer will tell you exactly what grades/average you will need to achieve in your remaining subjects in order to gain admission to university. Then you can work in a structured way on your subjects until the summer with certainty of exactly which grades you need to be guaranteed a study place in the autumn.
 

YOU CAN APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

The universities in the UK have a large selection of scholarships for international students. In order to apply for a scholarship, it is a criterion that you have applied to the university. Some scholarship applications will also require you to have already received an offer to the university. Spring is the peak season for applying for scholarships, and the majority of scholarships have an application deadline from March to May. If you apply early, you will have more time to look and apply for scholarships. You don’t want to end up missing a scholarship application deadline because you were still working on your university application or waiting to hear back from admissions if you have an offer. Feel free to ask your student advisor about scholarship opportunities, or read more about scholarships on our website.
 

YOU GET TO CHOOSE ACCOMMODATION FIRST

For many, living on campus is a big part of the experience of studying in the UK. When you apply with help from Across the Pond, you are guaranteed housing on campus at almost every university as long as you apply within the university’s accommodation deadline.

At most universities, the housing on campus is distributed on an ongoing basis. The most popular styles of room (based on price and facilities) are naturally selected first. Here there can be considerable comfort to be had, and a lot of money to save! Your student accommodation will be one of the biggest expenses you have during the year, and if you get affordable and good accommodation, you will have provided yourself with safe and friendly space for a fantastic study year.
 

FREE GUIDANCE

If you would like more information about the application process, or studies in the UK in general, you can contact one of our student advisors today for free guidance! If you decide to apply, we will even try to get your application in before the holidays! 
 

Ever thought about studying in Scotland? 

Studying in the UK can bring about a bit of a culture shock; while a lot of things seem similar to Canada, there are definitely some difference that can take some adjusting, or some learning. One of those things is Scottish terminology; while English is the main language in Scotland, they do integrate quite a few Gaelic (gall-ic) words and Scots phrases into everyday vernacular that you’ll want to be familiar with before you start your studies! 

Scotland has three native languages: English, Gaelic, and Scots. Scottish Gaelic (or Gàidhlig pronounced gall-ic) is specific to Scotland and is different to the Gaelic (gay-lic) spoken in Ireland – this is commonly referred to locally as Irish. On the other hand, Scots is the umbrella name for local dialects spoken across Scotland, and is neither English nor Gaelic, but something its own. You can learn more about the Scots language here. Our blog post will cover the most common phrases you may come across during your studies in Scotland! 

Advisor Lauren has put together a list of phrases that she encountered during her studies in Scotland.  

Whether you're just starting to consider your options to study abroad or have already applied and are starting your predeparture preparations, we think learning these phrases will make you a little more comfortable on your arrival. If you have any other questions about studying in Scotland, we'd be happy to help! 
 

Slainte Mhath (slan-cha va) – Sometimes shortened to just “Slainte” (slan-cha), this is the Gaelic way to say cheers. You will still hear locals saying “cheers”, usually in a way that means “thanks”, but slainte is used when cheers in a pub, or at dinner. In English, it means “good health”, or “cheers to your health.” 

Wee – Small. Almost anything can be wee; a wee child, a wee snack, a wee drink. You’ll hear it frequently. 

Aye – The most common Scottish phrase that people know, “aye” means yes in simple terms. However, people tend to use it like Canadians use “Eh” – in agreement, as a question, or a kind of catch all phrase. 

Nae – By itself “nae” generally means no in simple terms. However, when attached as a suffix to verb, it can mean “not”.  See the below two examples the most common ways you’ll hear this: 

Ah Ken / Ah dinnae ken (dinn-y ken) – “Ken” means to “know”. If someone says “I ken”, they simply mean “I know.” On the flip side, if you hear “Ah dinnae ken”, it means “I don’t know” – a classic Scots phrase. 

Cannae (cann-y) – a Scots way of saying “cannot”.

Bonny – beautiful. Typically used to refer to a woman or girl (lass/lassy).  

Dreich (dre-ich) – a way to refer to the weather, it typically means a miserable, cold, wet day. As I’m sure you can imagine, it comes up frequently.  

Scran – A way to refer to food. Commonly used like: “Let’s go get some scran”.  

Och – less of a word than an exclamation, like “Oh”. “Och aye” is a common affirmative  phrase, which simply means “oh yeah”.

Tattie – Potato. Commonly heard with “tattie scone” or “haggis, neaps and tatties”, traditionally Scottish foods.  

IRN BRU (Iron Brew) –  A type of soft drink created it Scotland, it is the most popular choice when it comes to soda in Scotland. You’ll see it’s bright orange colour everywhere, and I find it tastes like cotton candy and orange soda. Others say bubble gum, and no one really knows what it is, but it is incredibly popular.  
 

Now, let’s finish up with the various words and terms the Scots have for drunk. Aside from IRN BRU, Scottish people generally love whisky – so of course they need some words to describe the feeling it brings. Blottered, Steamin, Oot your tree (out your tree) and Mad wae it (mad with it) are some of my personal favourites, but there are dozens of terms you may hear on your adventures to the student pubs.  

Bonus: Have you ever sang Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve? This is a Scots phrase, meaning “times long past”. It was originally a poem written by Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet, based on an older folk song.

If you want the chance to learn speak like Jamie from Outlander,  what better way than to go full immersion while you study in Scotland. You can do a 1-year master's (or a full undergraduate degree) and embrace every aspect of Scottish culture. If you have any interest in studying in Scotland, we can help you to make that dream possible!