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Sports 101 for Canadian Students in the UK
Written by Advisor Brittany - 24/03/2020
Updated 18 July 2024 by Advisor Brittany.
Spectator Sports and Etiquette
Canadians are no strangers to spectator sports. Professional, semi-professional and university level teams are scattered across the country which means there is ample opportunity to watch your favourite teams play in person or on television/streaming services.
The UK is no different. Spectator sports are insanely popular events in the UK, with some of the most popular sports being football (aka soccer), rugby, tennis and cricket. It is quite easy to arrange viewing of one of these popular sports either in person or at the local pub, so I highly recommend seeking out some of the popular sports to attend during your stay in the UK.
Below you’ll find some information that might be useful to know if you’re planning on seeking out some very popular sports to attend and give you a little insight into how sporting events work in the UK, how they differ from similar events in Canada, and what you should know to ensure you have the best and safest time viewing.
Team colours and histories are a little more important
We’re familiar with sports rivalries in Canada, but if you’re living in an area that has a popular sports team in the UK, you should be aware of what the team’s colours are. You should also take note of opposition colours.
Believe it or not, spectator sports, such as football are incredibly popular in the UK and the supporters can get quite rowdy in public. A popular example from London is the rivalry between Chelsea Football Club (blue) and Arsenal Football club (red). If you live in London and find yourself in a Chelsea pub on an important match day, you may be asked to leave (for your own safety) if you are wearing the colour red (the colour of rival team Arsenal).
It might seem a bit extreme, but colours are not the only significant distinguishing factor between football clubs in the UK. Another example from Scotland can be seen with their two major football teams (Rangers and Celtics). These two teams (both located in Glasgow) have official "non-sectarian" policies but their fanbase still reflects the historic divide between Protestants and Catholics. Pubs and bars will often ban people from wearing team colours during matches to avoid incidents.
Spectator sports are not always one-day events
If you’re a fan of going to sporting events in Canada, you’re probably used to taking a few hours out of your day (most likely in the evening) so see your favourite hockey, basketball or baseball team play. This isn’t the case for all spectator sports, though! The extremely popular sport Cricket has several different types of matches that can range between a few hours (like what you would experience from watching a baseball game) to several days! If this is something that you’d be interested in experiencing, make sure you’re aware of the different types of Cricket games so that you know exactly what you’re in for:
- Twenty20 (also known as T20) – This is the shortened version of Cricket but still takes place at the professional level.
- Test Cricket – This is the version which has the longest match duration. Games at this level can take up to 5 days to complete!
** Are you in the UK to study law? Cricket, as a game, doesn’t technically have any rules! Instead, the rules and regulations are referred to as ‘Laws’. There are currently 42 Laws that outline how the game is to be played.
Some sporting events have a dress code
Some higher-end sporting events are not always accessible to the general public, but it’s worth taking note of these events that require their spectators to conform to certain clothing restrictions. Certain sporting events are made to be lavish excuses to wear fancy attire and bring out the best fascinators (hats) to make a statement. Popular sports where this is a tradition include:
Cricket
Specifically, the Ashes which is a Test Cricket series played between England and Australia.
Tennis
Specifically, the Wimbledon Championships*. This tournament bans the wearing of items such as dirty athletic shoes or cut-off shorts. While there is no official dress code for spectators at this event, you will likely feel out of place if you don’t dress ‘smart’.
*Believe it or not, it is possible to get tickets to this iconic tournament day-of! Though still difficult, if you think this is something you’d like to try and see, and happen to be studying in/around London, a quick trip to Wimbledon will give you the opportunity to stand in what is called ‘The Queue’. Information about this unique experience, (including downloadable PDF guides) can be found on the tournament’s official website.
Horse Racing
Specifically, the Royal Ascot which has an official dress code featuring restrictions on items like the base of your fascinator or headpiece. The official restrictions state that ‘fascinators and headpieces without a base of 4 inches (10cm) are not permitted’.
There are long-standing rivalries and traditions that go along with them
You’re probably aware of the top 2 universities in the UK according to the Times Higher Ranking, commonly referred to as ‘Oxbridge’, but what you may not be aware of is that these two rival universities participate in an event called ‘The Boat Race’ each year drawing an estimated 250,000 spectators in London. There are many areas where you can view this race for free along the Thames (typically in the Putney or Hammersmith area) and spectators will be met with a carnival-like environment including food and drink stalls! This is the perfect opportunity to grab a pitcher of Pimm’s with your friends and take in this exciting event! You will be outside to make sure you dress according to the weather.
Some sporting events are different- and that’s okay
Gloucester Cheese Rolling
Not your typical spectator sport; the Gloucester Cheese Rolling is an event that takes place in Gloucester’s Cooper Hill. The event involves a big wheel of Gloucester cheese (yum) and its roller who anxiously chases the cheese down the steep hill to catch it.
Although it’s probably not possible to catch the wheel of cheese, the winner of this race is the first person to cross the finish line at the bottom of the hill.
Believe it or not, this world-famous event has taken place in Gloucester since the 1800s!
This event is free to observe but, depending on where you’re located, will take some time to get to as many streets close around Cooper hill the day of the event. Best to plan ahead if this is something you’d be interested in seeing!
Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!
Befriending Other International Students
Written by Kiranpreet - 12/03/2020
Updated 18 July 2024 by Advisor Brittany.
Amongst the fears of moving across the pond, we also fear if we are going to make friends. This is one of the things I was most worried about as without friends, the experience would be very lonely. However, I assure you, it is much easier to making friends abroad than you would expect!
Utilize Social Media Groups
My first tip for making friends abroad are Facebook and Whatsapp groups. I got to know the group of friends that I have now, due to these groups. Everyone is in the same boat, whether you are an international student or not. This meaning that everyone is trying to find friends, or at least get familiar with a few people before uni starts. I would definitely recommend getting involved in these groups and talking about yourself because I did that, and everyone is so friendly and accepting. The larger groups, so for example I was in the “Law Freshers” group was then divided into a smaller group of just Canadians on the course, this was super helpful again, because it allows you to see who you will be studying with abroad.
Attend "Freshers Week"
The second way to make friends with international students abroad is when you first arrive at the uni. There will be “Freshers Week” which has a bunch of activities and parties you can attend to help get familiar around campus and the city, as well as make new friends. For my first week at Leicester, we had a few lectures surrounding the law school and what to expect, this was a great way for me to put faces to names that I had read in the chat. The friends that I made from the chat agreed to go together to these lectures so we would all have someone to sit with, I suggest doing this as well, so you don’t feel so overwhelmed!
Join a Tutorial or Study Group
The third way which can help you to make friends are tutorial groups. At Leicester we have tutorials for each class every 2 weeks, the tutorial groups consist of 5-8 people and they’re all in the same program. This meaning that my group members are all Canadian and in the 2 year JD Pathway program as well. These are people that you see so often and end up befriending. One of my now really good friends is from my tutorial group and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
Think Outside your Program
If you're living in university accommodation, this can also be a good way to meet students from outside your program. Befriending flatmates who are studying other programs will also enrich your experience and give you a break from program-specific topics. While it's good to have a set of friends from within your program to aid with studies or in-class items, adventuring outside of your program and participating in university clubs is a great way to meet like-minded individuals and can lead to some long lasting friendships outside of your discipline. For example, if you're studying Law but like to watch films in your free time, consider joining a film club! If you have a second passion for sports, or want to try a new sport like rowing or football, consider joining a extracurricular! The amount of clubs available at UK universities are endless, and most universities will also allow students to start their own club if a specific subject or club doesn't already exist.
Put Yourself Out There!
Lastly, the best way to befriend other international students is to put yourself out there! Everyone is literally in the same boat as you and they all are nervous about meeting new people and living in a new area. Once you get your core group of friends at the beginning, there is no going downhill from there. I highly believe that these are the friends that will last you a lifetime. If you have any more questions or concerns, Across the Pond Advisors are always there to help. I would ask my advisor so many questions and she would always reassure me and be a shoulder to lean on whenever I was feeling nervous.
Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!
Tea: A UK Tradition
Written by Alessia S - 20/03/2020
Prior to arriving in the UK, I worked at a tea shop, where I learned to become a serious tea aficionado. And after living here for a few months, I’ve managed to learn a thing or two about the UK’s rules about tea, and the traditions that make afternoon tea so special.
A British Cup of Tea
Although the UK was not the original birthplace of tea, the Brits are notorious for steeping a pretty good cup. If you order tea at any café or restaurant, these are the flavours that will most likely be on the menu:
- Earl Grey
- English Breakfast
- Lemon Ginger
- Chamomile
- Peppermint
Although tea is slowly becoming trendier and there are tons of specialty tea shops opening up, the simple flavours still prevail. Sure, if you go to an afternoon tea event, they’ll most likely be serving English Breakfast. But as far as popularity goes, Earl Grey is still at the top. Fun fact: Earl Grey tea is named after the British Prime Minister, Charles Grey. He sat as Prime Minister from 1830-1834 and was originally from the county of Northumberland.
Now, if we’re talking about steeping tea, we need to discuss the issue that divides people more than any political debate or family game night: the, “milk before tea or tea before milk” debate.
I’ve had some experience with differing opinions on this topic, and this seems to be the most common answer:
If you’re making tea in a mug, you steep it, remove the tea bag, and then add milk. If you’re using a teapot, THAT’S where the debate begins. The argument for milk first is that if you’re using fine china and for drinking tea, pouring the tea first will crack the china. But, if you pour milk first, there will be no thermal shock to the china and it won’t crack.
The argument for tea before milk is that the amount of milk you add is based on how much tea you have in your cup; the ratio will just be more balanced that way!
But no matter how you take your tea, it always tastes better in the middle of the afternoon with some treats.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea was once an event for the socially elite, but has transformed into a staple of the British experience. The tradition was born in the 1800’s, and is not a feature of many popular restaurants and hotels.
I’ve been told that there’s no specific order to eat the food on the tray, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it makes the most sense to go top to bottom- start with the savoury treats, move to the scones to “cleanse the palette”, and then dive into the sweet stuff.
And if one debate isn’t enough, here’s another: the scone debacle. Is it jam before cream, or cream before jam? Just for the record, mine is jam before cream.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can get here too, then you can contact an advisor, and keep up with Across the Pond on social media. You can also follow along on my UK journey on Instagram at @alessiaacrossthepond!
Sources
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Afternoon-Tea/
https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/charles-grey-2nd-earl-grey
Quirky Spots to Visit in London
Written by Ambassador Nicole - 05/03/2020
Not only is London the biggest financial Hub in the UK, it has been termed the world’s most innovative and influential global city. While there is no shortage of sights to see and things to do upon your first visit here, I’ve outlined some must see spots within London that are more off the beaten path.
Markets
There are currently around 280 markets in London, some outdoors, some indoors, and ranging from selling food to groceries to vintage clothing. While some smaller markets are only open on the weekend the following are open 7 day a week.
Brick Lane Market
Not only home to an international food hall, this market is also home to one of the largest vintage clothing markets in London. Underneath the main food hall you will see a neon lined stairway leading to an underground vintage clothing paradise! On days with good weather the market spills outside into the main courtyard with food trucks and other creative vendors.
Borough Market
Located right under London bridge, Borough Market is quite large and popular on weekends as they sell a variety of produce, cheese and meats that are harder to find in the grocery shops.
The exterior of Bridget Jones’ flat from the movie series can be seen here, as well as the exterior of the ‘Leaky Cauldron’ bar from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!
Camden Market
One of the larger and more permanent markets in London, Camden market is comprised of shops rather than pop up stalls. Stables Market within Camden market has vendors selling out of what used to be horse stalls for the Pickford Horse Hospital and guests can find unique clothes, food and décor in the area. Surrounded by a network of canals and home to influential musicians such as Amy Winehouse and The WHO, Camden is a unique area popular for its rock music influence and is a London must-see!
Pop Brixton and BoxPark
Pop Brixton is a food and drink market located in Brixton. The entire market is self contained and made out of stacked shipping containers. Popular on a night out, visitors are ID’d at the door upon entry and are able to flow freely between restaurants, beer gardens, a small dining hall and a dancehall.
Located in Shoreditch, BoxPark has the same idea as POPBrixton but is a retail space as opposed to a food and drink spot.
Café’s and restaurants
God’s Own Junkyard
God’s Own Junkyard is a spot that screams Quirky. The shop is home to the largest stock of vintage and neon signs in all of Europe. Its free to enter and visitors can grab a bite to eat next door at the Rolling Stones café.
The Breakfast Club
A chain of restaurants serving all day breakfast around the city at a reasonable price. But before you go, be sure to check out each location’s website prior to arrival, as many of them operate secret bars within the restaurant, accessible by stating a secret phrase to the host.
Churchill Arms
Very well landscaped flower covered pub near Hyde park that boasts great pub style food and excellent photo opportunities!
Dans Le Noir- Farringdon
Diners eat in the dark and served by blind staff. The restaurant’s website describes it as a ‘Unique sensory experience that allows you to re-evaluate your perception of taste as this sense is heightened with the absence of sight’. Definitely a cool experience!
Scenic/ Tourist
Getting Around
The transportation system in London was designed to be efficient, considering it transports around 2 million people each day on busses and tubes. When out sightseeing an alternative to using London transportation is to purchase a ticket for a private hop-on-hop-off bus system whose routes are designed to showcase the city’s top attractions and sights. While these tickets can be pricey, I would suggest taking a ride on the DLR line or the London Overground. For the price of normal subway fares, you can ride these Overground tube’s which provide a good view of the city from above and have a couple lines each, allowing you to do the whole network for a max rate of £13.
Vauxhall City Farm
A notable quality of London is the lack of green spaces and nature outside of the designated parks as the city is so populated. In addition to Regent’s Park and Hyde Parks in central London, be sure to check out Vauxhall City farm just a 5-minute walk south of the river Thames. For a donation, guests are invited into the farm run by volunteers and able to participate in the petting zoo and learn about all the farm animals they have there. There is also a small restaurant guests can grab a bite to eat at, or a hot drink on a chilly day (as its open all year round)
Roman Temple of Mithras
The city of London is over 2000 years old and is full of history and culture. Although it is not hard to forget whilst walking around and admiring the architecture of the old buildings in central London, the Roman Temple of Mithras is a sure reminder of the city’s age. Just south of central Bank station, a Mithreum temple was discovered under one of the city’s busy streets in 1954 prior to a building’s construction that dates back to the 3rd century Romans!
Neals Yard
Hidden just off the main road, Neal’s Yard is a colorfully decorated courtyard in Covent Garden. Tourists will find multiple restaurants with patios in addition to the Neals Yard Remedy flagship store. While you’re there, be sure to check out Homeslice pizza for a rotating menu of craft 20” pizzas to share or sold by the slice!
Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!
My Experience Choosing a Dissertation Topic
Written by Ambassador Kaley - 01/08/2023
One of the first questions I had when applying for my masters was what the dissertation process would be like. I had written a thesis in my undergraduate and so while I was familiar with the process at my university in Canada, I was unsure of how it would be for a master’s course in the UK. While I can’t speak for all universities, this was my experience at Newcastle University studying for an MSc Foundations in Clinical Psychology.
Supervisor Selection
Towards the end of semester one a PDF was sent out to all students with a list of people who were willing to take on students for a dissertation. Some of these people had pre-established projects and were looking for students to take on one of their projects and others had broad research interests and were willing to take students for their own project ideas. While this helps for students who do not have any strong research interests or a specific project in mind, it is a bit harder for someone with a specific idea to find a project with this kind of system. I have specific research interests so the options for supervisors in my area was very minimal. I went to one meeting for someone in my area of interest, but so did 20+ other interested students. It turned out that she was only willing to take 2 students and with over 20 of us looking to go onto the project, I was not one of them. Since she was my only option for a project in my specific area, I was left without a project and no ideas. This is how I went from having no project and no ideas, to getting a dissertation project I am very happy with.
My Experience
I began contacting other supervisors who studied areas that I am interested in. My main interest is on childhood illness, but because I am also interested in anxiety, disordered eating, a developmental disorders, I started contacting other researchers in these areas. After contacting dozens of faculty members and going to many meetings I started to narrow down my options to 3. Some of the faculty members had already taken on student and didn’t have room for another, and some had projects that I didn’t see myself enjoying working on, so this also factored into my decision.
After having 3 projects that I had an interest in I had to make a decision. What ultimately led to my final decision was which would give me the most relevant experience for my future studies and future career. One of these three projects involved being trained to deliver an intervention and this largely is what drove my decision in choosing the topic.
My course has about 70 students, which is the largest year yet and double what they had last year. This means that way more people were competing for a dissertation with the same amount of faculty as previous years. With most faculty only taking 2 or 3 students it seemed that rejections were more common than getting a project. But with that being said, this was my experience and different programs and different universities may have less students or more faculty. Choosing a dissertation was a very stressful few weeks, but in the end all 70 of us landed on a project.
Tips for choosing a dissertation
- Remember you will be spending a lot of time on this project, so don’t just agree to something to have a project. Make sure it’s something you have at least some interest in.
- If your project isn’t exactly what you want to do out of school don’t worry. The main point of the dissertation is just to get experience.
- Try not to stress too much. While choosing a project may be hard and things may not go as planned, you will end up with a project.
- Go into it with an open mind. While your project may not be perfect or ideal, it can still be something you end up happy with.
- Contact many people and start the process early! The sooner you start contacting supervisors the better your chances are to get onto a high demand project.
Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!
The start of the Christmas season is marked in different ways for different people. Many of us in Canada have grown up with the notion that decorating your house with lights and tinsel is a good way to get into the holiday spirit. Maybe you have even driven around with your family looking at other decorated houses in your neighbourhood.
le, check out Winter Wonderland in central London. Located in London’s Hyde Park every holiday season, this massive carnival includes opportunities to do some shopping, rides, carnival eats and other fun activities.
