While many students may automatically think about London and England when they consider studying in the UK, there is a lot more to explore! Northern Ireland is a great place to study that has a fascinating political and social history (and it has a strong education system to boot!).
 

Where in the World is Northern Ireland?

Ireland. Great Britain. The United Kingdom. The British Isles. In day-to-day conversation these terms may be used interchangeably, but did you know that each of these terms has its own specific definition? If you plan to study in Northern Ireland, you’ll quickly become familiar with these differences and know exactly when to use each one so as not to offend anyone. After all, part of studying abroad is about broadening your horizons and becoming a better global citizen.
 

Belfast

Both of Northern Ireland’s two universities are in its capital, and largest city, Belfast. This can make the entire city feel a bit like a close-knit campus community but still offers all the excitement and opportunities of a major city. Belfast was once a hub of the Irish linen industry as well as the shipbuilding industry. The Harland and Wolff shipyard is perhaps the most famous, and infamous, for its building of the RMS Titanic. In fact, a visit to the Titanic Belfast maritime museum is a must-do for any students during their time in Belfast.
 

History

Belfast is also well known worldwide as being the centre of “The Troubles” or the political violence that took place earlier in the 20th century; however, it has since experienced a long period of peace and restoration. In fact, for students interested in International Politics and Relations, Belfast is uniquely able to provide an excellent case study of conflict resolution, post-conflict development, dealing with grievances and so on. Bus trips around Belfast provide great insight into the history of Belfast including visuals provided by the murals, graffiti, and street art that the provide reminders of the past and the hope for a peaceful future.
 

Tourism

Once you’ve seen the many tourist destinations in Belfast, you’ll be tempted to venture outwards and Northern Ireland won’t disappoint. From hiking in the Mourne Mountains and strolling the beach in Ballycastle to visiting Derry’s walls, Northern Ireland has scenery you’ll never want to leave. Perhaps most importantly to Game of Thrones fans will be tours to various notable GoT filming locations such as The Dark Hedges, in County Antrim or the ancient redwoods and stone arches of Tollymore Forest Park, a.k.a. the Haunted Forest. If a Game of Thrones tour isn’t quite your thing, then you can’t run amiss with a stop at the Giant’s Causeway. Be prepared for a bit of a walk if you want to fully take in the spectacular views of the sea and the basalt columns.
 

Culture

Finally, if you decide to study in Northern Ireland for no other reason, let it be for the culture. The Northern Irish pride themselves on their friendly and easy-going culture. You’ll never be afraid to ask someone for directions or help while in Northern Ireland. More likely, they’ll first notice your concern and stop to offer you help and maybe a pint at the pub. And while Dublin may be better known globally for its Guinness and pubs, you’ll find no shortage of either when studying in Northern Ireland. In fact, be sure you try a pint of Guinness while you’re there. After all, “It’s good for you.”

Can’t wait to begin your studies in Northern Ireland? Get in touch with one of our advisors today to learn more and get started on an application!

Updated 18 July 2024 by Advisor Brittany. 

One of the biggest most potentially embarrassing differences in Canadian versus British English is the use of the term “pants”. In fact, you may want to start practicing now just to ensure you get the hang of things before you step foot in the UK and inevitably end up telling someone that you like their pants. In the UK, pants refers to underpants and only underpants. Trousers. The word you are looking for when referring to your longer leg coverings is trousers. Just keep practicing and you’ll get the hang of it. Moreover, you also shouldn’t be offended if someone asks you for a rubber. They need an erasure to fix a written mistake, they aren’t propositioning you for something else.  

Beyond these two major points of conflicting terminology, there are a great many other British terms and sayings that you’ll want to be familiar with to avoid getting lost in conversation.

1. Sod’s Law 

You’ll likely hear variations on a reference to Sod’s Law such as “Sod all” and “Sod it”. Sod’s law is bit of an extreme variation on Murphy’s law, which you may be more familiar with. The essence of Sod’s Law is that whatever can go wrong will go wrong and in the worst possible way.
 

2. “You okay?” or “You alright?”

Don’t be alarmed if you are frequently greeted with these phrases in the UK. No, you don’t look poorly (sick) or ragged, this is just the British equivalent to asking “How are you?” The typical British response is to issue a short and positive response (“yeah” or “yes”) and reciprocate the question (“and you?”). One derivative of this would be when you are asked the same thing by a server or bartender in a restaurant or pub in which case they are asking you whether you’d like to order anything in which case you should respond accordingly.
 

3. Knackered, Zonked, or Buggered and needing a kip

All of these just mean you are plain old exhausted or tired out and needing a nap. Careful if you try to used buggered though, there are other variations on this phrase that have very different meanings. Knackered is pretty universally used though so it’s a good choice if you’re unsure.

4. Pudding

Another word that you think you are familiar with but has a quite different meaning when used in the UK. “Pudding” in the UK essentially refers to all desserts or more generally the sweet treat you have after supper. You can have fruit for pudding or cake for pudding or biscuits for pudding etc. The goopy sweet mixture that we call pudding in Canada would actually be called “custard” in the UK. And just to ensure your confusion, you may find one night that you do indeed have custard for pudding.
 

5. Waffle

Hopefully you won’t hear this regarding any of your academic work, but if you do get told to stop waffling, it typically means you are running on with little or no direction. Many students are guilty of this in early drafts of their dissertations when they gape at their expected word count and wonder how in the world they’ll ever write that much on one topic. But don’t worry, once you get into the thick of your research you’ll find yourself easily editing out all of your waffling bits.

5. Cuppa

This term is fairly simple and a shortened way to say "cup of tea". The most common phrasing for this one is "fancy a cuppa?" If you hear this during your studies or travels throughout the UK, the one asking the question is asking you if you'd like a cup of tea. Depending on your mood, you can accept or decline, though tea is always a nice addition to a "chat".

We will send all of our students enrolling at UK unis predeparture guidelines in the summer.  When we do, be sure to check them out--they will include many other helpful tips for preparing for your studies. It has a plethora of British terminology and slang incorporated throughout! Yet another reason to use Across the Pond's services for help with the application process. 

“Life is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page” St. Augustine

My love for travel started when I was very young on my first international trip to Cuba, I was fascinated by the plane, the new place, and I treasure each of those memories. My passion only grew over the years, and I have been extremely fortunate to have parents and family who share this passion. In my 23 years on this planet, I have explored Europe, volunteered in Ecuador, and backpacked around Thailand and Nepal. These experiences have helped shape the person I am today and have also influenced my career goals. Therefore, the decision of studying abroad has always been in my mind, however, the decision to actually do it involved a lot more consideration then I thought.

To apply or not to apply

The first step in this journey is choosing to apply. For me the biggest fear I had was money. Not only were international fees more expensive but the exchange rate from Canadian dollars to the Pound is not the best, but when I sat down and looked at the finances I was pleasantly surprised. When I worked it out, a similar program in Canada was a minimum of 2 years, where over in the UK they were only 1 year because they went for a full 12 months. This meant that the tuition fees worked out to be the same amount, so definitely look at the comparisons between the programs you are considering! I also had a huge support system in my mom, and without her encouragement and help I would not be living my dream here in the UK today. As an all-knowing mother she is, she told me that if this is what I truly wanted we could make it happen. She told me to write down everything that was holding me back from making the decision, that way I could address them one by one. So, I started writing it all down, the first thing was a budget. I listed all the potential expenses I would have, from rent to cell phone bills to bus passes. Now that I had a fixed number on paper the idea of going seemed a lot more manageable, that number was something I could work towards and keep in mind when I wanted a $5 Starbucks drink.

After figuring out the finances it really came down to comparing programs, would the UK Masters teach the same things as a Canadian Masters? I was able to do some research and really looked critically at the course outlines to find the learning objectives and aims. By comparing the different programs, it was easy to see that all the choices were really very similar, and that even the UK options had more exciting aspects.

The last major hang ups I had was family. I am extremely close to the majority of my family and missing a year would mean missing a wedding, baby showers, and just them! It was hard to think about it like that, so instead I framed it as how much I would be able to experience over here and those memories I could then share with them when I go home. Also, in today’s day and age it hardly feels like I’m missing anything, what with Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facetime its basically like I’m there!

In the end, for me, it really came down to understanding all the pros and cons, and realizing that this was a once and a lifetime opportunity and I would truly be ridiculous if I turned it down! If you’re struggling with figuring out your options, please contact one of the Across the Pond advisors as they can help you find a way to realize your dream of studying in the UK!