Things you can do throughout your year to prepare for exams
The most significant study adjustment I’ve had to make since moving to the UK is how I prepare for exams. Exams in my first undergraduate degree in Canada were a completely different endeavour; they were worth significantly less and we had very limited time to revise. Out here, end of year exams can be worth 75-100% of your grade (depending on your particular course) and you are likely to have more than a month to prepare. It’s a hard test of endurance and discipline, but entirely doable! To help prepare for this change, I’ve created a list of things you can do right from the beginning of the year. 
 

Create flash cards throughout the year 

This is something that I started doing and then gave up on early in the year, but I wish I had continued. Our professors highly recommend it for classes that are case or definition heavy (for me it was contract law – I created around 200 flash cards for cases alone). You can handwrite the old-school way or there are many websites and apps where you can keep them online. Extra points if you take some time each week to review them. 

Stay up to date with your tutorial work – trust me 

You want to be using your exam period for revision, not learning new content. It’s really easy to get behind on tutorial work when things come up in your life, but putting in a little extra effort to read the material, take notes, attend tutorials, and then have a summary of the content will be a gift when you start studying. It will cut down your revision time substantially and simultaneously on your stress.  
 

Keep your notes organised and in one place (ie. OneNote, Evernote) 
It’s so important to have all your notes prepared when it comes time to revise for exams. You’ll waste valuable time if you’re collecting hand written notes, PowerPoint slides, and Word documents and searching for continuity in your learning. If you have notes in several places, things will inevitably get lost. Whatever is your preferred method of notetaking, make sure that it’s organised and cohesive. My preference is Microsoft OneNote as it can house all your documents, PowerPoint slides, and academic articles in one place. It’s also searchable across an entire notebook, so you can find your definitions and case names quickly. If you’re not using OneNote already, I would highly recommend brushing up on your skills with YouTube videos. 

Make a study group My tutorial group became very close friends over the course of the year, which I realise is somewhat unusual. It was extremely helpful however when it came to sharing notes and brainstorming essays together. We relied greatly upon the study group after classes ended and we started revising – we met in nice coffee shops across London and practiced answering exam questions and quizzing each other. It was wildly helpful, helping keep us all calm in the chaos and ensuring we were keeping up with the work. If you start working together throughout the semester you will have good comradery and a system in place before you face exams. 

 Preparing for exams has been hard work, but there are so many things you can do throughout the year to make the study period easier on yourself. If you would like to find out more about studying in the UK, please contact one of our Advisors.

The reason you are coming to the UK might be to study, however, the experience is so much more than just school. It’s a chance to experience a new culture, meet people from around the world, and just have a really great time! Although you will spend a lot of time on your school work (duh, you kinda want to pass!) there will still be plenty of time to get out there and have some fun. Below I highlight the main extracurriculars you must try while across the pond.
 

Afternoon tea

An obvious starting point, afternoon tea is an absolute must while staying in the UK. Often a weekend occasion, most cafes and patisseries offer a menu option for this. It often includes a selection of small sandwiches, cakes, and pastries, tea (obvi) and/or coffee for one or two. Many places have also begun offering vegan and gluten free options as well so there is something for everyone. Afternoon tea is a great thing to do with friends when you want to change things up or take family to when they visit as a intro to English culture.
 

Hiking

Since England is quite small, especially when compared to Canada, you can travel quite quickly out of the city and to a place for a really nice hike. Being in Yorkshire myself I can take a 15-minute bus ride and find myself in beautiful countryside where I can explore. Whether or not you’re north, south, or in the middle, England offers some great trails for you to traverse, so don’t forget your walking boots! 
 

Have a drink (or two) at the pub

Pub culture is huge in England. You will rarely find a day where the pub isn’t full, even on Christmas eve (true story)! It doesn’t have to be a big night out, just a casual drink after class or patio session on a nice day, the British are always up for a trip to the pub.
 

Travel

One of my favorite parts about being in the UK is the fact that it is so close to Europe, making it incredibly easy, and affordable, to travel when you have the time. You can find some incredible deals flying all over, such as £30 return to Ireland or £15 one-way to south of France. Hostels and Airbnb also make it really easy to arrange for a weekend or spur-of-the-moment trip with friends or solo to places you have always wanted to visit.
 

See a sports match

Football, rugby, cricket, you name it the English love it! The English take their sports very seriously and almost everyone you meet will have team they support full heartedly. It is therefore an absolute must to attend at least one match in order to gain the full experience of living in the UK. Just make sure to bring an umbrella, because they play rain or shine!
 

Explore

Above all, my favorite pass time is just walking around a new part of the city or taking a train to new town and exploring. Around every corner is a new beautiful building or cute shop or interesting museum. The history here is just so inspiring and adds so much to your studies, making every day special and unexpected. If you have any questions or want to find out more about studying in the UK please contact one of our advisors here.

When I first moved to Scotland, I was nervous about my options as a vegetarian. I was accustomed to the meat substitutes and vegetarian-friendly menus that cluttered every grocery store and restaurant in Canada. Toronto has a thriving vegan and vegetarian community, with health foods and meat/dairy alternatives gaining popularity every day. After studying in England for a semester in 2016, I knew my choices would be more limited in the UK. It’s far from impossible to maintain a meat-free diet here, but you won’t find a Whole Foods Market or a vegan café on every corner.

Initially, I stressed about giving up my vegetarian amenities. My last apartment was right next to Fresh (a chain vegan restaurant in Toronto) and I had always lived within driving distance of a health food store. Moving to Scotland meant switching brands and finding new recipes. Sure, this might sound trivial to someone who doesn’t share a vegan or vegetarian diet, but it can be a big concern for a veggie if we’re not consuming all our proper nutrition. A balanced and healthy diet is important for energy, focus, and overall happiness.

It might be more challenging to maintain a vegan or vegetarian diet in the UK, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to abandon your beliefs out of convenience. There are options for you!
 

Grocery Stores

On my first trip to Morrison’s, I anticipated a challenge finding meat alternatives – Scotland loves its meat. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole section dedicated to vegan and vegetarian foods, just like the grocery stores back home. I found tofu, falafel, sandwich “meats,” veggie burgers, soy and coconut yogurts, and soy/oat/nut milks. I recommend searching in large chain stores, like Morrison’s, for a greater selection of meat and dairy alternatives. I also found a big selection at my nearest health and vitamin store.

Tip: Quorn is a popular “fake meat” brand in the UK. It doesn’t taste as authentic as my favourite Canadian brands, but it does the job!
 

Restaurants

In any central location, there will almost always be a community of non-meat eaters. Luckily, this ensures you’ll find at least one local café or restaurant that caters to your diet. Although I haven’t yet explored all the vegan food spots in Aberdeen, my favourites so far are Bonobo Café and Foodstory. Bonobo is a cozy little café that serves breakfast, lunch, and beverages – all 100% vegan. I visited recently and tried their salmon and cream cheese bagel (pictured here), which was absolutely delicious. Foodstory is a larger restaurant with an equally cozy vibe and tasty vegan menu. If you ever travel to Aberdeen, I recommend these places (whether you’re vegan or not)!

All in all, there will always be choices. If you’re unhappy with the in-store vegan and vegetarian options, search online for new recipes and get creative! You can always find basic ingredients for protein-rich meals, like chickpeas, lentils, beans, Greek yogurt, tofu, cottage cheese, protein powders, nut butters, etc. There are plenty of ways to satisfy your nutritional needs. You might need to make some compromises, but you won’t have to reinvent your whole diet. And if you live in a large, diverse city (i.e. London, Glasgow, etc.), you might not encounter any limitations or differences at all. I recommend exploring your options online while researching your future university town – it might save you some stress when you move. If you’re interested in starting the research process, please contact one of our Across the Pond advisors for more information.

 

Making the move to study in England is a big decision, you’re leaving your friends, family, bed, and the comforts of your own home. As exciting and life-changing this experience is, it can also be a big adjustment, one such adjustment is grocery shopping. Coming from Canada we are used to everything being big, maybe not as big compared to our southern neighbors, but for the most part things are quite over-sized. Everything from our coffees, to our highways, and especially our grocery stores. Not only are our grocery stores huge, each offering every possible thing you could imagine, they are also everywhere, located at every possible interval within a city. In England this is just not the case.

The size of the grocery stores here was the first thing to strike me. You’ll find that the stores in the UK are smaller, maybe 5 or 6 aisles holding the necessities such as bread, milk, some vegetables, and a selection of frozen foods. The bigger, better stocked grocery stores are often not centrally located but are easy enough to get to on public transport.

The main chains are Tesco, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s. Morrisons stores tend to be the biggest centrally located and you can find a wide variety of local and international foods. You’ll find an abundance of small Tesco express stores scattered throughout cities, as well as Sainsbury’s local stores where you can pick up the essentials.

A major bonus for a vegetarian like me is the availability of farmers markets and produce stands. These shops offer a range of fresh and local fruits and vegetables at cheaper prices and with less waste than the chain stores. Also, as a bit of a health nut I was pleasantly surprised at the presence of health food stores where you can pick up bulk items such as nuts, seeds, and meat alternatives. International grocery stores can also be found scattered throughout cities, including Asian and African supermarkets. This comes in handy for students who are worried about missing comforts of home! 

Despite the ranging options of supermarkets there a few things that are missing from the British food selection. First of all, the selection of breakfast cereals is majorly lacking. Do not expect and entire aisle dedicated to your favorite breakfast staple. Secondly, for peanut butter lovers such as myself, the natural variety does not taste the same as in Canada, however almond butter has since become a staple in my diet.

Although, not everything is the same, it is always an adventure going food shopping and discovering new brands and products you have never heard of before. If you too want to explore a new culinary atmosphere than contact one of the Across the Pond Advisors to find out more about studying in England.  

After 6 months of living in London I am finally starting to become familiar with the typical street style here and am feeling more and more confident in both myself and my fashion sense. When I told my friends and family that I was moving to London of course the first thing they all told me was to get a good rain coat and pair of rain boots. Since moving here though I have learned that London and its style is about so much more than just the rain! The street style here is incredible and it sometimes amazes me the outfits people put together with basic items that both you and I probably have in our closets. These are some of the main points I have learned while living here: Layers The weather here is London is ever-changing and therefore difficult to dress for if you are headed out for a full day. I have experienced, rain, wind, and sun all within a few hours of leaving my house and discovered that wearing layers is the best option to be comfortable at all times. Being able to strip down to just a t-shirt or blouse when the sun is out is always a good feeling, but when the wind picks up and the sun goes behind a big cloud you’ll be happy that you have you have a sweater or two plus a scarf to bundle back up with. I suggest lighter pieces of clothing to be used for layers as the only thing worse than being overdressed for the weather is being overdressed in thick, uncomfortable pieces of clothing. A bonus layer to wear is a nice scarf! Londoners here love using scarves as both a fashion statement and an extra layer to keep warm during the colder winter months!   Keep It Simple Yet Classy In London it’s easy to spot a traveler versus a local based on what they are wearing. Street style here is chic, yet casual. What I’ve noticed is that an everyday outfit for someone for someone from London is what you and I might consider a dressy or formal outfit. I’m not saying people are walking around in gowns and tuxedos, but blue or black jeans are usually worn with nice jackets and proper shoes as opposed to say sneakers and a hoodie.  You typically won’t find locals out and about in ‘comfort clothes’ such as leggings or sweats unless it’s for a quick jaunt to the corner store and back. One trend that is sticking around though is wearing sneakers with a nicer outfit. So many companies are coming out with runners that are meant to be worn casually and not just to the gym and I love it as it allows me to still be stylish while also being comfortable.  Get a Good Coat Honestly this is one of my biggest pieces of advice when people ask what to pack if they are moving to London (or the UK in general) – get a good coat that you can wear everyday with everything! I highly suggest a nice long wool coat in a neutral grey or camel colour! You can dress it up and wear it formally if needed, or can wear it with sneakers and jeans like pictured above. I’ve noticed that plaid is becoming more and more popular as well and is becoming a staple along with other basic colours. The weather typically requires at least one layer or coat and so having a staple jacket that you can wear all the time is definitely worth the investment!  I love the London style and am excited to see what the warmer spring and summer seasons will bring! I highly recommend looking up London fashion and street style bloggers should you want more information. If you are looking for inspiration Pinterest is an amazing source that will help spur your creativity to create some iconic fashion looks as well! If you want to see and experience this for yourself, Across The Pond can help.    Please contact one of our Advisors if you would like to find out more about studying in the UK.