What Is It Like to Study for a PhD as an International Student in the UK?
I am an
international PhD researcher in education at the University of Exeter's
Graduate School of Education (UK). In this blog, I'd want to relate my
firsthand experience of pursuing a PhD at a British university and how it was studying PhD in the UK complete with
ups and downs.
I received
my BA and MA from the University of Abdelhamid Ibn Badis in Algeria
(Mostaganem, Algeria). University has always been a place for me to learn, make
errors, form relationships, and evolve as an individual and student.
I chose to
pursue a postgraduate research programme in another country because I have
always wanted to experience higher education in another country and embrace the
complexities, conflicts, and beauty of international studies.
Transferring
from Algeria to the United Kingdom has been difficult due to the disparity in
education systems, rules, procedures, and expectations that inform overall
teaching, learning, and evaluation criteria. This is compounded by the
self-doubt and anxiety that comes with studying abroad - a lot of what ifs.
Coming to
a British institution required me to learn about teaching at my new university
as well as what was expected of me as an international PhD candidate in terms
of contribution, integration, impact, and sustainability.
To study Online PhD in the UK,
I had to chart my own way for several months in order to grasp how the entire
university ecology and structure operates. The help I received from other PhD
fellows, academics, students, university employees, and others was invaluable.
I too
struggled with academic writing. Although I was new to the UK in 2016 and my
academic English was reasonably excellent, I needed a lot of work to fit in
with the "academic scholarly standards." Although colleges offer
various programmes and support services to help overseas students improve their
academic writing skills, I personally engaged in a self-teaching approach to
improve mine.
Of course,
my supervisors provided criticism on my written chapters, but I also discovered
that reading, blogging, or email correspondence helped me grasp how to write.
As a result, practice made me better (not flawless, as I feel there is no such
thing as perfection in writing!). It is an ongoing process that takes hard
effort, dedication, and practise.
Furthermore,
doing postgraduate research studies can be a lonely trip because you are in
your own bubble and no one knows what you are attempting to accomplish
(sometimes not even yourself!). Working on a research project on your own for
several years and having to motivate and assess your own progress and learning
is difficult.
As a
result, staying connected to the PhD community and finding other students and
staff members who speak the same academic language as you is critical. Finding
true support and solidarity is critical when you study PhD in the UK, and this is how I was able to maintain
momentum and continue with my research.
I feel
less alienated and alone on this path since I have fantastic colleagues and
friends who encourage me despite their hectic schedules and with whom I
participate in many student-led and humanitarian projects at the institution.
It all comes down to how we balance our own obligations while remaining engaged
in the larger university activities and opportunities to learn and connect.
I am
conscious of the privilege of pursuing postgraduate research studies,
particularly overseas. Although university life can be stressful and
anxiety-inducing, we can make it a joyful learning experience by forming a
community.
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