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.