… by Jialu / from Foshan, China / BSc Mathematics and Statistics [2+2 programme] / 4th Year (UG)
Two years ago, I had a chance to join the School of Mathematics’ 2+2 programme with the University of Edinburgh and my Chinese mother university, South China University of Technology. Even now, I still appreciate that I seized this opportunity and it has become one of the most important turning points in my life.
When I first came to Edinburgh, I was deeply impressed by the fabulous sightseeing and the nice people in Edinburgh. I still remembered how I was helped by a stranger who was just passing by when I got lost in this ancient city with such a long history. However, getting used to the studying life was not so easy at the very beginning. I needed to cook for myself since there was no canteen near my student accommodation, unlike Chinese universities who provide every meal for every student during term time. I needed to become familiar with the brand-new UK education system, along with a totally different cultural atmosphere. Also meeting new friends from all over the world, and getting a social life for myself would be another problem I needed to deal with.
Fortunately, I met a group of great people at the university. The lecturers were not just teachers but also passionate about the subjects they were researching. During the courses, they often shared some of their leading knowledge and how the subject is used in the world. This inspired me a lot and so I decided to go further and study statistics at postgraduate level.
Besides the lectures, the workshops were another place where I could not only make new friends with classmates with different nationalities, but also further discuss the subjects with tutors. Workshops required advance preparation.
At the same time, I also became a member of the School student ambassador team, whose responsibility it was to introduce the School and the University to potential students and their parents. By doing so, I have enhanced my ability to express, communicate and present to people.
I must admit that for the majority of people, the reason for participating in the 2+2 programme during their undergraduate degree is mostly to access better postgraduate options, and this is the case for me too!
Preparing the application materials was not an overnight task. The first thing was to decide was which degrees to apply for. I stayed with statistics because I was impressed by the unlimited usage of R software in analysing relationships within data.
Next I checked the admissions requirements for each university on the corresponding websites. On one hand, academic achievement from previous study was very important, and this is based on the efforts I have made in examinations. On the other hand, my reasons for applying for these degrees and universities specifically were important to mention in my personal statement. I also mentioned my solid foundation in statistics, my experience with a statistics case study and my familiarity with the U.K. educational system, based on the abilities requirements on the websites.
Last but not least, I had to be careful about the deadlines. You should always make sure you have enough time to prepare and always have a backup plan.
One of the advantages of joining the 2+2 programme is that you can always find someone who knows you well to write a positive reference letter in English. They can be the lecturers, personal tutors, dissertation or project supervisors, Student Learning Advisors, or even the 2+2 programme supervisors. They are experts at this postgraduate application thing, and always ready to give advice.
However, your personal statement and CV also play important roles in the application, and they always need to be polished. Luckily enough, the staff in Careers Service were really helpful during this process. You can book an appointment and bring your personal statement and CV and they will provide valuable advice on how to enhance your application and literacy, for example, adding more details about the projects I got involved with during my course. I found these pieces of advice were not only useful in postgraduate applications, but in applying for internships as well.
After the applications have been submitted, the last thing to do is wait. It may take several months for some universities to respond, and it would be even worse when the application was unsuccessful. But when there was a ‘Congratulations!’ at the beginning of the offer letter and I was admitted by my dream university, it was beyond description.
Thinking of my treasurable two years in Edinburgh, I will always look back with appreciation at the precious memories. With what I have learned in both my study and social life, I am about to begin my new journey in the Masters degree.