Top 5 Reasons to Study in the UK for Malaysians

Many Malaysian students dream of studying in the United Kingdom from a young age. Perhaps it stemmed from a fascination towards a football club, or maybe even the red double decker buses that have become symbolic of the country. Growing older, this fascination may have even evolved, thinking it possible to head on over, maybe even call it home for a few years as they look to gain a degree. As they grew older too of course, came the realisation that the dream wasn’t as easy to realise as one thought it to be, nor as affordable as it may have seemed. Students usually ponder long and hard before taking the leap to study in the UK, weighing up the pros and cons, establishing whether studying in the UK is worth splurging on. Well, long story short, we can tell you that it definitely is, and then some. Not convinced? Let us then sway your mind, not with fiction, but rather fact, five of them to be exact, as we list the top 5 reasons to Study in the UK.

Enrol with a bachelor’s degree, graduate with a master's

What is the sorcery we speak of? Well this type of course is mainly related to engineering. No, the course isn’t extended by a year or two. The same tried and trusted 4-year long engineering course sees students graduate with a Masters in Engineering (M.Eng), accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the UK’s Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer in the UK. This accreditation is recognised by engineering boards around the world, including the Board of Engineers Malaysia via the international agreement known as the Washington Accord. Should you choose to exit this programme after successfully completing three years of study, you will be eligible for a BEng qualification (Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering). All this is to say that you’ll be placed in a thriving academic ecosystem, that will push you to do your best, with the outcome an almost inevitable win-win.

Top quality education guaranteed

While many students choose to flock to other countries due to a multitude of reasons, a bastion which students can lean on if they ever do choose to study in the UK, is the quality of education that’s guaranteed. Having always been home to household names in academia, the sheer number of universities that commonly crack the top 100 of any rankings never fails to surprise, with the 2018 QS World University Rankings being no different. 16 institutions in total from the United Kingdom managed to claim a spot atop the best 100, streaking ahead of other notable overseas hotspots for Malaysians such as Australia (7), Canada (4) and only losing out to the much larger USA.

A variety of courses

The United Kingdom is where the most commonly accepted pre-university course, A-Levels, was born. Many Malaysian students are left baffled by their offerings; 40 plus subjects in which you can choose from, like a kid in a very educational candy store. This trend too continues to their Degree courses, as well as postgraduate courses. Courses that you may have been had your heart set on, only to find them barely given a second thought locally, are given the same treatment as the more popular ones over in Britain, and go one step further to offer courses you may have never even knew to exist!

Key to the rest of Europe

Many students need to have the full college-experience when they set off to university. Being able to travel during semester breaks, meeting new people of diverse cultures, seeing places your eyes never thought they’d ever glance at and more. The United Kingdom then, offers a distinct advantage when compared to other popular university destinations; it’s a gateway to the rest of Europe. Students would be able to travel to numerous neighbouring countries that surround the UK, such as Spain, France, Portugal and so many more with ease. And before you ask, it’s at minimal cost, as you’d be able to travel to and fro via train! Imagine setting off in the morning while enjoying tea and biscuits, only to find yourself stuffing your face with empanadas come noon time, before watching the sun set at Camp Nou as Messi scores a 30-yard curler. Imagine.

Familiarity

Despite all the trappings that may line the UK’s academic offerings arsenal, there will inevitably be those moments of longing. Longing for something familiar from home, be it the people, the food, anything that would trigger those memories of Malaysia that start to gather dust over time. It should come as good news then, that the UK does offer a sense of familiarity, in the form it’s education. Everything is of course, based in English. On top of that, STPM, or what it was known as before the name change, High School Certificate (HSC), was the precursor to the GCE A-Levels in the UK. The exam oriented style is similar to what we know, eventually taking students from within their comfort zones and truly expanding them, as the lessons eventually lead towards much more emphasis on real-life implementation.