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What are the top 3 things international students in the UK need to know during their first term?

During your first term at university in the UK, there’s a lot to take on board. From arriving in the UK, accommodation, starting your studies and meeting new friends. Your first term is also a good opportunity to find your feet on campus and explore the new opportunities presented to you. Trialling new events and services will not only help you find your way around your new environment but help you to meet new people and connect to your university community.

Get involved

One of the best ways to explore your new network is to look at the events page for your institution and sign up for a few events that take your interest and a couple that push you a little out of your comfort zone. For example, as a first-year student you may not feel quite ready to attend a careers fair with graduation being a few years away. However, attending a careers fair will help you meet and interact with employers before you’re trying to apply for roles, which takes the pressure off. This means you can explore the fair, enquire about roles and what skills are needed while still having time to return in your second or third year with your resume in hand. This can be particularly useful for students wishing to stay in the UK after graduation as this is an opportunity to meet UK employers and start learning what talents they’re looking for. Other events might include activities arranged by your Global Centre, which can help acclimatise you to living in the UK, connect you to other international students and share language and cultures.

It’s never too early to think about your career

As you begin university and start exploring new modules on your course, try to keep a note of the skills that you are acquiring. When you finish studying, trying to compile all the skills you have may be harder to remember. Keeping track of soft and hard skills that you learn is a good way to keep a record for your resume and also to determine where your skills lie. When the time comes to apply for your graduate role, you should have an idea of where your strengths lie and where you could add experience. By keeping track, you will be able to notice gaps in your experience and use this during your studies to look for opportunities to add key experience that will help you find a graduate role. Have you visited your careers team? If not, find their location during your first term and take some time to see how they can support your career while you’re studying and after. The Careers team have the expert knowledge to help students at all stages, so try to make contact early so you can make the most of their expertise.

Check out GradLink’s services

GradLink was created to support international student careers and bridge the gap for students who have moved to the UK to study. Understanding which parts of the service to access and when can help you utilise the advice to propel yourself into your career. Once you’ve explored the website, sign up for the termly newsletter which includes UK updates and the top news for international students along with our top jobs from our international employers. When it comes to creating your resume, check out the CV-building tool for free, this also gives you access to our database of worldwide employers (and allows graduate jobs to come to you). Our meet the employers page introduces our partnered employers, but can be used to research jobs, companies and apply for the latest roles. For full access, register today!