5 reasons London is an awesome student city

Nick from Kuala Lumpur blogs about why London is a great student city. 

When I first came to the UK, I studied a foundation course at INTO London in order to help me get into a UK university. London caught my eye because of the prospects they provide students.

There is a lot of variety in the modules on offer and in the choice of university, you can go onto afterwards. You don’t get the same amount of choice when you study a foundation course at a university.

INTO London is also located in the heart of London, which is a plus for anyone wanting that big capital city lifestyle.

I now study Biomedical Science at the Royal Holloway University of London, which is located just outside London city centre. I am pretty used to city life as I was brought up in Kuala Lumpur, so I wanted to try something new and head out to the suburban areas for my university course.

There are a number of reasons I decided to study in London instead of studying at home in Malaysia and the following are my experiences so far:

1. It shapes you as a person to be independent and organised as you are outside of your comfort zone.

Especially in London city, you feel more independent and you will mature here during your studies.

It is such a busy and exciting student city!”

You will learn time management, even if it is managing your time to make sure you get to class on time, this is a skill you really need for the future.

2. You meet a variety of people and build connections, as well as lifetime friendships.

Because INTO London is such a cosy centre where everything is within reach, everyone knows each other. It is easy to meet other students and teachers to make friends/connections.

I am still in touch with previous classmates. My friend Amy, who is from China, is also at Royal Holloway studying a Masters in Management. She was previously studying a Graduate Diploma at INTO London.

3. It shows you different ways of being taught a particular subject which widens your knowledge.

University depends more on independent study.

University prepares you for your future; where you’ll need skills such as time management, organisational skills and even people skills.”

You are more or less spoon fed in high school and the teachers help you a lot, you still live with your parents and everyone is reminding you to do your homework.

When you progress to university, you have to learn to be independent and study alone. You really are in charge of your own degree, your own work and your own grades.

4. You see things from a different perspective when living in a student city.

This can be anything from how you approach life or work, or how you decide to be around people.

It will really broaden your mind, make you appreciate the small things in life and also make you more ambitious, in your studies, making friends or in your future career.

5. It teaches you to adapt to the culture in different countries and could be beneficial in a way of doing things differently.

I have met so many different people from all over the world studying here.

London is such a diverse student city, it will broaden your mind.”

It really does help you mature and you will enjoy learning about different cultures and ways of life. You may come back a changed person.

I would highly recommend coming to London to start your higher education. There is so much to choose from, but take it one step at a time.

Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions in your life. After looking for a UK university myself, my biggest piece of advice is not to rush that decision.

Take time to see what you want and don’t only take into account how good the university is academically; you want to find out how good life is there as well. You are going to be living there for the next three to four years of your life.

I think it is a really great idea while you are studying your foundation course at INTO London to go and visit the universities you are most interested in. Go to their open days or simply take a weekend break to go and visit them, see the local area and check accommodation prices.

I chose INTO London and the Royal Holloway University of London based on my study and lifestyle choices, and I am so happy with my decisions. I hope you make the best decision for yourself too.

Find out more about studying at INTO London on our website and connect with other students on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For great videos about studying abroad and life as a student in London visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.