Studying abroad helped me get into my dream university

Wondering how you can get into your dream university?

Leno (Jiawei Xu) from China tells us how studying in the UK has helped him achieve his goal of studying at a world-renowned university.

Leno studied an International Foundation in Science and Engineering at INTO London and now is studying Computer Science at the University of York.

In my country, my grades were not good enough to get into a good university.

One of my teachers in China recommended INTO, as they are affiliated with many top universities.

I knew what I wanted to study, but it was very competitive and difficult to get on to a good course in China.

So I chose to study in London.

INTO London gave me the support and confidence I needed to progress to a highly ranked UK university.

I think the teaching system in the UK is really good.

It’s great that international students have the chance to experience it before university.

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The education system in the UK is very different to my country. In China, it is difficult to get into university but it is easy to graduate.

In the UK, the standards are equally as high and but you need to work harder to get a degree.

This means you will become more knowledgeable, achieve a good education to help you get a good job and future.

It wasn’t too much of a shock when I arrived at the University of York as I’d already been prepared while at INTO London. It was very different to high school!

For example, I learnt how to write and reference properly.

This is a skill I took with me to university, without it I would have struggled on my assignments and essays.

Also, another advantage is that my English has improved a lot. I would not have been able to improve my English as much if I’d stayed in China to study. Everyone speaks Chinese!

Coming to the UK helped me as everyone speaks English and it forces you to practice.

My advice to you would be to listen to your teachers and try not to miss any classes.

You also need to think about what University you want to go to early in the year, try to be organised as it will really help you.

Dream big, work hard and you’ll achieve success!

So what is an International Foundation, and can it help you get into your dream university too?

If you liked this, you may also like Praveen’s story about life outside the classroom. Or Nick’s blog about why London is an awesome city for students. 

Visit the INTO Study website to see if we can help you get into your dream university in the UK, USA and China. 

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