Surrey meets Latin America

An insight into life at Surrey from a current Latin American student

Accessing healthcare in the UK

Hey! Sorry I’ve been away from blogging so long, it’s been a hectic few weeks given that the final exam period was two weeks long and I happened to have exams starting from the first day at 9am all the way to 6pm on the last day. During the Christmas break I was able to […]


Beautiful Sunny Winter Days!

Hello everyone! Hola a todos!!

Happy new year!!

I wanted to share with you a few pictures I took of the university campus today because it is such a beautiful winter day at the University of Surrey.

You see I love blue skies and coming form South America, I grew up hearing how the weather in the UK is terrible because it rains a lot and it is always cold and grey. When I decided to come to the UK to do my Masters I bought a lot of winter clothes and I was ready to embrace the grey, sad, rainy weather. But let me tell you that since September, when I arrived to Surrey, I only used my umbrella three times, and it only snowed once this far.

I do come from a cold city, La Paz, Bolivia. A high city in the Andes so I am used to the cold. But it does not mean I like grey and rainy, so Guildford surprised me with its wonderful weather. I did not have to worry about rainy too much or grey or sad at all! If you are coming from a valley or a tropical city then do not worry, the winter is not as terrible here as in other places in the the north of the UK or Europe.

 

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 This is the view from my own room! It is a beautiful view and even better with the blue sky.

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This is the view from the Admissions and Recruitment’s office. It overlooks the lake.

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This is the view of the lake in a beautiful winter day.

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 In this picture you can see the library!

It is cold but beautiful when it is sunny and here at Surrey it has been mostly sunny! So coming from south America  you do not have to be afraid of the weather or the snow of the UK, you can be sure that by being at Surrey you will have a wonderful time even in the winter!

Until next time!

Carla 🙂

 

My experience applying for a UK visa

Since Carla wrote about visas last week I decided I would write about my own experience applying for a UK visa this week. When I first read the visa application guide I assumed I needed to have all required documents before submitting my visa application online, which I didn’t, and that assumption caused me to […]


UK and Schengen Visas-A Necessary Evil

Hello my friends! I say that visas are a necessary evil because we need them in order to go to certain destinations. (If you are a person with a double citizenship, and may not require a visa, then you are a very lucky person.) For most people in South America, and in the Unites States, […]


A Sneak Peek into a British Christmas

Since I’m traveling back to Guatemala for the holidays and this past weekend was the last weekend of the year I get to spend in Britain my best friend and her mother decided to have an early Christmas day with me on Sunday. While Christmas traditions vary widely from family to family within the same […]


Application Process

Surrey’s Application Process

You decided that the University of Surrey is the place to be, and you want to study here!
So how to apply? What are the different steps, and what are good tips to remember?
I will guide through the process so you are an expert and feel confident with your application!

 

To START:
1 option:  You can go to the Surrey Self-Service website and follow the guidelines in order to complete your application.

2 option: Go to your program’s website and apply from there. For example I knew I wanted to do the Masters in Intercultural Communication with International Business. So I searched for that program in the university’s website, and I clicked on, “Apply now,” in order to start my application. In the program’s website you can book a campus tour or download a brochure.

After you click on “Apply now,” you will have to create an account and complete an application form online.

To COMPLETE online application form:
In order to complete the application form successfully just follow the guidelines. Read everything so you do not miss out on little details, and try to be very honest and detailed in your answers.
You will have to upload documents in order to complete the application form. This is very necessary, so be prepared to scan important documents and have them ready in your e-mail.
Normally these are the documents you will need:

  • Scanned copies of signed and stamped qualification, like certificates or transcripts. These demonstrate your level of achievements before applying and how you meet the entry criteria of the university.
  • A document that is evidence of English language level.
  • Copy of your passport.
  • Contact details of 2 references. (Ask your references before so they are prepared, the university does contact them.)
  • A research proposal. (Only if you are doing a research program, if you are doing a taught program, then you do not need to submit a research proposal.)
  • A personal statement. (This is the most important part because this is where you get to express why you want to study at Surrey.)

Tips on how to write a successful personal statement !!!! 🙂

To FOLLOW UP:
After you submitted your application online, remember to read your email every day, and check your application form online every day. That way you will know if you are missing something, and you will be able to track the outcome of your application. This is very important, I forgot to check my application form online, and I was late in submitting documents that were needed in order to receive a proposal from the university.

It might take some time for the university to answer. My advice is for you to be patient and stay positive during this time. And most importantly, read your emails and your application form online every day. That way you will know the exact day the university finally sends you an offer!

OFFERS:
The university will send a formal letter to your Application Portal. There are different types of offers:
Unconditional offer:
This means that you have a place in the university! Yey!
(This is what you need in order to register in the program of your choosing.)
Conditional offer:
This means that you need to meet specific conditions; send more documents; or pay the deposit in order to be able     to confirm a place in the university.
In my case, the university needed documents such as a scan of my undergraduate diploma.
Alternative offer:
This means that the university does not have a position in the program that you selected, so the university offers         you  a position in another program.
After you receive an offer you have to either accept it or decline it; and pay your deposit!
This is the way you know you were accepted and you did an amazing job with your application!

If you have any questions, at any point, you can email the admissions team at:
admissions@surrey.ac.uk
TIPS:

  • Do not forget about the deadlines. Most of the time the application form is due 1 of July. My tip is to apply as early as you can! If you receive an offer from the university, make sure you have everything ready and done by Aug 30.
  • Accept your offer and pay your deposit as soon as you can.
  • Do not forget that right after you accept your offer you need a CAS number, (Confirmation of Acceptance) The University will send you an email with this information, which you will need in order to get your UK VISA.

 

I hope this information was useful and helpful!!! I know you will create very successful applications!

Next week I will be writing about the process of getting a UK VISA and about the BRP: Biometric Residence Permit! They are both very important and necessary. So stay tuned! 🙂

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