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Studying abroad is a big choice for any student. With expensive tuition fees and complicated visa application processes, studying abroad is a big investment. Though, studying abroad has provided students with incredible experiences, enhanced their careers and helped them broaden their perspectives.
Anna Gevorgyan is from Armenia and chose to study abroad at University College London in the UK. Anna tells us about her experience at UCL and how her study experience in the UK has shaped her career for the better.
As Anna prepared for her time as an MA in Lifelong Learning Policy and Management student at UCL, she was worried that the programme would be too academically rigorous for her. Though, while she said it was challenging, she found it engaged her in many ways.
“I was taught to unlearn, learn, and relearn many of my earlier perspectives,” Anna said. “This was in no way an easy skill to master.” She also emphasises the importance of consistency at UCL in an independent study environment but that UCL’s flexible approach to studying encourages students to take responsibility for their own work and progress consistently towards the end goal.
“I found myself in an engaging, intellectually challenging environment that required me to work hard. But the looser academic structure than what I was used to gave me plenty of spare time to fit in sports and leisure.”
Anna’s favourite thing about studying in London was the people. “There’s no such thing as a typical person in London, as the city is so diverse. Most people were helpful, easy-going, and cheerful.”
Studying in the UK “played an essential role” in Anna's career
Since graduating from university, Anna has embarked on an impressive career. She now works as an adjunct lecturer at the American University of Armenia and provides consultancy services to multiple national and international organisations with Erasmus.
She said: “My postgraduate study at UCL played an essential role in my career and in gaining my current position as an educator.”
Inspired by her experience in the UK, Anna added, “one of my professional goals is to change the frequently pre-conceived notions about teaching and learning.” She aims to incorporate a more independent and free-thinking approach to education that she engaged in at UCL.
She explains that her study abroad experiences shaped her career in this way: “It’s due to my UK degree that I can work towards this goal, as I learned how to think critically and analytically and how to develop an evidence-driven approach to education.”
“The Faculty of Education and Society at UCL is one of the leading research-intensive institutions in Europe” Anna said. “Being a graduate student there meant having access to renowned researchers and having an opportunity to develop my own research skills.”
She emphasised that while the content of her course was valuable, it was the soft skills that UCL taught which really brought her a new perspective and gave her the tools to become a better educator. “I often note that UCL taught me how to ‘read and write’, academically speaking, because I learned how to read extensively and critically. Importantly, I learned how to write research papers with the guidance of my advisors.”
Topuniversities.com supports the #WeAreInternational campaign, led by Universities UK International, in support of the contributions that international students make to universities, towns and cities across the UK.
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How studying abroad in the UK can help to shape your career
Keshala Jayawickrama
Updated May 24, 2024Table of contents
Table of contents
Studying abroad is a big choice for any student. With expensive tuition fees and complicated visa application processes, studying abroad is a big investment. Though, studying abroad has provided students with incredible experiences, enhanced their careers and helped them broaden their perspectives.
Anna Gevorgyan is from Armenia and chose to study abroad at University College London in the UK. Anna tells us about her experience at UCL and how her study experience in the UK has shaped her career for the better.
As Anna prepared for her time as an MA in Lifelong Learning Policy and Management student at UCL, she was worried that the programme would be too academically rigorous for her. Though, while she said it was challenging, she found it engaged her in many ways.
“I was taught to unlearn, learn, and relearn many of my earlier perspectives,” Anna said. “This was in no way an easy skill to master.” She also emphasises the importance of consistency at UCL in an independent study environment but that UCL’s flexible approach to studying encourages students to take responsibility for their own work and progress consistently towards the end goal.
“I found myself in an engaging, intellectually challenging environment that required me to work hard. But the looser academic structure than what I was used to gave me plenty of spare time to fit in sports and leisure.”
Anna’s favourite thing about studying in London was the people. “There’s no such thing as a typical person in London, as the city is so diverse. Most people were helpful, easy-going, and cheerful.”
Studying in the UK “played an essential role” in Anna's career
Since graduating from university, Anna has embarked on an impressive career. She now works as an adjunct lecturer at the American University of Armenia and provides consultancy services to multiple national and international organisations with Erasmus.
She said: “My postgraduate study at UCL played an essential role in my career and in gaining my current position as an educator.”
Inspired by her experience in the UK, Anna added, “one of my professional goals is to change the frequently pre-conceived notions about teaching and learning.” She aims to incorporate a more independent and free-thinking approach to education that she engaged in at UCL.
She explains that her study abroad experiences shaped her career in this way: “It’s due to my UK degree that I can work towards this goal, as I learned how to think critically and analytically and how to develop an evidence-driven approach to education.”
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“The Faculty of Education and Society at UCL is one of the leading research-intensive institutions in Europe” Anna said. “Being a graduate student there meant having access to renowned researchers and having an opportunity to develop my own research skills.”
She emphasised that while the content of her course was valuable, it was the soft skills that UCL taught which really brought her a new perspective and gave her the tools to become a better educator. “I often note that UCL taught me how to ‘read and write’, academically speaking, because I learned how to read extensively and critically. Importantly, I learned how to write research papers with the guidance of my advisors.”
Topuniversities.com supports the #WeAreInternational campaign, led by Universities UK International, in support of the contributions that international students make to universities, towns and cities across the UK.
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