When everything feels strange and unfamiliar, apathy and loneliness could become a problem for newly arrived students. But fear not! There are programmes and support systems available in almost all UK Universities to ensure your stay is worthwhile. Here is a list of community and support systems that you could get during your stay as a student in the UK.
1. Student Union
A Student Union aims to advocate the voices of students to enhance their experience in university. Inside a Student Union, there will be a cabinet of elected representatives ranging from heads of international students to staff. These people will help students solve their problems ranging from financial issues to housing predicaments. The cabinet would help the students by expressing their concerns to the university administration. If they are unable to find the correct solution for your difficulties, they could help refer you to other departments or services within the university that would be glad to help solve your problem.
2. Student Association
Indonesia has 62 student associations around the world, and one of them is PPI UK. It is a student association that is designated for Indonesian students studying in the UK. By participating as a member of the student association, you could engage with Indonesian people abroad, making it feel as if you are in Indonesia! However, if you are not interested in participating as a staff, that's okay! Because these student association regularly hosts cultural events and sporting events where you could come in and enjoy!
3. International Office
The university’s International Office functions as a hub that connects international students to their place of arrival. Usually, they would contact you before your arrival to ensure that you already have everything that you need, especially on immigration and visa requirements, including your travel and accommodation during your stay in the UK. However, it is important to note that their services extend beyond your pre-arrival. After you have arrived, the international office could help you get an insight on adapting to the UK’s education system, ways to connect to the local communities, aid with a language barrier, and others!
4. Student well-being services
If you are feeling emotional challenges during your study in the UK, don’t worry! All UK universities provide their students with a well-being service. It is designated as a non-judgemental place for students to explore their feelings and discuss concerns that may arise during their stay and study journey by engaging in a one-on-one forum with a trained counsellor or with a peer-to-peer support group where students could each discuss their concerns whether due to University-related predicaments or issues outside of the University.
5. Support for students with special needs
UK universities label inclusivity as one of their important aspects, hence they created support teams to help students with disabilities and long-term conditions. They work with students to create a personalised learning method to cultivate reasonable adjustments that would cater to their needs. The support team services range from travel support to alternative course materials. Additionally, if you suspect that you have difficulties in learning, you could communicate your challenges to the professor and the Disabilities Center, so that they could help you seek a formal diagnosis or even tailor your study to fit your workflow.
