Complete Guide on How to Gain Admission in UK From any Country
Studying in the UK Guide for Students in | Everything You Need
Studying in the UK – Do you have plans for undergoing your undergraduate or postgraduate studies in the UK? If so, then why not learn everything you need to apply for admission to any of the UK universities from Nigeria here.
This article is a 2021 general guide is a carefully researched article that seeks to present Nigerians with all the necessary and timely information they need to know about studying in the UK.
In this post, you will know the entry requirements UK universities expect of you as a Nigerian before you can gain admission into any of the top UK universities?
In this post, the good news is that an attempt will be made to explain all that you personally need to know about studying in the UK, using a step-by-step approach.
Why Study in the UK
There are many reasons why many Nigerians prefer to study in the UK. One of the core reasons is that UK universities are rank higher on the global university ranking.
According to the latest research published by Times Higher Education, some UK universities topped the list as the first and second-best universities in the world.
From the above made researched, I believe that the search for a quality education that will be valid worldwide has made the UK the number one destination for many Nigerians seeking to study abroad.
Due to lack of adequate information and occasional misrepresentation of fact on the internet about studying in the UK, our team of experts decided to research study in the UK and have consequently compiled this information in this easy to read article. All that is required of you to make your study in the UK a reality is to follow our guide below. Hence, without spending more time, let’s get started with the guide.
2021 Studying in the UK Guide
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Contents [hide]
1 Why Study in the UK
2 2021 Studying in the UK Guide
2.1 Guide 1. Choose Where to Study
2.2 Guide 2: Apply to the University
2.3 Guide 3: Get a Student Visa
2.4 Guide 4: Get an Accommodation
3 Guide 5: UK Scholarships and Funding
4 Conclusion
Guide 1. Choose Where to Study
In choosing where to study in the UK, there are some critical decisions that you must make. These decisions are explained presently:
CHOOSE A UNIVERSITY: It is important to note here that the UK is the home of some of the world’s finest universities. And at times, a prospective international student might become so confused about the particular university to choose from.
However, to help you make the right choice in choosing a university, you should visit unistat, which is the official UK site where you can gain an insight into any course and university in the UK.
On this site also, you can compare courses based on the cost of the course across universities and get to know the level of course satisfaction from the experiences of other students. Like I said above, there are many universities in the UK. However, for a complete list of universities in the UK, click on this link.
— KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY: If you are on a tight budget, then the location of your chosen university above should be a factor that you should pay close attention to.
There are cities like London in the UK that the living cost per month could be as high as £2000 in the minimum, while for some other cities, you can live modestly with £1000 per month. If you are a Nigerian, the chances are that you may want to choose a university that is situated in a place where the cost of living is relatively low.
And on that, you may want to check out the comprehensive list of the most expensive and cheapest cities in the UK for international students on google.
In our own view, this is an important decision that should be a decisive factor for you in deciding where to study, especially you are not that financially stable. We will get back to this point later.
Guide 2: Apply to the University
Once you have decided on the particular UK university that you want to study in, following the guide that we have outlined and discussed above, it is time to apply to the university or universities that you have singled out from other universities’ list the UK.
Once you have settled this in your mind, you can then go straight to these universities’ websites to start your application process.
For most UK universities, there is no deadline for admission each year. Yes, you can always apply for admission at any time from the university’s website, and then wait for the resumption date, which is usually a period of 4 months from the date of your application. The picture below is taken from the University of Stirling’s website; check it out.
This is a typical example of how to apply for a study place in the UK. It’s as simple as this. However, certain documents would be required of you during this application process.
— For an undergraduate study: you would typically need to upload the following files, usually in PDF format:
- A strong motivation letter stating why you have chosen to study in the school and the course you are applying for.
- Your current CV.
- Your secondary school-leaving certificate like WEAC for Nigerians.
- For some schools, proof of English language proficiency certificates like TOEFL, IELTS, etc. will be required. However, most UK universities don’t require this from Nigerians because Nigeria was a formal British colony, hence an Anglophone country. You should check out if your chosen school requires this for admission so that you can apply accordingly.
— For a postgraduate study: The documents you need to upload during your application process are not significantly different from those listed above.
Hence, in addition to the ones listed above, you should also get your undergraduate academic transcript and upload it.
Note that most UK schools accept candidates with at least a second class upper division for a master’s program. Some schools accept candidates with a strong second class lower division of at least 3.0 on a scale of 5.0.
Once you have registered and paid the necessary fees, the school will offer you a study place and send you your confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS). This CAS is essential for the next step that comes up presently.
Guide 3: Get a Student Visa
If you are not resident in the UK or Europe, the chances are that you would need to apply for a student visa before you can come to the UK for studies.
If you really need a student visa, then there is no better place to learn all about how to apply for it than from the official UK government website, which can be assessed via this link.
However, it should be noted that the UK embassy often denies many persons visa daily, primarily because of incomplete documents.
To help increase your chances of having your 4 tier visa approved, you need to prepare the following documents well before submitting your visa application and for your interview. The documents include:
Admission Letter From The UK University: You need to prove to the UK embassy in your country that you have been offered an unconditional admission into the recognized UK university. And this can only be proved with your admission letter’s presentation, which also contains your CAS. This CAS is your unique student number, which is really needed in your visa application.
A Current Passport: You also need to provide a valid international passport that still has at least a one-year validity period. In Nigeria, the new biometric passport is now the required passport. Also, you will be required to submit one recent passport alongside your international passport.
Bank Account Statement: Without prevarications, your financial preparedness is one of the principal reasons why so many visas are being denied. You must prove via your bank account statement that you have enough money to meet all the financial requirements expected of you when you get to the UK.
Depending on the school, though, and its location, though, you would need to have at least £15,000 in your bank account before you can be considered financially viable for a master’s program and considerably more for an undergraduate course.
Also Read: Top 5 Richest Women in Nigeria – Biography and Net worth
Also, note that this money must be in either your personal account or in the account of your parents. When you go for an interview, be prepared to defend how you got such amount of money in your account with proof to back it up.
If you can not prove the source of the money in your account, then the officer in charge will still deny you a visa. This is my free advice for you, though.
Tuberculosis Test: Yes, you would need to check your tuberculosis status in any government-approved center, and present the certificate of fitness to the UK embassy during your application process.
Once you have all these documents ready, then proceed to apply for the visa online. Once you are done with this, you can then visit the UK embassy near you for your biometric data and passport to be taken.
Within a period of 3 weeks, a decision should be taken on whether to approve or reject your visa application. It’s as easy as that.
For Nigerians, the UK embassy is located at;
ADDRESS: PLOT 1137, DIPLOMATIC DRIVE, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ABUJA.
Guide 4: Get an Accommodation
Getting accommodation in the UK could be challenging, especially when you are applying from outside the UK.
However, most UK universities understand this, and that is why they have made provisions for that. Typically, when you are applying for admission via the school’s official site, you are also given the option of applying for accommodation.
So you can easily apply for accommodation at your school. And one good thing about applying for accommodation through your school is that it is usually cheaper because you are a student. Hence, you might consider using your school portal while applying for accommodation.
Guide 5: UK Scholarships and Funding
Studying in the UK can really provide you with the best in terms of educational facilities. However, this comes with a cost. It can really be quite expensive to study in the UK, especially when you are really not financially stable.
This explains why there are a couple of good scholarship programs dedicated to international students to ease the financial burden of studying in the UK.
You can start by visiting this official scholarship site for international students in the UK. Also, it is advisable to check on the school’s official website you are applying to for other scholarship options that might interest you.
However, you should know that applying for a scholarship doesn’t come cheap, as there are prices you must pay for you to be selected.
The most principal is your ability to write a persuasive motivation letter that will captivate the awarding body’s interest in why they should give you the scholarship. This point will be explained in detail in some other posts. Continue checking on our site for more updates.
Conclusion
If you follow our guide above, then I’m sure you will not have any problems studying in the UK and actualizing your dreams. Was this article helpful to you? If yes, please use the share button below to share it with your friends on social media.
For your suggestions, recommendations, and other questions, please kindly use the comment section below, and we shall get back to you as soon as practicable. Thanks for reading through this article. Do well to check out our other articles.
