My Job Covers Only Half My Living Costs: Indian Student's UK Study Experience Essay

For Indian students, going overseas means that their university life is not just about classes. Rent, food, transport, working, accommodation and adapting to a new system can impact their journey as much as the course itself.

 

Ruchi Tikoo, currently pursuing an MSc in Marketing and Strategy at University of Warwick, has found her journey consisted of not just adapting to the system of independent learning but also of applying twice and finding a part-time job that covers half her needs.

 

Ruchi had started preparing in 2023 for her overseas education. She had made a shortlist of 10 to 15 universities in Australia, the US and the UK based on QS and Times rankings. She applied to six or seven universities

 

Her first applications were in November 2023, with offers coming in December and January from two Australian universities. However, she decided not to accept them immediately and defer the offers as she had more options available and wanted to skip an academic year

 

"I wanted to redo my applications properly and apply to the universities which were a better fit," she said.

 

She began the process again in September 2024, giving herself enough time to resubmit applications. This time, she rewrote her statements of purpose and recommendation letters, and prioritised her preferred US universities before applying to universities in the UK. The University of Warwick eventually accepted her application.

 

According to Ruchi, applying to an overseas university is not just about submitting your applications. Alongside her four applications, she had to complete SOPs, written assessments and video interviews. She had to coordinate letters of recommendation with others, which could hold the application process up.

 

Each application took about 15 to 20 days to complete.

 

Her advice to future students is to not leave the process until the last minute. Apart from the stress, applying early can open doors to scholarships, which are given out on a rolling basis

 

While part-time jobs can help, you must not rely on them entirely

 

Ruchi said for international students, it can be difficult to deal with expenses on a day-to-day basis. Finding a job requires effort, with Ruchi having applied to nearly 15 to 20 jobs before being shortlisted for two. Attending interviews and eventually starting her first job, she said it helped her pay for roughly half her needs.

 

However, she warned students not to count on a job immediately as she had to apply regularly and be ready to face rejections.

 

Accommodation can decide the opportunities you have

 

Where a student stays can also decide how easy it can be to get to places. Ruchi, who stayed off campus, said the choice to stay close to the city meant she had to take a bus to the university each day. However, it meant she was close to shopping, work and socialising areas.

 

She said making the choice meant her chances of landing a part-time job improved and helped her network more with people.

 

When it came to making the decision, she encouraged students to consider rent, food and transport together and not separately. It, she said, was a matter of if walking to campus was more important than finding a place of work nearby.

 

Adapting to a new educational system can be overwhelming

 

The system in the UK can be overwhelming for new students, Ruchi said. Students are expected to be much more independent, with classes divided between online, workshops, lectures and self-study

 

They are expected to complete readings and classwork before attending workshops, where they are assumed to know the material.

 

"Initially it was confusing. It takes time to understand how much responsibility is on the student," she said.

 

She eventually got used to the system and found that it encouraged students to take their studies seriously and independently.

 

Careers guidance, according to Ruchi, is an area where universities can help overseas students. With the careers team at Warwick providing information on graduate roles and other short-term opportunities, they also advise students on what employers are looking for

 

They also provide more practical advice, such as how to improve CVs and cover letters according to specific job roles, preparing students for more formal applications in the future.

 

Tips for Indian students

 

Ruchi's experiences show that while studying overseas can be life-changing, it is also full of day-to-day decisions that can affect a student's experience. From choosing the right university to where a student stays or how they manage finances, each one has an impact.

 

Her main piece of advice is to plan early and understand what each university wants

 

"It is not that difficult to get into an international or Russell Group university. You just have to customise your applications well."

 

For Indian students considering the UK, her experiences offer an insight into how overseas education can be valuable but also challenging.