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Arya Sreeja, a student at London South Bank University, explains that international rankings and future career prospects attracted her to the UK

The international student experience is about more than just academic achievements. From enrolment to studying their chosen course and securing future job opportunities, students from abroad have many factors to consider when picking an institution. Reputation and extracurricular opportunities are often important here.

Arya Sreeja, a master’s student from Kerala, India, on a structural engineering course at London South Bank University, admits that global rankings played a significant role in her decision to enrol at her chosen institution. “London South Bank University was ranked 601st in the world by ����Vlog,” she says. “The university is also well regarded for its professionalism, good graduate job opportunities and facilities. There were a multitude of factors that attracted me to the university.”

Since arriving in the UK, Sreeja has discovered that much of her optimism surrounding life and study in the country was well-founded. “Coming to the UK, I was attracted to its cultural diversity,” Sreeja says. “You get different people from all over the world all sitting together in a classroom as part of a multicultural environment. I have also found that London South Bank University has excellent teaching facilities and directs students towards first-rate job opportunities when they are finishing their studies.” 

Sreeja has also discovered that life as an international student does not mean exclusively spending time studying. “Whenever I have some spare time, I try to explore the country. It is very easy to travel in the UK. I already have a list of places I want to visit, and I would love to take a few short breaks, create some videos, and upload them to social media so my friends and family can see that I’m exploring the UK while studying.”

Sreeja has not forgotten about the opportunities that might follow the completion of her course at London South Bank University. She worked as a teacher in India and has ambitions to develop her career further. As such, she also uses her spare time to research job vacancies and speak with recruitment teams.

Sreeja has been met with some welcome surprises during her time in the UK. “One of the things that surprised me was the fact that healthcare in the UK is absolutely free,” Sreeja notes. “Similarly, education is also free. Given that we plan to stay in the UK and build a family here, this was an important discovery for me.”

Sreeja has learnt many new things from her time studying in the UK and is looking forward to applying them in her career. “I have learned how to lead, problem-solve and collaborate during my studies,” Sreeja says. “I’ve also found that many colleges in the UK offer short courses without compromising on quality. This means I can graduate quickly and start building my career as soon as possible.”