Study UK: a Guide for Education Agents and Counsellors by

Study UK: a Guide for Education Agents and Counsellors by https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99 Made with the best of intentions en-us 2018-03-13 15:53:15 UTC 2026-02-13 23:34:44 UTC hello@padlet.com Being from the UK, it was interesting to hear what some of the stereotypes were. I think I found it surprising because, whilst we all have our preconceived ideas of what a place will be like, we (or I) don't give much thought to how 'our' country is perceived. It reminded me a lot of this recent TED Talk that I saw, where the 'single story' of a country and its connotations are discussed. I really recommend this video to anyone who hasn't seen it: anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241460078 2018-03-13 15:55:23 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241460078 Tertiary UK education enables students to be "treated as an individual" anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241469771 2018-03-13 16:08:06 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241469771 As an admissions officer, by the time I have involved with a student they have already made their first steps towards coming to the UK to study, so my knowledge on the tools that we have is limited to our individual colleges' marketing. In terms of ensuring that students consider why they want to study in the UK, we use admissions interviews which include exactly this question, but only for students of certain nationalities. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241470534 2018-03-13 16:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241470534 The list of reasons for students choosing the UK is familiar to me from the answers many students give me during admission interviews, the exception being "The application process is easy to understand" which, for whatever reason, is one that I've never heard! anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241470901 2018-03-13 16:09:35 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241470901 "...ready as global citizens..." anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241472934 2018-03-13 16:12:24 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241472934 The two mains important points I have taken of what UK institutions offer are:a) That tertiary education enables students to be "treated as an individual", which is a very positive thing to hear when my day-to-day dealing with students is that, whilst cases differ, I have to work to a process of set requirements, where students are not necessarily treated as individuals due to entry and UKVI requirements etc.b) That UK education enables students to leave as "global citizens". Again, a positive and thought-provoking idea, given that the presumption may be that students become 'UK-centric' having had a UK education. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241476594 2018-03-13 16:17:38 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241476594 I'm not sure that an institution on its own can 'create' a global citizen, but in providing UK education to an international student it can obviously contribute to the bigger picture of how a student views/deals with the world after studying. The only obstacle I can think of would be that a 'global citizen' may not maintain their wider view of the world once they have returned to their home country, and also that the idea of a 'global citizen' is not particularly quantifiable, so should not necessarily be used as a measure of success of an institution. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241479551 2018-03-13 16:22:00 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/241479551 We have two Scottish university partnerships within the business I work for, both of which have degree lengths of 4 years, with the 'foundation' year referred to as the 'first year' of studies. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242424408 2018-03-15 15:26:39 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242424408 Teaching Excellence Framework (the TEF): Being introduced in order to allow for parity between research and teaching - analyse and quantify the quality of teaching in UK universities. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242428927 Quality Assurance Agency: Offers tools for Unis to support their own evaluation, and conducts reviews
National Student Survey and graduate employability rates: Tools to assess how a course will enable a student to achieve their goal.]]> 2018-03-15 15:32:54 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242428927 Teaching Excellence Framework (the TEF): Will allow my students another way of assessing which is the right university for them, in order to achieve their goalsQuality Assurance Agency seems to be the benchmark-setter.National Student Survey and graduate employability rates: Useful tools which we can expect our students to reference in their credibility admissions interviews. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242433112 2018-03-15 15:39:01 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242433112 I searched for quality assurance information relating one of the universities which I have previously studied at and the information took a surprising amount of digging around for! I eventually found all of the information, but I can't help but think that students looking for this information may end up frustrated, especially when trying to track it down for several institutions. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242445671 2018-03-15 15:56:49 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242445671 I know from my work that English Language studies are very popular with international students, however, I had not considered that the UK is the 'centre' of English would (obviously) add even more appeal to prospective students. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242462810 2018-03-15 16:25:54 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242462810 English Language Accreditation anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242875149 Accreditation UK: A language school must achieve this accreditation to teach international students.]]> 2018-03-16 15:31:13 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242875149 Our Navitas students can find information including information on their Quality Assurance or Governance on our college /university partnership websites. This is the main place that we direct them to at all points during their application process. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242880077 2018-03-16 15:39:52 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242880077 Having attended a boarding school, I can really see the benefits of them for international students. The extra pastoral support available is bound to be a plus for students who are away from home. For these students, the choice of being away from their families has already been made, unlike for boarding school students already based in the UK who have the option of remaining at home and getting the same education. As such, any extra support; pastoral or otherwise has got to be of benefit. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242881951 2018-03-16 15:43:11 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242881951 WEEK 1 REFLECTION: anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242885196 This week has been useful because it has allowed me to view the choice to study in the UK from the perspective of our international students. It has covered what they consider, how the view the UK and why they see UK education as valuable.

I found the discussion on whether a UK education can create a 'global citizen' of a student very thought-provoking, both in terms of deciding whether I agreed with the idea and just in terms of the realisation of how much value a person with education from more than one country has the potential to bring.

I am interested to look at the rankings of our partner colleges and see how they compare internationally, nationally and, to each other.

]]> 2018-03-16 15:48:58 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242885196 I am not an agent/counsellor, however I work daily with them. I think that it is very important,first and foremost, that they are aware of the student's overall aim; what they want to achieve in terms of career/life and why they therefore wish to pursue further education. I think it's also important that their recommendations are based on the best fit for the student, and that they provide the student with all the information they need in order to make an informed decision. So in short, the 'counsel' them, rather than process them as one of many. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242894883 2018-03-16 16:05:57 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242894883 Trust breeds trust - and a good service will create a good reputation. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242896938 2018-03-16 16:09:54 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242896938 The agent needs knowledge of both the student and the universities and their courses, so that they can ensure the best fit. In order to know the student, they need the skills to build a rapport with that individual. This involves trust, being open at all stages, and communicating well with not only the student, but with their support system. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242898890 2018-03-16 16:13:34 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/242898890 As an admissions officer, I know the results which come when documents are not provided correctly, in line with the requirements of an institution. I would advise agents that the effect of this is two-fold; it both holds up/jeopardises a student receiving an offer for a programme, and ultimately leads to a reputation forming of that agent. They say that a person tells many more people about a negative experience than a positive one, and so ultimately affects the agency's attraction to future students. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245514513 2018-03-23 15:17:16 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245514513 I would explain the IELTS levels to the student and parents, and give them examples if possible. I would advise that the student could attempt their IELTS exam again, or alternatively could consider a pathway provider, for whom the Pre-Master's IELTS requirement (for our Navitas colleges in the UK, including London, at least) is 6.0 (5.5), and so for which they would qualify based on their current score. I would also make sure that they understood that IELTS results have a shelf-life of 2 years. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245525374 2018-03-23 15:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245525374 I think that the point made on the way that Oxford and Cambridge deliver their programmes of study is an important one, and speaks of the adage that interviews are as much about interviewing the institution as them interviewing you; i.e. a student must be responsible in their choices to ensure a good fit for them, as ultimately this is what will support them in their studies being successful. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245528122 2018-03-23 15:39:35 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245528122 Of all the ways to broaden people's perspectives, I agree that meeting others from other places is the best way; the very best way. Of the people in my life, those with the most open minds are those who have done this, and those with the most closed minds are the ones who never have. I know, myself, that in my previous career as a teacher, the experience which most broadened my perspectives was working in an inner-city school with 33 different nationalities, because of the diverse mix of cultures and experiences it brought together. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245546976 2018-03-23 16:15:34 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/245546976 Some of our colleges and partner universities offer work placement options for certain courses, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. In terms of gaining transversal skills, if I were an agent I would always advise students to take up these options where available, as, from someone in the 'real world' post-education, I am more and more aware of how much work experience adds to employability. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/248142410 2018-04-03 14:43:06 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/248142410 Careers advice, events and placements should, in my opinion be something that students are pointed towards as they apply to institutions and as they begin their studies. This is because it could well provide both the focus that is often, understandably, lacking for some young undergraduate students who have only just left school when they begin their studies, and could also open their eyes to additional options that they may not have considered. All in all, the more informed a student is of their options, the more detail they can give to their plans of both what their goals are and how they will reach them. anuska_gilbert https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/248146093 2018-04-03 14:50:51 UTC https://padlet.com/anuska_gilbert/5s03nsvk0k99/wish/248146093