Of course, the preparation to study abroad for a master’s degree means much more than this. I’m going to a totally different country which means different time zones so I will adjust myself to the time lag as now I’m going to have classes mostly in the evenings. And I should get used to checking emails instead of my WeChat so that I could keep tract of those meetings, activities and assignments. Besides, I try to get some English speaking practices to avoid the embarrassment of not knowing what to say in conversations. In my eyes, master’s studies are more about active learning so I should take more initiative in learning new things. Anyway, I’m looking forward to studying in Manchester and experiencing something different there.

Actually, I really find everything in a mess at the beginning, because there are always numerous problems to overcome in the trasition to PGT study. Fortunately, I knew many new friends in the MIE wechat group and they gave me lots of support for Internet issues, course selection, tuition fees and so on. Many thanks for their help.

Additionally, I have just finished my pre-sessional course and I am reviewing some useful course materials; especially in academic writing and seminar languages. I also plan to enroll the academic success programme, which I think might be effective to improve academic skills.

Finally, I am making a weekly schedule (yet I haven't finished it). Time manegement is a practical skill to make time more efficient. (No procrastination!)

I need to adapt to living alone in the UK without my parents. I need to cook and clean up the housework by myself, which is a new challenge for me. I am a little excited because I can decide my life by myself, but I don't know whether I can do well like my mother.

There are still many things I need to adapt to, so the most important thing for me is to maintain a good mood and face every unknown challenge.

Actually, I have a gap year in 2020, and I worked as a teacher in an education company. In this year, I changed my role and learned how to think and live independently. I believe this experience can also be my prepared for my master’s degree.

In order to understand the local culture and help me to integrate into the local students in the UK, I also watched some British movies during my summer vacation. At that time, my English learning began to be closer to life application. I asked my senior students for some notes and contents of studying abroad, including some critical thinking articles, which benefited me a lot.

I have never lived alone before. Although I have experience of studying far from hometown and parents when I was an undergraduate, I got roommates who could reach me a hand in daily life at that time. To be independent is what I need now. 
2.Learning English

English is not my first language, but I have to use it in my master’s degree study. It is not only the language but also the culture behind the language that matters in language learning. So I take online English courses, watch British documentaries and dramas, imitate speech of characters in British TV series, and observe passer-by on roads in Manchester.
3.Selecting courses

I think the most important thing is to choose optional courses. It seems that every course is very interesting, but I can’t choose every course. Thus it is critical that I select the courses that suits me. I take four things into consideration: 1) is the course related to my final dissertation; 2) do I have the basic qualifications for the course; 3) does the course content appeal to me; 4) am I able to arrange my time if I choose these courses.  After getting advice from my sister who is a TESOL postgraduate and listening to the course introduction, I made my final decision.

First, I have taken part in a summer internship about Education. Since the prevalence of COD-19, it is common for students to study online. I was so lucky to join in an Internet company and get involved in online education. During the process, I not only figure out the difference between traditional education and digital education which could be simply described as learning efficiency, the main barrier for both teachers and students to overcome, but also get a primary know about how to use various software, such as zooms and applets, to organize classes.What I want praise is the applet in Wechat which is designed for students in kindergartens and primary schools, because it works as a supervisor to remind learners of what they should do at a certain time.I would say this experience gives me a basic understanding about the education in this special period, and inspire me to learn more about digital education in Manchester.

Secondly, I spent lots of time getting myself familiar with locals, such as the accommodation, food, nearest supermarkets as well as the transportation. At the beginning of May, I fortunately found five roommates and I was told that there is a shared kitchen in my flat, so I began to learn how to cook not only for the convenience of myself but also for the purpose of sharing meals with my new friends. Besides, I was so fascinated about some views in UK, so I planned several trips to London, Edinburgh, York and so on. All of above makes me look forward to my postgraduate life in Manchester

Firstly, as an international student, I have to take a long-journey plane to Manchester, a city of long histories. And I have rent a flat in advance to live in during the year when I study at the UoM. 

Secondly, I have attended the classes and seminars during the welcome week. I have met several classmates from my major and most teachers in our institute. In this way, I’ve had a general knowledge about the courses of my major and chosen several optional courses which I had interests in.

What’s more, I have learned some common expressions and phrases to better adapt to the life in the UK. Apart from that, in order to improve my teaching skills, I have taken an internship as an English teacher during the summer vacation, from which I have learned how to act and talk as a teacher. However, I have also found some problems in my teaching, like time managing and teaching content arrangements.

In the coming year, I hope to make a lot progress of my spoken English and have a better understanding of education and develop practical skills through the study in the University of Manchester.

Before coming to Manchester, I learned a lot of life skills from my mother, like how to select food and cook so that I can quickly adapt to living alone in a foreign country. I think this is also an important foundation that can support me to complete my studies. 

Of course, it is very important to overcome language barriers. In order to be able to quickly adapt to learning in English, I listened to English news every day during the summer vacation. I hope that the persistence of these two months will be helpful to the postgraduate study.

For international education , I hope that my students in the future can love my class and me, so some necessary skills are needed. I tried to teach my sister English in the summer vacation, but from that practice, I found that sometimes I was unable to start my course when I actually operated them. This drove me to work harder in my post graduate study.

Actually, I am still a bit nervous to get start of my Master’s degree in Manchester because studying for a master's degree is totally a new experience for me, let alone studying abroad independently. Even if it is a little tough for me, I’ve still made some preparations to get everything ready.

 

Firstly, the most important thing I’ve done is to get familiar with the new learning mode, such as using the student system, getting used to checking emails and having seminar discussions, which is completely different my undergraduate learning pattern. Let me take one as an example, in my college experience, professors or lecturers seldom use E-mail to contact us and they just put all the assignments in our Wechat groups or clarify them in class instead of emailing us. So, I do not have the habit to check my E-mail constantly. But, from now on, I need to constantly check my email.

 

Secondly, schedule the course time on the calendar and make study plans in my memo. I have already printed some course plans and download the courseware for each course and preview it in advance.

 

Thirdly, improve my language proficiency. In one way, in order to speak English more fluently, I practice my oral English on a daily basis and listen to foreign news as supplements. In the other, I keep reading English newspaper and magazines to enrich my vocabulary and reading ability.

 

Finally, try to maintain a good state of mind and be confident in myself. I know there may be lots of challenges waiting for me. But keeping a positive attitude is really important for me to be faced with any difficulties bravely. 

The pre-sessional courses are helping us to prepare for our MA courses through teaching as the structure of essays, how to academically write what texts are the most important and many other practical tips.
2. Tips of studying from social platforms

Sometimes, I like to exploring the tips of how to writing essays, useful academic websites, how to write emails, etc. online. Some of them are useful while some are too general.
3. Try to read more

I am aware that reading articles and reading skills are quite important in MA courses. Therefore, I try to read more books from fiction to textbooks and make some notes on it. I have also found that making mind-map could be a useful way to organise the points from essays.
4. After-school activities

It is commonly understood that studying might be stressful sometimes and I occasionally do some exercises or cultivate new hobbies.   

In study,

1. Attend a pre-sessional course. Having taken lessons for six weeks, my academic language skills were in a large extent advanced.

2. Focus on education-related news. Get to pay attention to educational internships and jobs and try to polish my resume.

 

In life,

1. Pack my luggage. Make a trade-off and purchase some daily necessities in advance in case of fluster and commotion on the first day of arrival.

2. Consult seniors about helpful tips. They are so kind to share their experience living in Manchester with me and give useful and valuable suggestions.

 

As for the IELTS exam, the most challenging part is the oral test, because I'm an introverted girl who seldom talks too much with unfamiliar people. Being proactive and having a smooth dialogue with the examiner is impossible. I can't help feeling embarrassed to speak English in front of native speakers, which makes my answer to the exam questions less and less. Afterwards, I turned to a good English teacher, she helped me so much and gave me a great deal of confidence. She said, you have a good hang of English and please get rid of self-contemptuous. Remember you are the best! 

 

Then, I was touched and practiced oral English every day during that month. In the end, I passed the IELTS exam, got good grades in TEM8, and finished my dissertation. I think I am lucky but the success is not baseless.

 

In my eyes, the most important thing I have done for the preparation of the start of my Master’s degree is about Courage. Because of the covid-19, from June to July, I felt very frustrated about whether or not go to Manchester for my semester 1 in person. In the beginning, I felt like I can’t be there because I was afraid of the terrible virus. I asked myself again and again, what do I want to gain from the 1 year master degree at the University of Manchester? As the time went by, at last, a voice from my deep heart said ‘ go there for the real life experience in Manchester.’. The project I choose for my master degree is International Education. So the culture exchange should be the first barrier I need to go over and try to find the balance point. One year will be very a short time, especially during my whole life. So I feel I should be in Manchester in-person, I am eager to experience differences and happiness and unhappiness in-person. The only thing I can do is to try to protect my health and try very hard on my postgraduate programme.

 

I will fly to Manchester on 14^th October. It will be a unimagined travel in my life. Now, I feel very confident about myself with no more fear. And I call this Courage.